Tax audit penalty calculator.
If an F&O trader was required to get a tax audit but missed it, Section 271B exposure is capped by a formula. The better first step is still to confirm whether audit was required at all.
How to calculate
Method- Penalty exposure = lower of 0.5% of turnover and Rs. 1,50,000.
- Apply this only if audit was actually required and not completed.
- Reasonable-cause positions are fact-specific and need professional advice.
Inputs to collect
Before you startF&O/business turnover
Use broker reports, ledgers, contract notes, or invoices as support.
Whether audit was required
Use broker reports, ledgers, contract notes, or invoices as support.
Whether audit report was furnished
Use broker reports, ledgers, contract notes, or invoices as support.
Reasonable-cause facts
Use broker reports, ledgers, contract notes, or invoices as support.
Common mistakes
Avoid theseFirst confirm audit requirement
Do not calculate penalty before applying the s.44AB and 44AD decision tree.
Penalty is not automatic advice
Reasonable cause and procedural facts can matter.
Use aggregate turnover
Penalty formula uses the relevant business turnover, not one broker export in isolation.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the 271B penalty?
- Generally 0.5% of turnover or Rs. 1.5 lakh, whichever is lower, where required audit compliance is missed.
- Does F&O loss automatically mean audit penalty?
- No. Loss alone does not trigger audit or penalty.
- Can penalty be avoided?
- Reasonable-cause arguments are fact-specific. Speak to a CA if a required audit was missed.
Run the live checker.
This page explains the method. The linked tool performs the working.
Check audit applicability firstKnow the source logic.
FnOTax pages separate official-source rules from broker-report assumptions.
How we verify