« Top Headlines » Open DEMAT Account in 24 hrs  ITR Filing 2025: These individuals are exempt from paying tax. Do they need to file returns?  Full List Of Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs Announced Wednesday  Top 5 tax-saving investment options for salaried individuals to consider before March 31, 2025  5 lesser lesser-known avenues of tax saving you can use to save income tax before March 31, 2025  March 15 is deadline for last advance tax installment: Know if you must pay «  Mandatory e-filing for firms mooted... Tax department to stiffen penalty on hidden cash... » FBT removal brings cheers to ad industry March, 03rd 2007 Advertisers, especially fast moving consumer goods companies, are a happy lot after Finance Minister P Chidambaram removed fringe benefit tax (FBT) on free samples and product window displays.    However, mobile content developers and design companies are likely to be hit with the development and supply of content for mobile value added services and design services being brought under the service tax net.    With the retail boom, window product displays and sampling at the point of sale gaining popularity, industry experts predict spends on promotion, in-store and point of purchase displays will increase significantly from the present 20-30 per cent share of the marketing budget.    After the FBT was introduced last year, the industry has been appealing to the finance ministry to exempt sales promotion schemes from its ambit since the incurred expenditure cannot be treated as employee benefits.    The Ficci, in its 15-point fiscal agenda, had requested for genuine business expenses, especially those incurred on sales promotion including publicity, be outside the purview of FBT, as it also results in making tax assessments easier.    The withdrawal of FBT on sampling and window displays could boost the below-the-line advertising (non-television, print and outdoors). The move has delighted majority of the industry players who distribute samples as a sales promotion activity.    This is a positive measure since the expenditure incurred is genuinely for sales promotion and it cannot be treated as employee benefits, said Bharat Patel, Chairman, Procter & Gamble.    He is also the chairman of the Indian Society of Advertisers. Sunil Duggal, CEO, Dabur India said, This will help in reducing the complexities of FBT, and will be greatly beneficial for the industry.