A budget for “Digital Economy” sake

Looking deeper in to the budget 2017.

[An immediate official iSPIRT response to the budget was issued as a Press release on 1st FEB 2017. It is placed in media section. You can access it here.]

Budget can’t be construed as main stream policy making exercise. Yet, the policy analysts and experts, track it with utmost seriousness, to understand Government’s thought process in economic policy. Similarly, industry looks in to budget for the sectoral emphasis, allocations that will influence the demand/ supply, reforms and special provisions in the sector. A reminiscent of this in recent period of history is 2012-13 budget speech of then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, when analysts were counting how many times he used “inclusive growth” as a phrase.

This budget speech was unique in many sense and very tactical. The proposed GST regime, the rigours of demonization and skepticism of coming state elections have all effected this budget. The usual rigmarole by media of comparing prices of commodities and consumer goods from cigarettes, electronics to automobiles is missing.  GST being in pipeline, the indirect tax section, which was usually the largest section of finance bill is almost missing. Hence, allocation of resources and the direct taxes had all the share of FM’s mind in budget. The new item on the block is “Digital economy”.

We have been seeking attention of Government on:

  • increasing domestic demand,
  • promote innovation (Startups)
  • ease of doing business and
  • level playing field for Indian companies.

These four parameters impact our “product nation” focus. Let us briefly analyse how these have been taken care in the budget.

Influencing Domestic Demand function

The usual model of a demand stimulating economic policy has been based on consumption led demand relying mainly on sops and taxes for several years with doses of investment driven demand and growth from time to time.

Increased efficiency, transparency, formalization of economy and investment driven growth are four major thoughts embedded in this budget. The former three are additional determinants of demand function of emerging new economies and a means to achieving developmental agenda. Relying mainly on investment driven demand and growth is very need of the time of low sentiments.

A big measure towards increased efficiency is the change from plan and non-plan classification of expenditure. “This will give us a holistic view of allocations for sectors and ministries. This would facilitate optimal allocation of resources”, said the FM in speech.

The agriculture and rural sector of India cannot be ignored by any Govt. Hence, increased focus in budget on these two important sectors is about inclusive growth, and also in “Digital economy” perspective an attempt to avoid a digital divide.

Both continual emphasis on infrastructure investment and targeting doubling farmer income will provide an investment driven demand push and a consumption driven demand function at higher level.

What is most heartening on domestic demand side for ICT sector is the huge recognition of the “Digital Economy” in the budget. For past some years iSPIRT has been pursuing the “Digital economy” agenda at various forums. There was cautious optimism, but not full acceptability. Thanks to demonetization, “Digital” is now a mainstream concept.

Devoting a full section in his speech on “Digital economy” and dealing with it in ‘direct tax’ provisions speaks a volumes of the mind share this has taken at top in the present Govt. The finance minister stated in his speech, “Promotion of a digital economy is an integral part of Government’s strategy.”

Further, the finance minister said, “Government will consider and work with various stakeholders for early implementation of the interim recommendations of the Committee of Chief Ministers on digital transactions.” This is especially important for iSPIRT as Nandan Nilekani and Sharad Sharma of iSPIRT are special invitees on this committee.

The demand conditions for ICT  sector can best be boosted by increased adoption of the ICT by masses and the businesses, especially the SME businesses. This throws open a number of opportunities for many new startups to emerge and contribute to the development of an ecosystem, friendly to “Software product”.

Following are the notable announcements in the budget on “Digital economy” Steps:

  1. Stepped up the allocation for BharatNet Project to Rs. 10,000 crores in 2017-18.
  2. Targeting high speed broadband connectivity on optical fibre in more than 1,50,000 gram panchayats, with wi-fi hot spots and access to digital services
  3. A “DigiGaon” initiative will be launched to provide tele-medicine, education and skills through digital technology
  4. No transaction above 3 lakh should be permitted in cash.
  5. Limit the cash expenditure allowable as deduction, both for revenue as well as capital expenditure, to Rs. 10,000. Similarly, the limit of cash donation which can be received by a charitable trust is being reduced from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 2000.
  6. All indirect tax/ duty exempted on miniaturised POS card reader for m-POS, micro ATM standards version 1.5.1, Finger Print Readers/Scanners and Iris Scanners. Also components for manufacture of such devices exempted.
  7. Increased digital transactions will enable small and micro enterprises to access formal credit. Government will encourage SIDBI to refinance credit institutions which provide unsecured loans, at reasonable interest rates, to borrowers based on their transaction history.
  8. To make MSME corporate tax with annual turnover up to 50 crores will be 25%
  9. Presumptive income tax for SME tax payers whose turnover is up to 2 crores reduced from 8% to 6%.
  10. BHIM app with cashback and referral schemes
  11. exemption of service charge on railway bookings,
  12. Aadhaar based smartcards for Senior citizens
  13. Create a Payments Regulatory Board in the Reserve Bank of India by replacing the existing Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems.

Also Government has on mid the ‘indigenous’ in ICT sector. This is reflected by the proposal on metro rail policy for upcoming metro infrastructure across the country. The budget statement reads, “A new Metro Rail Policy will be announced with focus on innovative models of implementation and financing, as well as standardisation and indigenisation of hardware and software.”

Further in related electronic sector, the budget has exponentially increased the allocation for incentive schemes like M-SIPS and Electronic Development Fund (EDF) to 745 crores in 2017-18. The draft National Policy on Software Product already intends to have a synergy with the EDF in PPP model.

This is not enough on “Digital economy” if the Government itself does not implement the “Digital” in its own functions in pervasive manner. The thought process of the Government seems to be aligned in this direction also.

The Finance Minister has said in his speech, ”we are trying to bring in maximum use of Information Technology to remove human contact with assesses as well as to plug tax avoidance.” 

Innovation and Startups

Both innovation and Startups still occupy the thought process at top leadership level. There are signals and clear provisions indicating this.

The income tax exemption window slider for Startups, approved under DIPP, has been increased for 3 years in five years to 3 years in 7 years.

Another new measure is promoting innovation right at secondary education level and in backward areas. “An Innovation Fund for Secondary Education will be created to encourage local innovation for ensuring universal access, gender parity and quality improvement. This will include ICT enabled learning transformation. The focus will be on 3479 educationally backward blocks”, mentions the Finance minister, in budget speech.

Ease of doing business

Ease of doing business is an important topic in PART-B of the content list of budget document. Hence, its importance in thinking process of Government.

iSPIRT has pursued a Stay-in-India-checklist with the Department of Policy and Promotion (DIPP) with an intent to remove various frictions faced by industry in funding, company formation, corporate regulation and taxation issues. A number of steps have been taken up by Government in past one year to sort out these issues.

Announcements like abolition of FIPB, rationalization of taxation (on FPIs, convertible instruments, long term capital gains, etc), lower rate of taxation of 25% for companies with revenue of less than 50 crores, rationalization of labour laws, carry forward of MAT for 15 years, etc. are all in line with the philosophy of iSPIRT’s Stay-in-India checklist.

Among key issues from the Stay-in-India checklist which were expected to be addressed in the budget but have been missed out are angel tax and tax parity between listed and unlisted securities etc.

Level Playing Field

There many ‘level-playing field’ issues that iSPIRT has been taking up with the ministry of finance. Most in taxation domain. None of these issues have been addressed in this budget also e.g. TDS on sale of software, service tax on B2C sales of domestic products.

We hope the proposed National Policy on Software product will crystallize ground for taking up specific ‘Software product’ industry issues with Government in future.

Conclusion

Overall the budget is very encouraging. The main take away for iSPIRT is “Digital economy” recognition. We have to further leverage this in our policy initiatives with different departments in Government and most importantly with MeitY to realize the dream of “Product Nation”.

Digital economy needs tax clarity

“Digital” is an inevitable and progressive catalyst of change. Whereas internet-based online transactions have existed for some time now, the transformations at a national scale are morphing many more areas together into a “digital economy”.

The transformation is about 100% dematerialisation up to the ‘last mile’, with near 100% continuous involvement of the internet and is built upon cloud computing. In India, the recent UPI launch will accelerate last-mile integrations and lead to a national cohesive market.

The digital economy is therefore about “digital goods” and “digital services” being stored, transported, or provisioned ‘digitally’ and exchanged using ‘digital money’. Electronic hardware, networking, telecom and e-commerce are about enabling this digital economy.

Tax regime—out of sync

On the other hand, governments globally have a huge challenge from the emergence of a digital economy which has the power to disturb or outmaneuver tax systems if not accommodated adequately and in a timely manner.

On the international front, the challenge is posed by technology diluting the efficacy of borders. The equalisation levy of 6%, introduced in Budget FY17, on the advertisement fees paid to foreign digital media companies, is a corner stone of the international problem of BEPS. In yet another example, since 2015, the EU has brought all digital goods’ B2C sales under VAT, irrespective of the country of origin.

On the domestic front, the challenges are created by a piecemeal approach from the tax authorities with respect to the evolution of this new economy ever since the internet and software delivery have proliferated. The fragmented system is not able to cope with new business models that are based on innovation and ideas where “software is eating the world”—as famously said by Marc Andreessen, a general partner at the prominent venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz .

In some countries, Netflix users evaded tax when they procured directly online, as against paying taxes when procured through a partner. In India, the same ‘SaaS’ software is taxed only under the service tax component when procured through a service partner, as against service tax plus VAT when procured directly. The confusing tax systems create immense frictions for ease of doing business for digital goods and services.

The world has recognised the problem and started moving towards pragmatic solutions. India, with its 29 states and over 250 million internet users, cannot afford to overlook the taxation issues facing a digital economy.

On the domestic front, for indirect taxation, it is an opportune time for India to solve this problem with the GST rollout.

India has rightly opted for a ‘thoroughly digital’ system for implementing GST. However, to offer infrastructure to support a authentically ‘digital GST’, it also needs to integrate the digital economy’s taxation concerns.

The GST will solve many confusions, but must address several more of them. A single rate is always a good starting point. There are several unnecessarily imposed classifications of digital goods, and differential rates must be eliminated to simplify the mechanics. Additionally, the value chain of consumption of “goods” versus “services” is quite different, and must be reflected clearly in the definitions.

Accept digital goods as reality

A generally accepted principle across the ongoing discussions in the world of taxation on digital economy is that it does not favour a new or separate tax regime for ‘digital’. We must principally agree that the digital economy’s concerns should be overlaid and accommodated into the existing and evolving legal framework.

Despite a lot of confusion on this issue, the US has a well-drafted bill defining “digital goods” and “digital services” under consideration. The bill has adopted a simple and fair definition. The term “digital good” is defined as, “Any software product or other good that is delivered or transferred electronically, including sounds, images, data, facts, or combinations thereof, stored and maintained in digital format, where such good is the true object of the transaction, rather than the activity or service performed to create such good”. A “digital service” is defined as, “Any service that is provided electronically, including the provision of remote access to or use of a digital good”. This excludes services like telecom for fair sectoral treatment.

“Digital goods” therefore, is not just about music, video, images, or e-books. In fact, software products may be a combination of complex scientific computer programs or commercial applications with a combination of data types including voice, video, images, texts, document files and so on. We must account for the many permutations and combinations, and not limit the evolution of such products.

In order to make best use of the digital economy’s opportunities while achieving the objectives of a) increasing the tax base with a simple, fair and neutral tax regime, and b) promote an environment of business growth with ease of doing business, India must consider the following four measures in its tax systems:

One, free “digital goods” from the shackles of ‘royalty income’ under the garb of attached ‘copyrights’ in the Income Tax act. This binding of ‘royalty income’ on software and ‘intangible/digital’ goods is a bottleneck to trade in a digital economy.

Two, clearly define “digital goods” and digital services” consistently across the legal framework.

Three, provide “digital goods”, or intangible goods, the status of “goods” as defined in Article 366(12) of the Constitution. The digital goods, though intangible in nature, exhibit all properties of tangible goods generally acceptable in legal parlance viz. durability (perpetual or time bound), countability (number of pieces, licenses or users etc.), identifiability (standardised), movability and storage, ownership (IP or right to use), producibility/reproducibility, and marketability/tradability using an MRP.

And fourthly, in a digital world, the tax system (both domestic and international) has to be end-to-end digital, i.e., be able to track transactions, levy a clear single tax, and collect tax digitally—including taxes on international online transactions.

There is progress on the fourth issue in different quarters, but the government needs to move fast on the first three measures in order to align the tax system with the digital economy. This can not only solve existing taxation issues in the most transparent manner, but also provide future-proof solutions and establish standards for the support of innovation and progress.

Contributed by Mohandas Pai, Aarin Capital & Sudhir Singh, iSPIRT

Taxation and “Digital Economy”

Background

There two precursor blogs recently published to this new article on taxation of digital economy, which are helpful in understanding the context for Software product industry in general and especially for SaaS.

  1. ‘SaaS’ – the product advantage and need
  2. ‘SaaS’ – indirect tax issues in India

Here is a brief overview.

The first blog, made a case for SaaS industry to be a formidable part of the Indian Software product industry (iSPI).

The second blog, explored the problems of double and confused indirect taxation, GST and its implications, applying a product definition as different from service and need for a clear distinction between a ‘product’ and ‘service’ or ‘digital goods’ and ‘digital service’.

This third blog is based on excerpt from representations and notes pursued with the Ministry of finance in last few months, as a solution to the problems in a larger sphere i.e. the emerging “Digital Economy”.

The Tax system if fragmented

The taxation on ‘intangible’ goods and services has been marred with double taxation, confusion, and litigations. The biggest cause of this broken tax system is that tax authorities have been giving piecemeal approach to the taxation in this sector.

Until December 2006, there was no indirect tax by central Govt. on Software. In 2006, excise duty was levied on Software and until 2008, there was only excise duty + VAT (even VAT was exempted till such date in many states) payable on Software. In 2008, Software came under the purview of service tax and for a long time until February 2010, a large number of Software product companies paid both excise duty and service tax, plus the VAT in states. This continued until the pronouncement of notification No. 2/10 No. 17/2010-Service Tax Dt. 27th February 2010, which exempted Software product companies from payment of service tax, if the excise duty or customs duty was already paid on same.

An example problem (on Service tax +VAT) of this fragmented tax system, for Software product industry, has been illustrated in previous blog, ‘SaaS’ – indirect tax issues in India.

Similarly on direct tax front, the finance act 2012 subjected income from sale of Software as “Royalty Income”, and therefore subject to TDS of 10% on every sale. A book is traded as a product (a tangible good), whereas the contents are copyrighted. So a buyer buys the book and not the copyright. Similarly in the case of a software product, the buyer buys the product and not the copyright. However, the tax treatment is as if the buyer has purchased the copyright.

In a period between 2006 to 2012, the Software product industry has been subjected to many such bottlenecks. The tax authorities acted in a piecemeal basis, to first apply a tax to increase the tax net and then had to make course correction through several patchwork notifications in multiple steps, resulting in to a fragmented tax system.

The cause of this piecemeal approach has been that Software product (being ‘intangible’ product) is not recognized and treated at par with other products. We have proposed that defining ‘digital goods’ and ‘digital services’ clearly may solve the problem.

Let us understand, why there is a focus needed on ‘digital’ and why the ‘goods’ parlance is needed.

Digital economy is about digital goods and digital services

India has rightly embarked on a path for “Digital India” in line with world economies in transforming to a “Digital Economy”. The move, in 2015 budget towards a ‘near cashless’ has been boosted with UPI launch, which will further significantly contribute to the transformation in to digital economy.

The ‘digital economy’ will be overwhelmed with ‘Intangibles’ i.e. ‘digital goods’ and ‘digital services’. Software, may not just be standalone computer program. It may work with either data, audio or video products. Similarly the audio, video, data and document products may have a software product running them. Hence Software product, sounds, images, data, and documents or combinations of them may exist as a ‘digital product/goods’.

Recognizing the tradability in ‘digital goods’ is one the most important need of a ‘digital economy’. The volume of such trade will be huge in future as the digital economy is unleashed. Anderson said, “Software is eating the world”. IoT is a reality now.

All this pointing to, a ‘digital economy’, that will be overwhelmed with trade of not only ‘digital goods’ and ‘digital services’, but also the trade of ‘right to use’ or ‘transfer of right to use’ just as there is ‘deemed sales’ or ‘transfer of right to use’ of tangible goods.

All these reflect the pervasiveness of digital in future economies, as well as inseparable pervasiveness of Software products in the digital world. The buzz word is now ‘digital’, end-to-end.

Why Digital?

Since a digital economy will be about a converged digital world where Software products will also be inseparably pervasive, taxation issues of Software product industry should be dealt in a unified ‘digital economy’ domain, where ‘digital goods’ and ‘digital services’ will be the produced and supplied.

If tax authorities just focus on Software, it will again create another patchwork and will not provide long term solution, for the evolution that is happening with greater velocity now. Focusing on ‘digital’ will provide strategic solution to the problem at policy formulation level. And hence, the issues of the Software product industry can be dealt with by clearly defining “Digital Goods” and “Digital Services” in the tax system.

Digital goods and service definition

It has been already illustrated in ‘SaaS’ – indirect tax issues in India the COG-TRIP test can be used to identify a Software products as different from Software service. However, in order to align with existing Indian legal system and the evolving international practices, following definitions (based Digital Goods and services Tax Fairness Act[1], a bill pending in USA) at structural level has been proposed.

These proposed definitions are just the guiding factors that can be used as a starting point by the Government of Indian in this direction.

DIGITAL GOOD – The term “digital good” means any software or other good that is delivered or transferred electronically, including sounds, images, data, facts, or combinations thereof, stored and maintained in digital format, where such good is the true object of the transaction, rather than the activity or service performed to create such good.

DIGITAL SERVICE – The term “digital service” means any service that is provided electronically, including the provision of remote access to or use of a digital good.

For purpose of above definitions, the term

(i) “Digital Goods” means “Goods” as defined in 366(12) of the Constitution

(ii) “Digital service” means a “service” and that which is not a “Digital Good”

(iii) “Delivered or transferred electronically” means the delivery or transfer by means other than tangible storage media, and

(iv) “Provided electronically” means the provision remotely via electronic means

(v) “Software” is a representation of instructions, data, sound or image, including source code and object code, recorded in a machine readable form, and capable of being manipulated or providing interactivity to a user, by means of a computer or an automatic data processing machine or any other device or equipment. And, “Software Product” is a standardised set of such software bundled together as a single program or a Module that directs computer’s processor to perform specific operations, exhibiting the properties of an intangible good that can be traded.

Explanatory Note:

In legal parlance, the ‘goods’ exhibit the following properties:

iSPIRT has proposed a COG-TRIP test[2] for identifying it as Software products. The same definition overlaps with the following legally tenable definition and explanation on detailed attributes.

  1. Durability (perpetual or time bound)
  2. Countability – traded commodity can be counted as number of pieces, number of licenses used, number of users etc.
  3. Identifiability – identified as a standardised product
  4. Movability and storage. Can be delivered and stored and accounted as an inventory
  5. Ownership of the right to use
  6. Produced/Reproduced through a process
  7. Marketable/Tradable or can be marketed and sold using standard marked price (except when volume discounts, bid pricing and market promotion offers are applicable).

‘Goods’ as distinguished from services that are consumed either instantly or within very short period of time or continually coinciding with the activity of provision of service.

‘Digital goods’ exhibit all these properties plus the property of being stored and maintained digitally.

This definition of ‘digital goods’ will also imply, that their sales and purchase will be governed by same laws as for “Goods” in the constitution and various acts thereof. Hence just as ‘Goods’ are subject of ‘sales’ under article 366(29A) so will be ‘digital goods’. It is important in the context of ‘ease of doing business’ in trade of ‘digital goods’ and removing the present confusion on taxation in trade of ‘digital goods’.

The ‘right to use’ as a deemed sales of digital goods to be used or consumed at future instance(s) can also be delivered or transferred digitally. It can be a PIN or a Password or a combination of biometric and password to allow access to digital goods.

In digital economies, many a times ‘digital goods’ are stored on a remote server or maintained digitally on a remote location by a producer or its agents/dealers/distributors for use or access by clients and users.

An act of use or remote access of ‘digital goods’ by using the access PIN or password acquired in advance through a trade or commerce transaction in ‘right to use’ of such ‘digital goods’ shall be an act of trade or commerce in ‘digital goods’ and not of ‘digital service’.

Recommendations made

Following recommendations were made:

  1. Definition be introduced through a bill/finance act in future.
  2. Also a clarity be inserted that, ‘digital goods’ will mean “goods” for all purpose, including ‘tax on the sale or purchase of goods’ as defined in Article 366(29A) which also includes the ‘transfer of right to use digital goods’.
  3. Both indirect tax (in future) GST and Income tax Act, should to refer to the same definition for purpose of ‘digital goods’ and ‘digital service’.
  4. Need for a Tariff code (HS Code) for ‘digital goods’.

The future lies with recognition of ‘digital goods’ as an international standard and WTO involvement in the accepting these principles.

In the interim, India can adopt a workable solution.

At present, all that is not covered under HS Code classification as given below (mostly software/digital goods downloaded online or SaaS Software) is treated as a service, despite the fact that packaged software and SaaS is the same whether traded on a media or online as a medium.

HS Code Item Description
4907 00 30 Documents of title conveying the right to use Information Technology software
4911 99 10 Hard copy (printed) of computer software (PUK Card)
8523 80 20 Information technology software on Media

Source: DGFT HS Code Database and CBEC

A HS code classification for following categories can be issued using the last 2 digits (first 6 Digits being defined under international system) Or Until a global harmonious classification emerges a codes may be defined under chapter 98/99.

Following category of definition will solve the issues of Digital Goods

(i) Pre-packaged software (Software Product) downloads

(ii) Software Product supplied as S-a-a-S model

(iii) Sale of ‘right to use’ digital goods

(iv) Digital Goods other than Pre-packaged Software

Some countries have created a HS code under 98/99 for Downloaded Software e.g. China has a code under 980300 for Computer software, not including software hardware or integrated in products. Similarly some countries are using 9916 as a code for pre-packaged software.

Conclusion

The above proposal of definition and the measures in recommendations can solve the issues faced by the industry, help in ‘ease of doing business’, lubricate trade, ensure neutrality and fair practices as well as provide the much needed level playing field.

The proposal does not create any loop holes in system as it does not recommend the change in the tax regime. It merely recommends the changes desired to accommodate the rise of digital economy.

The Software product industry can be the biggest beneficiary of this and members in Software product industry should take up this concept with Govt. of India with full force to help in rise of India as a Product Nation.

References

[1] Digital Goods and services Tax Fairness Act, USA, https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/1364/text

[2] A framework developed by iSPIRT, under leadership of Shri. Bharat Goenka of Tally Solutions