My father is 84-years-old and now he has become immobile because of ailments. He is also not able to sign any document. How can he draw pension from a public sector bank?
Amlan Das, Barrackpore
The first thing you must do is to get it certified by a qualified doctor that your father is unable to sign any document because of his illness. Along with this certificate, the doctor will also attest the impressions of your father's both thumbs. Submit this certificate to the bank that disburses the pension to your father. Talk to the branch manager, he can send a bank official for verification to your home every time you want to draw the pension. The bank official will verify that the pensioner is living and take his thumb impression for disbursal of the pension. If the bank manager declines to provide this service, first write a complaint, wait for a month and then approach the banking ombudsman at the regional office of the Reserve Bank.
While resigning from job, I had to make a notice pay to the employer. I had earned Rs 60,000 for two months of the financial year for which I worked and paid back Rs 25,000 as notice pay. What will be my taxable income?
Palash Adhikari, Belur
You cannot claim any deduction on payment to the employer in lieu of serving the notice period. Section 16 of the Income Tax Act, which specifies the deductions that have to be computed while calculating the income chargeable under the head "salary" doesn't specify "notice pay". Though the section mentions employment-related taxes as deductibles, notice pay is not a tax.
Can the second holder of a joint account claim tax benefit under Sections 80C?
Prabhat Sengupta, Calcutta
Whoever pays the money for investment will get the tax benefit, irrespective of whether you are the first or the second holder of the account. So, you shall have to prove with documents that you as the second holder of the account have paid the money for investment.
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