FAITH asks Anti- competitive travel tax TCS to be withdrawn

Creates an un-level playing field for Indian travel agents & tour operators on outbound business & even international & South

Asia business; Threatens to demolish Indian travel agents & tour operators by making them expensive 5-10% vs global peers on outbound travel

Federation of Associations in The TCS is uncompetitive Im- against Indian travel intermediIndian Tourism & Hospital- plementation of this proposal will aries. This takes away their level ity, the policy federation of have an unprecedented negative playing field against foreign comall the national associations rep- impact on Indian travel agents & petitors. resenting the complete tourism, tour operators. The tourism product sold travel and hospitality industry India is now on Unlock 4 and from India will become almost of India (ADTOI, ATOAI, FHRAI, travel corridors are now begin- 5% - 10% more expensive at the HAI, IATO, ICPB, IHHA, ITTA, TAAI, ning to get opened up. Indian time of booking as against when TAFI) & cause partner AIRDA has travel agents & tour operators booked through travel companies requested the withdrawal of the are looking forward to some based outside of India. ( 5% for proposed TCS on outbound trav- business income from revival of those with PAN & 10% for those el from October 1st as proposed travel bookings. without PAN). in the Finance Bill 2020. It’s im- However, the TCS of 5% (10% on As against these foreign based position which was supposed to those without PAN) will instead of travel booking agents & operahappen on April 1st was deferred providing income to Indian travel tors, Indian travel agents & tour on request from the industry. agents & Tour Operators will shift operators are already more exHowever, it was not abolished it to Foreign based travel booking pensive by the imposition of 5% and it is now set to be levied on agents & operators. This is due GST on tours which foreign travOctober 1st. to its anti - competitive character el agents & tour operators are

not subject to when they sell the same product for Indians who are travelling outbound.

Faith said that Indian travel and tour operators will also not be able to diversify and sell to international passengers who anyways are not subject to Indian tax laws and thus cannot claim any tax refunds.

Indian tour operators and travel agents will also lose many business opportunities of selling our South Asia regional tourism products. This cluster approach is one of the key drivers for Indian inbound tourism.

FAITH Associations want the tax to go as it creates an unfair playing level for the outbound and inbound travel industry which is looking to restart from the ‘ BASE Zero’ will be impacted even it attempts to revive.

Needless to say it’s impact on employment and viability of Indian travel agents & tour operators will be devastating.

Travel industry works on a bilateral open market basis. With the reduced travel outbound from India and insolvency of many travel entities the outbound travel from India will be heavily impacted. Consequently, with India becoming a lesser attractive travel source market, many global companies will also lose interest in promoting international travel to India which was 16.5 million+ in 2018-10 ( foreign tourist arrivals 10.5 + visiting friends and relatives 6 m +) and the resultant foreign exchange which is $ 28 bn +

There will be an additional impact. A large proposition of workforce is employed by destination representation companies through international tourism boards who will also seek to close offices as travel from India will become more expensive.

This major loss of business will make financially unviable many travel agent businesses from India and will lead to mass scale job losses of Indian employees. There are an estimated 60000 + travel agencies with an estimated 20 lakh employees impacting them and will put in deep financial stress their 80 lakh plus family members. Needless to say, this shifting of revenue to companies outside of India will impact in the resultant losses of income tax and GST revenue for the government.

FAITH Associations said that Miscommunication & Reconciliation issues over TCS collected will also lead to heavy additional cost of compliance for small companies ( which are almost 95% in this sector) and will open up the potential for litigation for multiple small value transactions on reconciliations between consumers and travel companies which will threaten the credibility of the travel fraternity and also the tax administration. The travel agents & tour operators are grappling already with their credibility and business at risk with the issue of non cash refunds from airlines due to covid lockdowns and cancellations.

FAITH said it is possible that the proposed TCS collection over the year may lead to an advance tax of an insignificant amount, 27 which, will not move the needle even slightly in the cash flows of the tax revenues of the government. But for the numerous 60000 travel companies and their 20 lakh estimated employees across India, it will lead to loss of business, cost of compliance, litigations & environment of distrust and will sound the death knell of many Indian micro, small & medium travel & tour companies which are reeling under the threat of globally funded e commerce players.

Faith said that the Indian tourism industry is fully aligned to the nation’s need of enhancing tax compliance. Ensuring tax compliance on travel is already being effectively be done through pan cards/ Aadhaar cards/ passport detail records of the travel bookers.

FAITH has thus request that the TCS on outbound travel as proposed in the Finance Bill 2020 U/S 206C & abolish its proposed implementation completely as it is highly regressive and anti- competitive tax on Indian travel industry Mr. Nakul Anand Chairman, FAITH