Author: Faisal Shahnawaz

KARACHI: The government has allowed tax exemption to the income derived by pensioners invested in various schemes, including pension funds.

The Second Schedule of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 allowed tax exemption to the income derived by pensioners.

The following exemptions are available to the pensioners:

Any payment from a provident fund to which the Provident Funds Act, 1925 applies.

The accumulated balance due and becoming payable to an employee participating in a recognized provident fund.

The accumulated balance up to 50 percent received from the voluntary pension system offered by a pension fund manager under the Voluntary Pension System Rules, 2005 at the time of eligible person’s-

(a) retirement; or

(b) disability rendering him unable to work.

The amounts received as monthly installment from an income payment plan invested out of the accumulated balance of an individual pension accounts with a pension fund manager or an approved annuity plan or another individual pension account of eligible person or the survivors pension account maintained with any other pension fund manager as specified in the Voluntary Pension System Rules 2005 shall be exempt from tax provided accumulated balance is invested for a period of ten years:

Provided that where any amount is exempted under this clause and subsequently it is discovered, on the basis of documents or otherwise, by the Commissioner that any of the conditions specified in this clause were not fulfilled, the exemption originally allowed shall be deemed to have been wrongly allowed and the Commissioner may, notwithstanding anything contained in this Ordinance, re-compute the tax payable by the taxpayer for the relevant years and the provisions of this Ordinance shall, so far as may be, apply accordingly.

Any withdrawal of accumulated balance from approved pension fund that represent the transfer of balance of approved provident fund to the said approved pension fund under the Voluntary Pension System Rules , 2005.

Any benevolent grant paid from the Benevolent Fund to the employees or members of their families in accordance with the provisions of the Central Employee Benevolent Fund and Group Insurance Act, 1969.

Any payment from an approved superannuation fund made on the death of a beneficiary or in lieu of or in commutation of any annuity, or by way of refund of contribution on the death of a beneficiary.

Any income of a person representing the sums received by him as a worker from out of the Workers Participation Fund established under the Companies Profits (Workers Participation) Act, 1968.