Share trading may become cheaper

08 Sep 2011 Evaluate

The cost of trading in shares is likely to go down. The Union finance ministry has taken up a review of the current Securities Transaction Tax (STT) regime after a meeting with top exchange officials. While a waiver of STT in the soon-to-be-launched small and medium enterprises (SMEs) segment of the exchanges is a done deal, a similar change of rule for the equity segment was being looked into. Top officials from the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), MCX-SX and United Stock Exchange were present at the meeting.

Prior to 2008, STT was allowed as a rebate against tax liability under Section 88E of the Income Tax Act, if the income from securities on which the tax was levied was included under the head ‘profits and gains of business and profession’. This allowed brokers to pay less tax and generate more volumes. The changes to the income tax rule on STT were announced in 2008 by then finance minister P Chidambaram. This put arbitrageurs and jobbers, who generated nearly 30 per cent of volumes, out of business. Trading sentiment is at a nadir due to low liquidity.

The NSE pays a little over Rs 5,000 crore as annual STT and the BSE pays Rs 2,000 crore. Arbitrage trades have shifted to the commodity segment, as no transaction tax is levied. A Commodities Transaction Tax was discussed but there was intense lobbying and the finance ministry has put off the proposal. The absence of a transaction charge in commodities has aided volumes in this segment. Average daily trades worth Rs 50,000 crore are generated daily.
 

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