Practicing CA
8639 Points
Joined April 2009
First of all it has to be decided whether the person who is paying rent is liable to deduct tax at source. As in the given case, the payer is a proprietor, he shall be liable only if in the preceding previous year his turnover from business has exceeded Rs. 40 lakh or from profession has exceeded Rs. 10 lakh. If the answer is yes, he has exceeded the threshold limits, then he is liable to deduct tax other wise not.
Once the liability is decided, it has to be checked whether the payment attracts TDS provisions. Sec 194 I specifies that where the rent payment exceeds Rs. 120000 in a financial year then tax has to be deducted. But in this case as the payments are spread over two financial years and in neither year do they exceed 120000 in gross, tax has not to be deducted.
Further if the contract is renewed in the year 2010, and the gross rent to the same payee exceeds Rs. 120000 in the financial year 2010-2011, tax shall have to be deducted.
(in the question it is written that the contract is for 11 months, but the actual period mentioned is only of 10 months. I think its a mistake by the author of this thread)