Sir,
Pensioners as well as senior citizens after having paid Income Tax throughout their career, now at the twilight of their lives with many health issues, have been surviving due to the benevolence of some of their past employers who reimburse a part of their actual medical expenses incurred. Sadly, Income Tax is being deducted at source and only the balance amount is reimbursed! They are even unable to comprehend why the Government is targeting old, ailing retired senior citizens, who are struggling to meet their burgeoning medical expenses, and tax their actual medical expenses incurred?
In my opinion, the total tax amount collected from the old senior citizens is a pittance for the Government of India, but for them it is a matter of survival with the cost of their routine medication spiralling month after month. I do not think any civilised nation which cares for their senior citizens will levy Income Tax on their medical reimbursement! On the contrary, they actually offer a lot of sops and welfare schemes to the senior citizens. I would, therefore, earnestly request our Prime Minister to instruct the officials concerned at the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to issue a circular exempting Income Tax on actual medical expenses reimbursed to all the senior citizens by their erstwhile employers at the earliest. This small gesture by the Government will go a long way in helping to meet their routine medical expenses without having to depend on their children. There are nearly five crore pensioners /senior citizens in India who keenly await the Government’s immediate action to help them.
K Ravi, E-237.GGP Colony, Bhubaneswar-751025, Mob: 9437616497