Essential amenities for your gated community

Essential Amenities: 6 Must-Haves for Your Gated Community

Living in a gated community provides a sense of security, comfort, and improved quality of life. Gated communities provide a wide range of amenities and services that cater to the various requirements of the residents. Recreational spaces, enhanced security systems, and essential services are considered some of the basic amenities in a gated community that aims to provide a complete living experience. Let us delve deeper into the 10 necessary amenities that must be present in a gated community. 

What Is a Gated Community?

A gated community is a housing development surrounded by a fence or a wall with controlled access points. Gated communities come in various sizes, from small townhomes to sprawling estates.

The primary purpose of a gated community is to create a sense of exclusivity and safety for its residents. By having restricted access points, unauthorized individuals are prevented from entering the property without permission. Gated communities are favoured today because of upscale amenities such as clubhouses, swimming pools, tennis courts, and fitness centers. 

6 Must-Have Amenities for Gated Communities

Housing societies offer a range of amenities that can differ from one community to another. However, some of these are seen as essential by most residents today. Here are 6 must-have amenities that every gated community should offer.

24/7 Security

Gated communities should have 24/7 security to ensure the safety of residents. The security personnel should be well-trained and the community should have CCTV cameras installed in strategic locations. App-based security solutions, such as the ApnaComplex visitor management system have become a crucial feature for gated communities.

It allows residents to control access to their homes through their smartphones. The system also tracks visitors, ensuring that only authorized persons gain entry into the community. 

Close proximity to a coworking space or workplace

Like any real estate, location is a major factor in deciding the desirability of a gated community. Proximity to workspaces, especially co-working places is considered a major bonus. A coworking space is a shared workspace that allows working professionals to book their seats on the go. Easy accessibility to a coworking space is also beneficial for work-from-home residents as it allows them to work occasionally from an office. . Thus, it facilitates networking and collaborating opportunities.

Outdoor sports facilities

Gated communities should provide outdoor sports facilities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, and football fields. These facilities promote a healthy lifestyle and give residents an opportunity to socialize and network.

Plush clubhouse

Today, an upscale, centralized clubhouse is seen as an indispensable amenity for gated communities. Typically, the clubhouse also includes facilities such as a fitness center and swimming pool. Other than recreational facilities, a clubhouse acts as the heart of the society. It’s where everyone, from toddlers to senior citizens, get together to socialise and meet each other.

Availability of maintenance and repair staff

Gated communities should offer easy access to maintenance and repair staff to their residents. These services include housekeeping, plumbing, and electrical maintenance services. Other than the general upkeep of the community, the maintenance staff is also available to resolve housekeeping issues for residents. This can include leaking taps, wiring, or plumbing problems. ApnaComplex makes this access easy through the app, allowing residents to lodge complaints and follow up.

Adequate parking

While this may seem obvious, many gated communities still do not offer adequate parking spaces for residents and their guests. Older societies suffer from inadequate planning when it comes to the proliferation of vehicles in the modern era. Lack of planned parking space gives rise to disputes and dissatisfaction.

Even where adequate parking has been planned for residents, there may be gaps in providing enough space for guests and delivery people. Hence, leading developers are now ensuring that there is provision of extra parking space for residents. Similarly, guest vehicles also have a dedicated space near the gate. 

As developers continue to build more gated communities worldwide, it is important they prioritize the availability of these amenities. Potential buyers or renters will increasingly consider these facilities when making decisions on where to live. A well-equipped gated community brings convenience, safety, and peace of mind to its residents – making it an ideal place to call home.


Why you Need Automated Expense Tracking

With the budget of a mid-sized company, gated communities today go through a large volume of financial transactions. As self-regulated bodies, they are responsible for the general upkeep and maintenance of society premises and assets. This can involve high expenditures that must be managed within the society’s limited income streams. Hence, it is important that expenses be monitored closely. 

ApnaComplex’s award-winning ERP accounting and billing module tracks expenses to facilitate budgeting and transparency. The automated feature offers invaluable data insight that can be further leveraged to understand the pattern of expenditure and where excesses can be curtailed. 

Benefits of automated expense tracking

From a legal standpoint, a management committee is required to comply with annual state audits where they have to present their expenses among other financial reports like balance sheets, cashbooks, investments and lendings. They are also required to present these reports during the Annual General Meeting for the scrutiny of all members. 

Hence, an MC is legally required to prepare expense reports that must hold up to rigorous scrutiny. ApnaComplex’s automated expense tracker makes the process smoother, more convenient and efficient. Here are a few other reasons to switch to digital expense tracking:

Automated process: With an automated process, you don’t have to bother about tallying your payments. It also enables us to pull up expense reports for any given period instantly, saving both time and effort. Automation also reduces chances of omissions and human errors.  

Know your expenses: A digital accounting module allows us to pinpoint every expenditure. You can trace the exact spend under each category, whether it’s salaries or asset management. It tells you how much money was spent, what was purchased, and what was approved. 

Analyse expenditure: Expense reports are extremely handy tools for analysing expenditure patterns. You can identify areas of over expenditure and track root causes. For instance, inventory expense records can throw up data on items where you might be over-spending on equipment repair. You can use the data to take a call on whether to continue with the Annual Maintenance Contract or to upgrade to a newer model. 

Deciding budget allocation: The analysis of expenses is an important part of financial planning. Past data can tell you about expense patterns and ensure that your allocations for various projects and departments are on-point. The ApnaComplex accounting module also offers automated budget variance reports that show how far you may have deviated from budgetary outlays. Ultimately, these tools are designed to improve accuracy in budget allocation. 

Taking strategic decisions: Tracking expenses is integral to strategic decision making. It can help you take critical decisions on fund allocation for important projects, decide vendors, and plan policies to reduce expenditure.  

Audit-ready reports: With ApnaComplex’s automated accounting  you can get audit-ready reports at any time. The process ensures that the reports are updated with latest data and in line with the best accounting practices. 

Improving operational efficiency: ApnaComplex automation is key in improving operational efficiency in accounting, particularly in expense tracking. For instance, you can do a bulk upload of expenses from excel or CSV file in one go. Since the platform is integrated with bank and cash accounts, each expense is automatically recorded in the account statements. Apart from other benefits, this also eases the process of reconciliation of accounts. 

Consolidation of accounts: As an ERP, ApnaComplex consolidates all expenses on one platform, creating a comprehensive overview of expenditure. By tracking different capital and maintenance expenditures, it ensures that we are able to track every bill or invoice, whether it is related to inventory management or salaries. Since every expense has to be recorded at origin, there are minimal chances if explained entries. 

Expense tracking is a critical part of financial planning. Under a legacy system, the biggest challenge lay in consolidating different accounts. Tracking expenses would involve tallying different accounts, from salaries to maintenance. ApnaComplex creates an easy solution through an automated process that consolidates all expenses on one platform. This makes the process significantly more efficient, while removing unnecessary errors.


Impact Of COVID-19 On Mental Health And Tips For Coping

ApnaComplex is conducting a series of webinars in partnership with The Times of India. These webinars are exclusive only for members of societies using ApnaComplex. In these webinars, health experts speak on various health and wellness topics to increase awareness and impart knowledge.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our daily lives as our movements were restricted that forced us to stay at home to curb the spread of the virus. And as we were all cooped up in our homes, we have been facing with new realities of working from home, job losses, online classes, and limited socialising. All of this had a disastrous effect on our mental health which further gave rise to mental health problems such as stress, depression, and anxiety, among others.

Several studies conducted by researchers showed that the major health problems reported were stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia, anger, denial and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even COVID-19 related suicides have also been increasingly common.

Highlighting on the issues concerning mental health and creating awareness about mental health problems Ms. Arti Shroff, a Psychologist who has specialized in Clinical Psychology spoke to us on Mental Health During These Trying Times.

Here are some important questions answered by her during the webinar.

  • How has the pandemic affected people of different demographics?

Different demographics have been affected very differently. Due to the pandemic and the restrictions imposed, children have not been able to have a healthy discharge for all the enormous amounts of energy that they have and as the schools are closed children are struggling to adapt to the new form of online learning. This adjustment has caused an increase in anger issues and disobedience among children.

Also, increased screen time is giving rise to mobile addiction and doesn’t help in managing stress levels and contributes to disturbed sleep and agitation among children.

Parents should provide a very healthy and constructive outlet to their children by providing a structured routine to help manage their emotions and stress. Parents should keep their children engaged in household chores instead of them playing violent video games.

Highlighting on the issues concerning mental health and creating awareness about mental health problems Ms. Arti Shroff, a Psychologist who has specialized in Clinical Psychology spoke to us on Mental Health During These Trying Times.

  • How has the pandemic affected adults?

For adults, it is the biggest challenge as juggling between working from home and managing the household has become tough. And finding difficulty in coping with it gives rise to increased feelings of depression and anxiety.

On the contrary, older adults, as called the geriatric population have not been negatively affected with mental health problems as compared to other age groups.

  • Have there been any peculiar observations regarding mental health problems among people during the pandemic?

People have reported high stress levels, sleep disturbances, vivid bizarre colourful dreams and nightmares, which has been linked to underlying mental health problems like anxiety.

Ms. Arti Shroff advised getting a good night’s sleep for minimum 7-8 hours, using less screen time at night, avoiding any psychotropic substances like drugs or alcohol consumption as it can aggravate the condition of having disturbed sleep or nightmares.

  • Common myths of COVID-19 and mental health

Getting excessive information from various sources may not necessarily be accurate. And an overload of this information leads to anxiety, uncertainty, and poor decision-making.

One of the common myths of COVID-19 related mental health is using mental health terms like anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD, OCD very broadly. It is important to properly differentiate between a mental health condition and what we are adjusting to in the current situation in terms of the necessity of taking up the precautions.

  • How to deal with suicidal behaviours during the pandemic?

High mortality rates and rise in covid cases can create a lot of trauma among people and this can trigger suicidal behaviours in individuals. Job losses, sudden changes in circumstances, increased feelings of uncertainty, increased isolation, lack of support and engagement are other factors that can also trigger suicidal behaviours.

Bullying, abuse, grief, illness, prolonged injury, and perceived public humiliation can also trigger suicide.

Identification and prevention is the key in managing individuals who are suicidal which is why it is important to have an open conversation about it to someone whom you can trust.

There are suicide helpline numbers that are 24/7 that provide free services and access to mental health professionals. It is important to seek immediate assistance from a mental health professional if you or someone you know is showing signs of suicidal behaviour.

  • What are the signs of suicidal behaviour?

Withdrawal, sudden aggressiveness, consuming drugs or alcohol, causing self harm and being impulsive are some of the behavioural signs. Feeling of worthlessness, hopeless, sad, depressed, anxious, angry and numb and in some rare cases, feeling very happy and relieved are also some signs of suicide.

Saying negative statements like ‘I don’t want to be here’, ‘Life is not worth living anymore’, ‘Nobody cares about me’, ‘How would it matter if I’m here’, ‘Soon my problems will be over’, or ‘The world is better off without me’ and talking about death are some signs of suicidal behaviour.

  • Ways to reduce stress and keep yourself calm

There are some ways to reduce stress and keep yourself calm, these include:

  • Relaxation techniques like listening to music and meditation help lower stress levels.
  • A healthy daytime routine which includes having meals on time and exercising daily can help regulate the body’s biological clock.
  • If you are having a lot of nightmares, think of a happy ending or use visual imagery for positive things like colours or elements of nature or people that you like.
  • Avoid alcohol and other addictive substances.

You may experience stress, fear, depression or anxiety during this pandemic. Ms. Arti Shroff has suggested some tips to help us cope through difficult emotions and also built our resilience towards problems.

Tips to follow to cope with the pandemic

  • Regular physical activity to help manage stress and uplift your mood.
  • Greater connectedness. Staying socially engaged can reduce the risk of being in a prolonged state of isolation as being in isolation increases the risk of several mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, among others.
  • Practising compassion and awareness to ourselves and others.
  • Create healthy boundaries.
  • Engage yourself in a hobby or leisure activity such as listening to music, cooking, etc.

ApnaComplex conducts informative webinars on different topics. So, stay tuned to emails from ApnaComplex and ApnaComplex social media pages for upcoming webinars.

Stay safe. Stay happy


Expert Speaks On How To Co-exist With COVID-19

ApnaComplex is conducting a series of webinars in partnership with The Times of India. These webinars are exclusive only for members of Societies using ApnaComplex.

In these webinars, experts are speaking on important topics that focus on COVID-19. Since its advent in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused stress, fear and panic among people. And as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to loom and the lockdown restrictions have been eased in some parts of the state, life has somewhat gone back to normal (the new normal).

While the numbers of coronavirus cases are declining, the risk of infection is still prevalent as we get back to our new normal life. So, in this live webinar, Dr. Shashank Joshi, an Indian endocrinologist, diabetologist and medical researcher spoke to us on “How to co-exist with COVID“, where he shared the precautions to take in our daily routine as we start moving out.

In the first segment of the webinar, Dr. Joshi spoke about the history of coronavirus and how it emerged as a global pandemic. He further explained the difference between coronavirus and COVID-19; coronavirus is the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. He also spoke about the symptoms of COVID-19 which includes dry cough, high fever, shortness of breath, lack of smell and taste, secretions from the nose and sore throat.

Dr. Joshi also spoke about how COVID-19 is transmitted from one person to another. In fact, he mentioned that around 60-80% of people get coronavirus. He also stated that the different stages of COVID-19 are asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe and critical COVID.

Dr. Joshi has shared a list of lifestyle protocols that we should implement into our daily routine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
  • Have your meals on time.
  • Eat a large breakfast, moderate lunch and light dinner.
  • Keep your body hydrated.
  • Eat your meal slowly.
  • Try to eat Sattvic food.
  • Stay physically active.
  • Try to get 7 hours of sleep; try to sleep between 9.30 p.m to 4.30 a.m or 10 p.m to 5 a.m.
  • Quit smoking and avoid drinking alcohol.
  • Stay positive and happy.

Dr. Joshi also spoke about the types of COVID-19 tests – RT-PCR test and antigen test. These tests will help in diagnosing the coronavirus infection in the body.

The post-recovery for COVID-19 includes taking utmost care of yourself, eating nutritious foods, doing yoga, pranayam and breathing exercises and staying connected with your doctor to help with the recovery process.

These are the key points shared by Dr. Joshi in the webinar:

  • To prevent from getting infected from coronavirus, wear a well- fitted mask that covers your nose and mouth properly and a zero power or a regular spectacle.
  • Choose a proper mask which will not allow you to blow a candle or you can’t see a bright light source through it. These are the signs of a good quality mask.
  • Wearing a mask is important as it puts you at a lower risk of contracting the virus even if you are in close contact with a COVID-19 infected person. The chances of contracting are less than .5%.
  • Maintain physical distancing.
  • Ensure proper hand hygiene which involves washing your hands with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer.
  • Do not touch your nose, mouth and eyes with your hands.
  • The highest transmission risk occurs when you are eating out so ensure that you maintain physical distancing.
  • In India due to COVID-19, the mortality rate is high among people who are above 50 years.
  • People with diabetes, hypertensive, heart disease, chronic lung, kidney and liver disease and organ transplant survivors are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
  • People who are undergoing chemotherapy and who are on steroids and immunosuppressant medications are at a higher risk too. Also, people with AIDS and congenital immunodeficiency disorders are more susceptible to get coronavirus.
  • Avoid crowded places and poorly ventilated rooms.
  • Homeopathic, allopathic and Ayurveda medicine will not prevent COVID-19.
  • Children are less susceptible to COVID-19.
  • Women are also less susceptible to COVID-19 because of the female hormone oestrogen.
  • Men are more vulnerable to COVID-19 as compared to women.

Here are some excerpts from the webinar:

  • What should you do if you think you have COVID-19?

Check your body temperature, monitor respiratory rate and pulse rate, monitor your blood pressure levels and monitor blood glucose levels to help determine if you have contracted COVID-19.

  • What are the treatment options for COVID-19?

Antiviral drugs, supportive care and prone positioning are some of the treatment options for patients with COVID-19.

  • Will you get immunity if you contract the virus?

If you get COVID-19, you will generate antibodies and after usually 3-6 months the antibodies will go away and you will get some immunity. However, this does not signify that you are immune to COVID-19.

  • What foods should you eat to help boost your immunity?

Consume Sattvic foods which can help boost your immunity as it consists of fresh fruits and vegetables and essential spices and herbs.

  • What are the atypical symptoms of COVID-19?

Diarrhoea, abdominal pain, lack of smell and taste are the atypical symptoms of COVID-19.

ApnaComplex conducts informative webinars on different topics. So, stay tuned to emails from ApnaComplex and ApnaComplex social media pages for upcoming webinars.


ApnaComplex Gatekeeper now available in Hindi, Tamil, and Marathi!

Right at this very moment, as you read this post, there are thousands of security guards across India using ApnaComplex Gatekeeper to keep the gates of their respective apartment complexes secure. This new update is for all the security staff members!

We are extremely proud to release ApnaComplex Gatekeeper in Hindi, Tamil, and Marathi (in addition to English). Security staff can now switch to their preferred language at any point.

With the app being available in multiple languages, we aim to make the life of security guards a little easier. We hope that it makes the use of ApnaComplex Gatekeeper effortless and user-friendly with a language they are more familiar with.

Made in India, Made for India!


The Indian Flag Code: everything you need to know this Independence Day

“A national spirit is necessary for national existence. A flag is a material aid to the development of such a spirit.” -Mahatma Gandhi.

With the 72nd Independence Day just around the corner, members of most apartment complexes will be gearing up to organise their own flag hoisting ceremony. The Indian Flag, or the tricolour, is a symbol of our country. As such, it should be treated with great respect. The Government of India has put down the code to ensure its proper construction and handling. Here is a reminder of the dos and don’ts of the National Flag etiquette.

The Flag

The Indian Flag Code specifies the dimensions of the flag and how it should be constructed. This is a measure taken to ensure that the flags used everywhere are uniform.

  • First, the Indian Flag should be a perfect rectangle, with a ratio of 3:2 between the length and the width. The flag’s size should be one among these  (in mm):
    150×100
    225×150
    450×300
    900×600
    350×900
    1800×1200
    2700×1800
    3600×2400
    Pick an appropriate size for display.
  • It should be made of handspun khadi, or of cotton, silk or wool. Avoid plastic flags because these are difficult to dispose of.
  • The flag should be split into three equal panels – saffron (not orange) panel at the top, a white panel in the middle and a green panel (described as India green) at the bottom. Be careful with the colours.
  • A navy blue Ashoka Chakra should adorn the centre of the white panel, with 24 spokes that are equally spaced.

The Display

The Indian flag hoisting rules also cover instances of the flag’s misuse and specify the proper procedure to hoist the flag.

  • During an Indian flag hoisting ceremony, the saffron panel should always be on top. The flag should never be hoisted upside down.
  • It should be displayed from sunrise till sunset, irrespective of weather conditions.
  • The flag should always be positioned to the far right.
  • There should be no other flag or emblem to its right or above it.
  • The Indian flag should hold no lettering or inscriptions of any kind.
  • During ceremonies, it is common practice to use flower petals within the unfurled flag. The Indian flag code prevents the use of any confetti or decorative materials other than flower petals.
  • In a procession, the Indian flag should either be carried to the right or in front of the central line.
  • It should never touch the ground or water.
  • There should be no other flags on the same masthead as the Indian flag.
  • The flag should never be flown at half-mast unless the government specifies.
  • The National Flag should not be used to cover any speaker’s desk, platform or monument.
  • Paper flags can be used during days of national importance. However, care should be taken that they do not touch the ground.
  • The national anthem should be sung once people salute the flag. (It is essential to follow the etiquette specified for the national anthem as well).
  • A damaged flag should never be displayed, and such flags can be disposed of in private, preferably by burning or in a method consistent with its dignity.

To read about the rules for the national anthem click
http://www.ncert.nic.in/announcements/oth_announcements/pdf_files/NatinalAnthem.pdf

When planning to hoist the Indian Flag in your apartment complex, it is the duty of every Indian citizen to ensure that these rules are followed. Start a discussion on your ApnaComplex forums to raise awareness among the residents. The managing committee can take things a step further by printing out such rules and handing out copies. It is important to make sure that no misuse occurs, either deliberately or by accident.

The tricolour represents the Indian community. So this Independence Day, as you come together in your apartment complex remember to bask in this spirit of community. From everyone at ApnaComplex, we wish you all a Happy Independence Day!

Jai Hind! 


Disclaimer: This information is offered as a public service. While we try to make it accurate as possible as on the date of publication, the laws change and more importantly the way we interpret laws could also change. We cannot promise that this information is always up-to-date and correct. We strongly recommend you to always consult appropriate professional advisers for your society to ensure compliance. 


Announcing “School Bus @ Gate” on ApnaComplex to enhance Security in Apartment Complexes

We are excited to announce “School Bus @ Gate” – an innovative capability on ApnaComplex to enhance Convenience, Safety and Security at your Apartment Complex / Gated Community.

The life of the parents of a school-going child typically revolves around school bus timings. Parents always want to be aware of when their child’s school bus arrived for pick up in the mornings and dropped the child at Apartment Gate.

With “School Bus @ Gate” functionality, we assist parents of school-going children residing in the Apartment Complex with instant notifications when the school bus comes to the gate! This offers unparalleled convenience to the parents as they would know if the bus has arrived before the child has reached the gate and when the child was dropped at the gate.

On the ApnaComplex App, under the My Unit tab, you can associate yourselves with the School Bus by which your child is commuting. If your child’s school bus or the route is not listed – just go ahead and add a new school bus on the App. You can also add multiple buses for each school if needed. Parents of other kids going via the same school bus can associate themselves with the school bus. Whenever the bus comes to the gate to pick up or drop, all the residents associated with that bus would get a push notification on their mobiles. Super convenient!

Residents can not only check the history of bus timings for any bus – but also quickly get to know other residents – who have children going on the same bus route.

All School bus routes that were created will automatically show up on Gatekeeper app that the security at your gate uses. Security Guard at the Apartment Main Gate records the movement of the school bus on the Gatekeeper which then gets synced with the ApnaComplex cloud platform, which in turn sends notifications.

This capability is getting rolled out in a phased manner on both Android and iOS platforms and should be available to everyone in 2-3 days,

Yet again, ApnaComplex raises the bar with innovative features that really matter!


Announcing Gatepass : Track Material being carried out by Vendors, Service Staff and Visitors

We are excited to announce “Gatepass” a new capability to make your Apartment more secure.

Gatepass allows you to ensure records are maintained for material moving out of your flat or from your society.

Gatepass is fully integrated with Asset Management and Gatekeeper modules of ApnaComplex making it the most comprehensive solution to track Material Movement from individual flats as well as from Society’s common areas.

From ApnaComplex App:

  1. Maintenance office can create Gatepass for Assets going out of the campus. For example, Gatepass can be issued by Estate Manager against a motor pump being given out to a vendor for Repair, Gym Equipment given out for Service. Gatepass has to be tagged against the Visitor
  2. Residents can create Gatepass for material being issued to Visitors. For example, Gatepass can be issued against a delivery personnel of Amazon to pickup an item to be returned.
  3. Residents can create Gatepass for material being issued to Domestic Staff. For example, Gatepass can be issued against the housemaid to carry out news papers.

At the time of issuance, one can take pictures of the material against which Gatepass is being issued.

The Gatepasses issued by Residents or by Maintenance Staff will automatically be visible to Security Staff on the Gatekeeper. At the exit gate, Security can look up the Gatepass issued against the Visitor / Service Staff, check the material being taken out and mark the Gatepass as used.

Benefits of using Gatepass can be felt immediately. More often than not there are no proper records for Society’s assets (such as Motor Pumps, Gym Equipment etc.) that go out of the campus for repair/service. Similarly residents need not issue paper slips and keep calling security to allow material given to their domestic staff.

Ensure you have latest versions of the Android and iOS Apps and go to My Unit tab on the app to issue Gatepass. Ensure security has the latest version of Gatekeeper to be able to view and use the Gatepasses.


A Treasurer’s Guide to TDS on Apartment Associations

What is TDS?

TDS stands for tax deducted at source.

As per the Income Tax Act, any company or person making a payment is required to deduct tax at source if the payment exceeds certain threshold limits.

Is TDS applicable for Co-operative Housing Societies and Apartment Associations?

Yes. Under the Income Tax Act, a Cooperative Housing Society is taxable entity. It is mandatory for any registered co-operative housing society / apartment association to deduct TDS, pay deducted TDS to Government on time, file TDS Returns on time and issue TDS certificates to deductees on time.

What happens if an Apartment Association does not deduct TDS?

If an apartment association fails to deduct tax at source, then the ASSESSING OFFICER has powers to disallow whole of such payments made as expenditure when arriving at taxable profits for such apartment association. For example, ABC CHS  paid a single security agency Rs 10,00,000/- during the year and failed to deduct tax on the same, then the Assessing Officer has powers to disallow entire Rs. 10,00,000/- as your expenditure (which means ABC CHS’s “profits” will increase by Rs. 10,00,000/- and Income Tax will be levied on the same).

What is amount/percentage to be deducted as TDS by our Housing Society?

The amount of TDS to be deducted depends on 4 major components:

(a) The nature of services for which payment is being made. Services fall under different sections of IT Act.

(b) If the receiver of payment (Vendor) is  an Individual / Organization

(c) Value of a single Bill raised by the Vendor being made

(d) Total Value of Bills raised by the same vendor during the financial year

While there are many sections that are applicable, most relevant and commonly applicable sections in case of Apartment Association / Housing Society are below:

Section Details TDS Rate Threshold for TDS Applicability
Section 194C – Payment to contractor/sub-contractor – Individuals / HUF 1% a) If sum paid or payable to a contractor in a single payment exceeds Rs. 30,000
b) If sum paid or payable to contractor in aggregate exceeds Rs. 75,000 during the financial year (Rs. 1,00,000 w.e.f. 1-6-2016)
Section 194C – Payment to contractor/sub-contractor – Others 2% a) If sum paid or payable to a contractor in a single payment exceeds Rs. 30,000
b) If sum paid or payable to contractor in aggregate exceeds Rs. 75,000 during the financial year (Rs. 1,00,000 w.e.f. 1-6-2016)
Section 194I – Payment towards Rent – Plant and Machinery 2% If amount paid or payable during the financial year exceeds Rs. 1,80,000
Section 194I – Payment towards Rent – Land, Building, Furniture or Fitting 10% If amount paid or payable during the financial year exceeds Rs. 1,80,000
194J: Any sum paid by way of a) Fee for professional services, b) Fee for technical services 10% If amount paid or payable during the financial year exceeds Rs. 30,000
Section 192 – Payment of Salary As per Slab Rates of the Salary If net taxable income is more than maximum amount which is not chargeable to tax (Rs. 2,50,000 for an individual, Rs. 3,00,000 for Senior Citizens and Rs. 5,00,000 for Super Senior Citizens).

You can refer TDS Rate Chart on Income Tax Website for comprehensive list of sections and the latest rates.

All these can be easily configured in ApnaComplex Society Accounting module.

When should the Apartment Association deduct TDS?

TDS should be deducted when (a) Payment is being made to the vendor OR (b) Due date of the Bill raised by the Vendor  – which ever is earlier.

Can you give some examples of TDS calculations in Housing Society?

Below are some frequent use cases:

Example – 1: if a security agency gives a bill for Rs. 2,00,000 on Jul 1st with a due date of July 31st, and the payment is made on Aug 5th – TDS has be to accounted in July itself.

Example – 2: if you are paying a painting vendor an advance payment of Rs. 50,000 to begin work on painting – TDS of Rs. 1000 (2% of Rs. 50,000) has to deducted on the date of payment and only Rs. 49,000/- to be paid to the Vendor.  Ensure you do not deduct TDS again on the Bill when you receive the final bill from the painting vendor.

Example – 3: if you are paying a book-keeping firm in 3 installments during the year-

First Installment – Rs. 15,000 no TDS to be deducted (Total payment during financial year is Rs. 15,000 – which is less than Rs. 30,000 allowed under 194J).

Second Installment – Rs. 12,000/- no TDS to be deducted (Total payment during financial year is Rs. 27,000 – which is less than Rs. 30,000 allowed under 194J)

Third Installment – Rs. 9,000/- 10% TDS to be deducted on Rs. 36,000 (Total payment during financial year is Rs. 36,000 – which is more than Rs. 30,000 allowed under 194J – TDS needs to be deducted for entire amount of Rs. 36,000/-).

It is good practice to deduct TDS with every payment if you are sure that you will have to pay all installments during the year.

Example -4: if you are paying your Maintenance Agency in two installments during the year –

First installment – Rs. 60,000/- TDS to be deducted at 2% (as single payment is more than Rs. 30,000)

Second installment – Rs. 15,000/- No TDS (as single payment is less than Rs. 30,000 and total payments during the year is not more than Rs. 1,00,000)

Example -5: if you are paying your Maintenance Agency in three installments during the year –

First installment – Rs. 25,000/- No TDS to be deducted (as single payment is less than Rs. 30,000 and total payments during the year is Rs 25,000 which is not more than Rs. 1,00,000)

Second installment – Rs. 25,000/- No TDS (as single payment is less than 30,000 and total payments during the year is Rs 50,000 which is not more than Rs. 1,00,000)

Third installment – Rs. 25,000/- No TDS (as single payment is less than Rs. 30,000 and total payments during the year is Rs. 75,000 not more than Rs. 1,00,000)

Should TDS be calculated on the Bill Amount including GST or Excluding GST?

Taxes must be excluded for purposes of TDS calculation.

For example, if your vendor gives you a bill for Rs. 50,000+18% GST – TDS is to be calculated only on Rs. 50,000/-

By when should we pay TDS to Government and how do we pay the amount?

Except for month of March, all amounts deducted as TDS in a given month needs to be paid on or before 7th of subsequent month. For month of March the due date date of payment is April 30th.

Non-payment or late payment of TDS will attract interest @ 1.5% per month until the tax has not been deposited.

Refer Income Tax Website on How to Pay the TDS deducted to Government online. Challan  type 281 is used for TDS payments. Please refer this extensive Do’s and Don’ts to avoid errors while making the payment provided by NSDL.

What are TDS Returns?

After paying TDS every month, the apartment association needs to file TDS Returns. A TDS Return is a quarterly statement which has to be submitted to the income tax department every quarter. TDS returns has details of

(a) PAN of the deductor (your PAN number)

(b) PAN of deductees, particulars of tax paid to the government against each deductee,

(c) TDS challan information and other details

There are different forms to be used for different types of TDS deductions and deductees. For most housing societies and apartment associations, Form 26Q is the most relevant as it deals with all non-salary deductions.

Filing TDS is a slightly complex process. We recommend you take professional help from your auditor to file error-free, timely returns as there are penalties and late payment interest for non-filing/late-filing/filing with errors. If you are interested in filing on own, you can refer TDS Return filing manual.

What is the due date for filing TDS Returns?

TDS returns need to be filed for every quarter. For Apr-Jun quarter – filing needs to be done by 31st July. For Jul-Sep quarter – filing needs to be done by 31st Oct. For Oct-Dec quarter, filing needs to be done by 31st Jan. For Jan-Mar quarter, filing needs to be done by May 31st.

Filing TDS returns on time is mandatory for every deductor, failing which deductor will attract late payment fees @ Rs 200/- per day until the return is filed. However, this amount shall not exceed the amount of tax. In addition to this ASSESSING OFFICER may direct the deductor to pay penalty minimum of Rs. 10,000 which may extend to Rs.1,00,000.

My Vendor is asking me NOT to deduct TDS on his/her payment as they are exempt. What should I do?

Request you vendor to submit a letter/certificate issued by Income Tax Department providing such exemption. (In order to get such certificate your vendor needs to reach out to IT department seeking exemption by filing Form 13/15G/15H.)

My Vendor whom I deducted TDS is asking me to provide TDS Certificate / Form 16A. What do I do?

TDS certificates are issued by the deductor (the person who is deducting tax) to the deductee (the person from whose payment the tax is deducted). . These certificates provide details of TDS for various transactions between deductor and deductee. It is mandatory to issue these certificates to your Vendors every quarter. There are mainly two types of TDS certificates issued by the deductor:

(a) Form 16 : is issued by the employer to the employee incorporating details of tax deducted by the employer throughout the year

(b) Form 16A : is issued all non-salary related deductions. This is most relevant to Apartment Associations.

To get Form 16A: Its best to take professional help to obtain the same. If your auditor has filed your TDS returns, usually s/he will provide the same to you. Please ensure you have obtained them and mailed / distributed the same to your vendors every quarter.

If you are self-service oriented:  Login to Government’s TRACES (TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System) You may have to register as a new user if this is the first time your society is deducting TDS.  Post that follow the steps on the TRACES system to download Form 16A.

What are pre-requisites to deduct TDS?

Apartment Association needs to have a TAN (Tax Deduction Account Number). It is 10 digit alpha numeric number required to be obtained by all entities who are responsible for deducting or collecting tax. It is mandatory to quote TAN allotted by the Income Tax Department on all TDS returns. The procedure for application of TAN is very simple and can be done online.  Apply For TAN  on NSDL Site.

Does ApnaComplex Accounting handle TDS?

Absolutely. In ApnaComplex Society Billing and Accounting module, you can have the ability to:

(a) Capture PAN/TAN/TDS Rate for each vendor as  part of master setup.

(b) Record Vendor Bills and Advance Payments to Vendors along with TDS deducted. ApnaComplex will automatically calculate TDS for a given vendor’s bill based on the TDS rate configured.

(c) Easily maintain different TDS Payable Ledgers per different sections (such as 194C, 194J)

(d) Get Monthly Report of all TDS Deducted to arrive at your liability to Government

(e) Record the payments made to Government under TDS/Tax Payments section.

(f) All necessary accounting entries are auto-magically taken care of by the platform.

In addition, ApnaComplex has a strong eco-system of partners offering Accounting and Auditing Services to Housing Societies using ApnaComplex platform. You can reach out to us with your society details and we shall put you in touch with professionals you can ensure TDS compliance for your apartment association.


Disclaimer: This information is offered as a public service. While we try to make it accurate as possible as on the date of publication, the laws change and more importantly the way we interpret laws could also change. We cannot promise that this information is always up-to-date and correct. We strongly recommend you to always consult appropriate professional advisers for your society to ensure compliance. We are not responsible for any actions or non-actions that are done by you based on the information present in this article or any other article on this blog.


ApnaComplex Gatekeeper now supports IVR calls

ApnaComplex Gatekeeper shall now automatically call residents on IVR to seek approvals for visitors.

IVR call is in an additional step on top of audio push notifications that ApnaComplex sends to residents when a visitor shows up at the Security gate. If the resident for any reason does not respond to the audio push notification, system will automatically initiate IVR calls to the registered mobile number of the residents.

This eliminates the need for security to do manual verification of visitors by calling over intercom.

This also reduces the overall efforts of security staff who other wise will have to call each resident over intercom to ascertain the visitor.

Also the time spent by delivery personnel at the gate reduces as IVR is initiated in parallel for all flats s/he is going to visit and, which otherwise is a sequential process.

Please reach out to us to enable IVR for your society.