All your questions on how to save income tax might be answered by a man from Karnataka who shares a popular “hack”. Kerala content creator Shrinidhi Hande made a funny video about this, which has gone viral online.
The video came out just days after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the 2024 budget, with big changes to the new tax system. Since then, how to save tax has been a hot topic.
Hande, who lives in Udupi, starts his video by saying that saving income tax is “very easy, legal, and simple.” He then gives a step-by-step list.
Grow grass at home
“Step one: You need to grow grass at home, on your balcony, or on your terrace. It’s a completely legal process,” Hande explained.
“Then, go to your HR and tell them you don’t want a salary. They will be happy. Ask your HR to buy grass from you instead, equal to your salary. If your salary is Rs50,000, they can buy 50 strands of grass for Rs1,000 each. It’s a legal process,” he added.
“What happens next is that your salary becomes zero, and all your income comes from selling agricultural produce, which is not taxable in India. This way, you can save 100 percent on income tax. No need to worry about TDS or investments,” Hande concluded.
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When sharing the video on Instagram, Hande added a disclaimer: “Written with humorous intent only.” He also thanked Instagram users for one million views.
The funny video has received some equally funny reactions on Instagram, with 2.5 million views since being shared on July 23, the same day the Union Budget 2024 was announced.
Many users posted funny comments. One user asked if it should be called “grass salary” or “gross salary.” Another joked, “I tried this, but HR called the police and asked what kind of grass I was selling for 50k.”
One person seriously pointed out a mistake: “Only agricultural income from agricultural land is exempt from income tax.”