Fringe Benefits Tax
Full Form of FTB
What is FTB?
Fringe Benefits Tax (FTB) was a tax levied by the Government of India on employers for the value of fringe benefits provided to their employees. Introduced under the Income Tax Act, 1961, via the Finance Act of 2005, FTB aimed to capture the monetary worth of non-salary perks such as company cars, housing allowances, club memberships, and subsidized loans that employees received. Employers were required to compute and pay FTB at a flat rate (initially 30%, later reduced) on the taxable value of these benefits, which was over and above the employee’s salary income. The tax was controversial for increasing compliance burdens and was ultimately abolished in the Finance Act of 2009, effective from the assessment year 2010-11. Since its repeal, the value of fringe benefits is now taxed directly in the hands of employees as perquisites under the head 'Salaries'. FTB remains an important topic for students of Indian taxation law, especially those preparing for CA, CS, and CMA examinations, as it illustrates the evolution of corporate tax policy in India and the shift from employer-level to employee-level taxation of perks.
FTB का फुल फॉर्म
फ्रिंज बेनिफिट्स टैक्स
Example
Before its abolition, companies had to file an FTB return and pay additional tax on the rental value of cars provided to their senior executives.