New section inserted by finance act, 2017 which prohibits accepting cash of more than Rs 2 Lacs
. The section introduced is as under:
"Section 269ST: Mode of undertaking transactions
No person shall receive an amount of two lakh rupees or more—
(a) in aggregate from a person in a day; or
(b) in respect of a single transaction; or
(c) in respect of transactions relating to one event or occasion from a person,
otherwise than by an account payee cheque or an account payee bank draft or use of electronic clearing system through a bank account:
Provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to—
(i) any receipt by—
(a) Government;
(b) any banking company, post office savings bank or co-operative bank;
(ii) transactions of the nature referred to in section 269SS;
(iii) such other persons or class of persons or receipts, which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—
(a) "banking company" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (i) of the Explanation to section 269SS;
(b) "co-operative bank" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (ii) of the Explanation to section 269SS.]"
This section is introduced for demotivating cash transactions in the system and to curb black money. With the introducation of this section, worries arises among NBFCs & HFCs as to whether the provisions of section 269ST of the Act shall apply to one instalment of loan repayment or the whole amount of such repayment. This issue is considered by CBDT and wide circular no. 22/2017 dated 03/07/2017, this issue is addressed. The circular is as under:
"1. With a view to promote digital economy and create a disincentive against cash economy, a new section 269ST has been inserted in the Income-tax Act, 1961(the Act) vide Finance Act, 2017. The said section inter-alia prohibits receipt of an amount of two lakh rupees or more by a person, in the circumstances specified therein, through modes other than by way of an account payee cheque or an account payee bank draft or use of electronic clearing system through a bank account. Penal provisions have also been introduced by way of a new section 271DA, which provides that if a person receives any amount in contravention to the provisions of section 269ST, it shall be liable to pay penalty of a sum equal to the amount of such receipt.
2. Subsequently, representations have been received from non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies (HFCs) as to whether the provisions of section 269ST of the Act shall apply to one instalment of loan repayment or the whole amount of such repayment.
3. In this context, it is clarified that in respect of receipt in the nature of repayment of loan by NBFCs or HFCs, the receipt of one instalment of loan repayment in respect of a loan shall constitute a ‘single transaction’ as specified in clause (b) of section 269ST of the Act and all the instalments paid for a loan shall not be aggregated for the purposes of determining applicability of the provisions section 269ST. "