Shout out to HR Teams – Save some tax for your employees with Zeta Optima

Looks like a dream come true offer for the employees! The days of punching the bunch of colleterals while submitting the reimbursements seem over! I found this info and sharing as is, as it looks very interesting but only HR personnel would be rightly placed to evaluate and take it ahead.

HR TEAM needs to look at this – 

These offers can help save tax and resources for both employees and employers.

(Information sourced from ZETA – Information included as is)

The Zeta payment suite gives users access to over 11 lakh outlets and can be used to make online payments as well.
Zeta Optima is fully compliant with the Income-tax act and RBI guidelines. It’s the only solution that has been certified compliant through a written opinion by every one of the big 4 Accounting firms: KPMG, Ernst & Young, PriceWaterHouseCoopers and Deloitte.
Optima is used by over 70,000 users, across 600 organisations that:
       have eliminated paper while managing employee benefits
       send grants instantly to employees
       outsource claim verifications
       customise the programme and set usage rules
       generate on-demand digital reports
     receive audit-ready statements

The Optima suite of smart benefits includes:
Optima Meal Vouchers
An electronic meal voucher programme that replaces non-compliant paper vouchers and meal cards, with a 100% compliant, fully digitised solution. Optima Meal Vouchers can be spent via the Zeta app and the Super Card at 3 lakh+ outlets and can help your employees save up to Rs 11,880 every year. Optima Meal Vouchers can also be spent at office cafeterias with the Zeta Super Tag.
Optima Medical Reimbursements
The first fully digitised medical reimbursements programme in India, Optima Medical Reimbursements lets employees file claims on-the-go via the Zeta app. Through Optima Medical Reimbursements, employees can save up to Rs 4,500 in taxes, every year. Optima Medical Reimbursements grants can be spent via the Zeta app and the Super Card.
Optima Fuel & Travel Card
A digitised solution to manage fuel and transport expenses, employees receive grants from their organisations on their Optima Fuel & Travel Card. The balance in this virtual card can be spent at any fuel or vehicle maintenance station via the Super Card. Employees also have the option to upload bills via the Zeta app and file for fuel or transportation reimbursements. Employees can also use the Fuel & Travel Card to file claims against costs incurred during their commute to work. On the whole, employees can save up to Rs 11,880 in a year.
Optima Communications Card
The Optima Communications Card is a digital solution that helps users save up to 30% in taxes on communications bills. Employees receive their communications grants on their Optima Communications Card, which they can use to pay mobile, landline, data card and internet bills via the Zeta app.
Optima Gadget Card
The Optima Gadget Card not only allows employees to save up to 30% in taxes on the purchase of gadgets, it also helps organisations save tax on the gadget’s depreciation. Employees receive grants to purchase gadgets in their Optima Gadget Card, which they can either claim on a monthly basis or accumulate to purchase a gadget at the end of the year with the Super Card or via the Zeta app.
Optima LTA Card
Definitely the most compliant LTA programme out there, the solution is the first digitised LTA claims platform in India. Optima LTA Card ensures your claims are in line with all compliance guidelines and gives organisations the flexibility to outsource verifications of travel documents to Optima. Employees can upload relevant documents via the Optima LTA Card on the Zeta app and receive reimbursements. They can save up to 30% in taxes with the Optima LTA Card.
Optima Gift Card
With the Optima Gift Card, employees can receive tax-free electronic gift vouchers of up to Rs 5000 in value from their employer. These gift vouchers can be spent at over 11 lakh outlets and online through the Zeta Super Card or the Zeta app.
Optima Books & Periodicals Card
Designed to encourage, sharpen and develop new skills, the Optima Gift Card is a digital solution to claim reimbursements on journals, reading materials, books and more. Employees receive grants in their Optima Books & Periodicals Card, which they can spend using the Zeta Super Card. Through the Optima Books & Periodicals Card, employees can save up to 30% in taxes.
Optima is built to be comprehensive, it can be tailored to include any tax perquisite that a company may wish to offer. It is also flexible, allowing organisations to customise how each programme is implemented.
This table will give you a break-up of how employees under different tax brackets can save maximum amount of tax:

Things you need to know about your Leave Travel Allowance (LTA)

There are dual benefits for Indian employees about traveling. While you take an official break for traveling any destination in India with your family, you also save tax on your travel expenses with LTA, which is provided by employer. It is only smart to make most of this benefit. This post aims to elaborate on certain features of LTA as a savings tool.  

What is LTA?
  • ·         #Leave Travel Allowance is an allowance provided by employers for domestic travel for the employee and immediate family
  •         It covers only the travel expense by air, train incurred during the travel, it also covers taxi and auto rickshaw only if train route is absent
  •      It covers the travel expenses incurred by the individual and their immediate family. Other family members are excluded from availing Leave Travel Allowance
  •         One can make a claim only twice in a block of four years, the present block is Jan 2014 – Dec 2017
  •      #LTA also can be carried to the next block if it is not utilised, if under utilised the balance amount can be added
  •          International travel expense cannot be claimed under LTA
  •          You can claim your Leave Travel Allowance if you haven’t travelled, but the amount will come under taxable income
  •         LTA is fully tax exempted under Section 10(5) of the Income-Tax Act, 1961, Rule 2B

Limitation of LTA
Like any other exemption rules, LTA also has its limitations. The companies have certain eligibility criteria for LTA.  If the allowance of the previous block is not exhausted, then one journey can be carried forward to the next block. However, the balance has to be exhausted within the first year of the next block. The allowance is capped by employers; the claims above the exemption limit will not be processed. LTA can only be claimed if the employee is part of the travel, family including spouse, children, brother and sister if they are dependants.
How you make most of LTA
As you can only claim twice in 4 year block, planning in advance helps. Ensure, you are taking prior written permission from the employer. Though air travel is allowed, it covers the minimum airfare of economy class. The road travel exemption is limited to the AC1 rail fare by the shortest route.
You need to keep the proof of your travel, tickets and copy of e-tickets in place.
Innovations in claiming LTA online – to help HR professionals an employers
Zeta, a Fintech startup, recently launched fully digital Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) solution, #Optima LTA Card, to help organisations manage employees’ leave travel allowance claims/ reimbursements digitally and enable employees to submit claims instantly. Built on digital platform, is designed to process LTA claims the paperless way. Employees are now empowered to submit their travel claims digitally and thereby avoid extensive paperwork. It is compliant with all legal mandates set by the Income Tax Department. Zeta team at the back-end tracks the shortest distance between two destinations using a government-approved database and thereby enable accurate assessment.

Organisations can be free of verifying paper bills manually since all verifications will be handled by Zeta Optima at the back end. Human Resource professionals can use this platform to digitally store bills for over seven years and can track LTA bills and claims online.

Happy traveling 🙂 

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