ANNUAL UNION BUDGETS ARE IMPORTANT FOR INVESTORS!

1. Just as a company's annual balance sheet is an important financial document for its investors and shareholders (if not punters), the annual union budget is equally important for planning investments every year, especially for taxpayers.
2. While investment continuity is a "given", ignoring a "factor" like taxation in every budget is not being "financially savvy" for a taxpayer who puts his hard-earned money to work for the entire year, as it will have a long-term impact on his wealth creation if he continues to ignore annual budgets during his earning years.
3. In fact, optimal utilization of all budgetary provisions, which effect his "pocket" in any manner, is vital for his investment corpus to remain a healthy inflation-beating one at all times, instead of only in the end.
4. A salaried person, taking "advantage" of the budget, can also maximize his carry-home pay, save more, thereby invest more for his future goals and retirement, instead of "ignoring" annually changing provisions.
5. For instance, this year's budget deserves attention to "rejig" savings and expenses - thereby your long-term investment portfolio - due to the following changes:-
a) Income tax cess hiked from 3% to 4%,
b) Reintroduction of standard deduction,
c) No medical reimbursement,
d) No transport allowance,
e) EPF cap of 8% for new women workers,
f) 10% tax on LTCG above 1 lakh,
g) No indexation benefits on LTCG,
h) 5% tax difference between LTCG & STCG,
i) Sec 80D limit hiked for senior citizens,
j) FD/RD/Savings interest exemption hiked for senior citizens,
k) 10% DDT on Equity MFs as TDS,
l) PMVVY limit hiked to 15 lakhs,
m) No change in income tax slabs.
6. Charity begins at home, no matter how small the benefits, especially towards your hard-earned money, as today's water drops are tomorrow's rivers.