Centralised Processing Of Returns Scheme, 2011

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1A) of section 143 of Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Board of Direct Taxes hereby specifies the following scheme for processing of returns of income, namely:-

1. Short title and commencement.—

(1).  This Scheme may be called the Centralised Processing of Returns Scheme, 2011.

(2).  It shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

2.
Definition. – In this scheme, unless the context otherwise requires –

(a)  ‘Act’ means the Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961).

(b)  ‘Board’ means Central Board of Direct Taxes constituted under the Central Board of Revenues Act, 1963 (54 of 1963).

(c)  ‘Centre’ means the Centralised Processing Centre having jurisdiction over such return of income as may be specified by the Board.

(d)  ‘Commissioner’ means the Commissioner of Income-tax, Centralised Processing Centre.

(e)  ‘Director General’ means the Director General of Income-tax (Systems).

(f)  words and expressions used herein but not defined and defined in the Act shall have the meaning respectively assigned to them in the Act.

3. Scope of the Scheme.—This scheme shall be applicable in cases where return of income has been furnished in,-

 (i)  electronic form; or

(ii)  paper form, in case of a class or classes of persons, as notified by the Board in this behalf.

4. Receipt and Acknowledgment of Return of Income.—

(1)  Where a return of income is filed electronically with digital signature, on successful transmission of the data, an acknowledgment as generated by the server of the Central Government shall be available to the person in printable format.

(2)  The acknowledgment shall contain the acknowledgment number of the electronic transmission and the date of transmission as an evidence of filing of the return.

(3)  A copy of the electronic transmission of filing the return of income shall be downloaded and kept by the person.

(4)  Where a return of income is filed electronically without digital signature, on successful transmission of the data, an acknowledgment in Form ITR-V as provided in rule 12 of the Income Tax Rules, 1962 shall be generated by the server of the Central Government and available to the person.

(5)  The Form ITR-V shall also contain the acknowledgment number of the electronic transmission and the date of transmission as an evidence of filing of the return.

(6)  A copy of ITR-V shall be downloaded and after taking a printout of such a form, it shall be physically verified under the signature of the person and forwarded to the Centre.

(7)  The Form ITR-V duly verified shall be sent to the Centre, either through ordinary or speed post, within such period of uploading the electronically filed return as may be specified by the Director General in this behalf.

(8)  The date of transmitting the data electronically shall be the date of furnishing the return if the Form ITR-V is furnished in the prescribed manner and within the period specified.

(9)  In case Form ITR-V furnished after the prescribed time is rejected on account of it being unsigned, illegible, mutilated, bad quality or not as per specification, it shall be deemed that the return in respect of which the Form ITR-V has been filed was never furnished and it shall be incumbent on the person to electronically file the return of income again followed by submission of the new Form ITR-V.

(10)  The Form ITR-V shall be submitted at the address, in the mode and within the period or extended period specified by the Commissioner in this behalf.

(11)  The Commissioner may, in order to avoid hardship in a case or class of cases, condone the delay in receipt of Form ITR-V.

(12)  The Commissioner may call for fresh Form ITR-V in special circumstances, where the Form ITR-V earlier submitted cannot be considered for technical reasons.

5. Revised return of income.—

(1)  If the original return of income is an electronically filed return, the revised return shall be filed through electronic mode only.

(2)  The Centre will process only the revised return and no further action will be taken on the original return if it has not already been processed.

6. Invalid or defective return.

 (i)  The Commissioner may declare-

(a)  a return invalid for non-compliance of procedure for using any software not validated and approved by the Director General.

(b)  a return defective under sub-section (9) of section 139 of the Act on account of incomplete or inconsistent information in the return or in the schedules or for any other reason.

(ii)  In case of a defective return, the Centre shall intimate this to the person through e-mail or by placing a suitable communication on the e-filing website.

(iii)  A person may comply with the notice regarding defective return by uploading the rectified return within the period of time mentioned in the notice.

(iv)  The Commissioner may, in order to avoid hardship to the person, condone the delay in uploading of rectified return.

(v)  In case no response is received from the person in reply to the notice of defective return, the Commissioner may declare a return as not having been uploaded at all or process the return on the basis of information available.

7. Centralised Processing Centres.—

(1)  The Board may set up as many Centralised Processing Centres as it may deem necessary and specify their respective jurisdictions.

(2)  The processing of the returns shall be undertaken at the Centralised Processing Centre.

8. Processing of Returns.—

 (i)  The Centre shall process a valid return of income in the following manner, namely:-

 (a)  the sum payable to, or the amount of refund due to, the person shall be determined after credit of such Tax collected at Source (TCS), Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and tax payment claims which can be automatically validated with reference to data uploaded through TDS and TCS statements by the deductors or the collectors, as the case may be, and tax payment challans reported through authorised banks in accordance with the procedures adopted by the Centre in this regard.

(b)  an intimation shall be generated electronically and sent to the person by e-mail specifying the sum determined to be payable by, or the amount of the refund due to, the person; and

 (c)  any intimation to the person to pay any sum determined to be payable shall be deemed to be a notice of demand as per the provisions of section 156 of the Act and all other provisions of the Act shall be applicable accordingly.

(ii)  The Commissioner may, –

 (a)  adopt appropriate procedure for processing of returns; or

 (b)  decide the order of priority for processing of returns of income based on administrative requirements.

(iii)  Wherever a return cannot be processed in the Centre for any reasons, the Commissioner shall arrange to transmit such return to the Assessing Officer having jurisdiction for processing.

9. Rectification of mistake.—

(i)  With a view to rectifying any mistake apparent from the record under section 154 of the Act, the Centre, on its own or on receiving an application from the person, may amend any order or intimation passed or sent by it under the provisions of the Act.

(ii)  An application for rectification shall be filed electronically to the Centre in the format prescribed and will be processed in the same manner as a return of income-tax.

(iii)  Where the rectification order results in a demand of tax, the order under section 154 of the Act passed by the Centre shall be deemed to be a notice of demand under section 156 of the Income-tax Act.

(iv)  In case of error in processing due to an error in data entry or a software error or otherwise, resulting in excess refund being computed or reduction in demand of tax, the same will be corrected on its own by the Centre by passing a rectification order and the excess amount shall be recovered as per the provisions of the Act.

(v)  Where a rectification has the effect of enhancing an assessment or reducing the refund or otherwise increasing the liability of the person, an intimation to this effect shall be sent to the person electronically by the Centre and the reply of the person has to be furnished through electronic mode only.

10. Adjustment against outstanding tax demand.—The set-off of refund, if any, arising from the processing of a return, against tax remaining payable will be done by using the details of outstanding tax demand lying against the person as uploaded onto the system of the Centre by the Assessing Officer.

11. Appellate Proceedings.—

(i)  Where a return is processed at the Centre, the appeal proceedings relating to the processing of the return shall lie with Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) [CIT(A)] having jurisdiction over the jurisdictional Assessing Officer and any reference to Commissioner (Appeals) in any communication from the Centre shall mean such jurisdictional CIT (Appeals).

(ii)  Remand reports, giving effect to appellate order and any other reports to be furnished before the CIT (Appeals) shall be submitted by the Assessing Officer having jurisdiction as regards the person.

12. No personal appearance in the Centre.—

(i)  A person shall not be required to appear either personally or through authorised representative before the authorities at the Centre in connection with any proceedings.

(ii)  Written or electronic communication from such person or authorized representative in the format specified by the Centre in this respect shall be sufficient compliance of the query or clarification received from the Centre.

(iii)  The Centre may call for such clarification, evidence or document as may be required for the purpose of facilitating the processing of return and all such clarification, evidence or document shall be furnished electronically.

13. Service of notice or communication.—

 (i)  The service of a notice or order or any other communication by the Centre may be made by-

  a.  sending it by post;

  b.  delivering or transmitting its copy thereof, electronically to the person sent by the Centre’s e-mail;

  c.  placing its copy in the registered electronic account of the person on the official website ; or

  d.  any of the modes mentioned in sub-section (1) of section 282 of the Act.

(ii)  The date of posting of any such communication on official website, e-mail or other electronic medium shall be deemed to be the date of service.

(iii)  The intimation, orders and notices shall be computer generated and need not carry physical signature of the person signing it.

14. Power to specify procedure and processes.—The Director General may specify procedures and processes from time to time for effective functioning of the Centre in an automated and mechanised environment, including specifying the procedure and processes in respect of the following :-

 (i)  receipt and processing of electronic rectification applications in the Centre.

(ii)  the address or place, the mode and the period or the extended period within which the acknowledgment in Form ITR-V shall be accepted.

(iii)  validating any software used for e-filing the return.

(iv)  call centres to answer queries and provide taxpayer services which may include outbound calls to persons requesting for clarification to assist in the processing of their returns of income.

(v)  managing tax administration functions such as receipt, scanning, data entry, processing, issue of refunds, storage and retrieval of income-tax returns and documents in a centralised manner or receipt of paper documents through authorized intermediaries.

Reference: Section 143 of the income Tax Act, 1961

Assessment

(1) Where a return has been made under section 139, or in response to a notice under sub-section (1) of section 142, such return shall be processed in the following manner, namely:—

 (a) the total income or loss shall be computed after making the following adjustments, namely:—

  (i) any arithmetical error in the return; or

 (ii) an incorrect claim, if such incorrect claim is apparent from any information in the return;

 (b) the tax and interest, if any, shall be computed on the basis of the total income computed under clause (a);

 (c) the sum payable by, or the amount of refund due to, the assessee shall be determined after adjustment of the tax and interest, if any, computed under clause (b) by any tax deducted at source, any tax collected at source, any advance tax paid, any relief allowable under an agreement under section 90 or section 90A, or any relief allowable under section 91, any rebate allowable under Part A of Chapter VIII, any tax paid on self-assessment and any amount paid otherwise by way of tax or interest;

 (d) an intimation shall be prepared or generated and sent to the assessee specifying the sum determined to be payable by, or the amount of refund due to, the assessee under clause (c); and

 (e) the amount of refund due to the assessee in pursuance of the determination under clause (c) shall be granted to the assessee:

Provided that an intimation shall also be sent to the assessee in a case where the loss declared in the return by the assessee is adjusted but no tax or interest is payable by, or no refund is due to, him:

Provided further that no intimation under this sub-section shall be sent after the expiry of one year from the end of the financial year in which the return is made.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section,—

 (a) “an incorrect claim apparent from any information in the return” shall mean a claim, on the basis of an entry, in the return,—

  (i) of an item, which is inconsistent with another entry of the same or some other item in such return;

 (ii) in respect of which the information required to be furnished under this Act to substantiate such entry has not been so furnished; or

(iii) in respect of a deduction, where such deduction exceeds specified statutory limit which may have been expressed as monetary amount or percentage or ratio or fraction;

 (b) the acknowledgement of the return shall be deemed to be the intimation in a case where no sum is payable by, or refundable to, the assessee under clause (c), and where no adjustment has been made under clause (a).

(1A) For the purposes of processing of returns under sub-section (1), the Board may make a scheme for centralised processing of returns with a view to expeditiously determining the tax payable by, or the refund due to, the assessee as required under the said sub-section.

(1B) Save as otherwise expressly provided, for the purpose of giving effect to the scheme made under sub-section (1A), the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that any of the provisions of this Act relating to processing of returns shall not apply or shall apply with such exceptions, modifications and adaptations as may be specified in that notification; so, however, that no direction shall be issued after the 31st day of March, 2012.

(1C) Every notification issued under sub-section (1B), along with the scheme made under sub-section (1A), shall, as soon as may be after the notification is issued, be laid before each House of Parliament.

(1D)
Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the processing of a return shall not be necessary, where a notice has been issued to the assessee under sub-section (2).

(2) Where a return has been furnished under section 139, or in response to a notice under sub-section (1) of section 142, the Assessing Officer shall,—

  (i) where he has reason to believe that any claim of loss, exemption, deduction, allowance or relief made in the return is inadmissible, serve on the assessee a notice specifying particulars of such claim of loss, exemption, deduction, allowance or relief and require him, on a date to be specified therein to produce, or cause to be produced, any evidence or particulars specified therein or on which the assessee may rely, in support of such claim:

Provided that no notice under this clause shall be served on the assessee on or after the 1st day of June, 2003;

 (ii) notwithstanding anything contained in clause (i), if he considers it necessary or expedient to ensure that the assessee has not understated the income or has not computed excessive loss or has not under-paid the tax in any manner, serve on the assessee a notice requiring him, on a date to be specified therein, either to attend his office or to produce, or cause to be produced, any evidence on which the assessee may rely in support of the return:

Provided that no notice under clause (ii) shall be served on the assessee after the expiry of six months from the end of the financial year in which the return is furnished.

(3) On the day specified in the notice,—

  (i) issued under clause (i) of sub-section (2), or as soon afterwards as may be, after hearing such evidence and after taking into account such particulars as the assessee may produce, the Assessing Officer shall, by an order in writing, allow or reject the claim or claims specified in such notice and make an assessment determining the total income or loss accordingly, and determine the sum payable by the assessee on the basis of such assessment;

 (ii) issued under clause (ii) of sub-section (2), or as soon afterwards as may be, after hearing such evidence as the assessee may produce and such other evidence as the Assessing Officer may require on specified points, and after taking into account all relevant material which he has gathered, the Assessing Officer shall, by an order in writing, make an assessment of the total income or loss of the assessee, and determine the sum payable by him or refund of any amount due to him on the basis of such assessment:]

Provided that in the case of a—

 (a) research association referred to in clause (21) of section 10;

 (b) news agency referred to in clause (22B) of section 10;

 (c) association or institution referred to in clause (23A) of section 10;

 (d) institution referred to in clause (23B) of section 10;

 (e) fund or institution referred to in sub-clause (iv) or trust or institution referred to in sub-clause (v) or any university or other educational institution referred to in sub-clause (vi) or any hospital or other medical institution referred to in sub-clause (via) of clause (23C) of section 10,

which is required to furnish the return of income under sub-section (4C) of section 139, no order making an assessment of the total income or loss of such research association, news agency, association or institution or fund or trust or university or other educational institution or any hospital or other medical institution, shall be made by the Assessing Officer, without giving effect to the provisions of section 10, unless—

  (i) the Assessing Officer has intimated the Central Government or the prescribed authority the contravention of the provisions of clause (21) or clause (22B) or clause (23A) or clause (23B) or sub-clause (iv) or sub-clause (v) or sub-clause (vi) or sub-clause (via) of clause (23C) of section 10, as the case may be, by such research association, news agency, association or institution or fund or trust or university or other educational institution or any hospital or other medical institution, where in his view such contravention has taken place; and

 (ii) the approval granted to such research association or other association or fund or trust or institution or university or other educational institution or hospital or other medical institution has been withdrawn or notification issued in respect of such news agency or fund or trust or institution has been rescinded :

Provided further that where the Assessing Officer is satisfied that the activities of the university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) and clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 are not being carried out in accordance with all or any of the conditions subject to which such university, college or other institution was approved, he may, after giving a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against the proposed withdrawal to the concerned university, college or other institution, recommend to the Central Government to withdraw the approval and that Government may by order, withdraw the approval and forward a copy of the order to the concerned university, college or other institution and the Assessing Officer:

Provided also
that notwithstanding anything contained in the first and the second proviso, no effect shall be given by the Assessing Officer to the provisions of clause (23C)
of section 10 in the case of a trust or institution for a previous year, if the provisions of the first proviso to clause (15)
of section 2 become applicable in the case of such person in such previous year, whether or not the approval granted to such trust or institution or notification issued in respect of such trust or institution has been withdrawn or rescinded

(4) Where a regular assessment under sub-section (3) of this section or section 144 is made,—

 (a) any tax or interest paid by the assessee under sub-section (1) shall be deemed to have been paid towards such regular assessment ;

 (b) if no refund is due on regular assessment or the amount refunded under sub-section (1) exceeds the amount refundable on regular assessment, the whole or the excess amount so refunded shall be deemed to be tax payable by the assessee and the provisions of this Act shall apply accordingly.

(5) Omitted by the Finance Act, 1999, w.e.f. 1-6-1999.

Exemptions on Statutory Body/Authority/Board/Commission by Notified Body or Authority – Competition Commission Of India, Notification Issued on 28-2-2012

In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (46) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Government hereby notifies for the purposes of the said clause, the Competition Commission of India, a Commission established under sub-section (1) of section 7 of the Competition Act, 2002 (Act 12 of 2003), in respect of the specified income arising to the said Commission, as follows:-

(a)  amount received in the form of Government grants;

(b)  fee received under the Competition Act, 2002; and

(c)  interest income accrued on Government grants and interest accrued on fee received under the Competition Act, 2002.

2. This Notification shall be applicable for the specified income of the Competition Commission of India for the financial year 2011-12 to financial year 2015-16.

3. The Notification shall be effective where-

(i)  the activities and the nature of the specified income of the Competition Commission of India remain unchanged throughout the financial year, and

(ii)  the Competition Commission of India files return of income in accordance with clause (g) of sub-section (4C) section 139 of the Act.

 

Reference: Section 10(46) of the income Tax Act, 1961

Any specified income arising to a body or authority or Board or Trust or Commission (by whatever name called) which—

(a) has been established or constituted by or under a Central, State or Provincial Act, or constituted by the Central Government or a State Government, with the object of regulating or administering any activity for the benefit of the general public;

(b) is not engaged in any commercial activity; and

(c) is notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette for the purposes of this clause.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, “specified income” means the income, of the nature and to the extent arising to a body or authority or Board or Trust or Commission (by whatever name called) referred to in this clause, which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf;

Exemptions on Interest on Bonds/Debentures of Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, Notification issued on 14-2-2012

S.O. (E).- In exercise of the powers conferred by item (h) of sub-clause (iv) of clause (15) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Government hereby authorises the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as the entity), to issue, through a public issue, during the financial year 2011-12, tax free, secured, redeemable, non-convertible bonds of rupees 1,000 each, aggregating to rupees three thousand crores subject to the conditions specified namely:-

(a)  Tenure of Bonds: The tenure of the bonds shall be ten years or fifteen years;

(b)  Permanent Account Number (PAN): It shall be mandatory for the subscribers to furnish their PAN to the issuer;

(c)  Rate of Interest: The interest on the bonds shall be not less than fifty basis points lower than the yield on the Government Securities of equivalent residual maturity as reported by the Fixed Income Money Market and Derivative Association of India, as on the last working day of the month immediately preceding the month of the issue of the bonds:

Provided that a higher coupon rate of up to 20 basis points may be offered to Retail Individual Investor vis-a-vis the rate offered to Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs), corporate and High Networth Individuals (HNIs):

Provided further that higher rate of interest shall not be available in case the bonds are transferred, except in case of transfer to legal heir in the event of death of the original investor:

(d)  Commission on sale.- (i) the commission on sale shall be capped at a maximum of a flat fee of 1.25% of the issue size;

(ii) The flat fee shall include the total expense for the issue of bonds, including the expenses for advertisement, brokerage, printing, collection, canvassing charges, road shows and all other charges spent for this process.

(iii)  Provided that the brokerage shall not exceed 0.15 per cent in the case of Qualified Institutional Buyers and corporate and 0.35 per cent in the case of High Networth Individuals.

(e)  The benefit under the said section shall be admissible only if the holder of such bonds registers his, her or its name and the holding with the entity.

(f)  The entity shall issue the bonds only by way of public issue, and not by way of private placement.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this notification,—

(i)  Qualified Institutional Buyers shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the SEBI (Issue and listing of Debt Securities) Regulations, 2008.

(ii)  Any individual investor investing upto rupees five lakh shall be treated as retail investor and any individual investor investing more than rupee five lakh shall be treated as High Networth Individual.]

Reference: Section 10(15) of the income Tax Act, 1961

(i) income by way of interest, premium on redemption or other payment on such securities, bonds, annuity certificates, savings certificates, other certificates issued by the Central Government and deposits as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf, subject to such conditions and limits as may be specified in the said notification ;

(iib)in the case of an individual or a Hindu undivided family, interest on such Capital Investment Bonds as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf :

Provided that the Central Government shall not specify, for the purposes of this sub-clause, such Capital Investment Bonds on or after the 1st day of June, 2002;

(iic) in the case of an individual or a Hindu undivided family, interest on such Relief Bonds as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf ;

(iid) interest on such bonds, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, arising to—

 (a) a non-resident Indian, being an individual owning the bonds ; or

 (b) any individual owning the bonds by virtue of being a nominee or survivor of the non-resident Indian ; or

 (c) any individual to whom the bonds have been gifted by the non-resident Indian :

Provided that the aforesaid bonds are purchased by a non-resident Indian in foreign exchange and the interest and principal received in respect of such bonds, whether on their maturity or otherwise, is not allowable to be taken out of India :

Provided further that where an individual, who is a non-resident Indian in any previous year in which the bonds are acquired, becomes a resident in India in any subsequent year, the provisions of this sub-clause shall continue to apply in relation to such individual :

Provided also that in a case where the bonds are encashed in a previous year prior to their maturity by an individual who is so entitled, the provisions of this sub-clause shall not apply to such individual in relation to the assessment year relevant to such previous year :

Provided also that the Central Government shall not specify, for the purposes of this sub-clause, such bonds on or after the 1st day of June, 2002.]

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “non-resident Indian” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (e) of section 115C;

(iii) interest on securities held by the Issue Department of the Central Bank of Ceylon constituted under the Ceylon Monetary Law Act, 1949;

(iiia) interest payable to any bank incorporated in a country outside India and authorised to perform central banking functions in that country on any deposits made by it, with the approval of the Reserve Bank of India, with any scheduled bank.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, “scheduled bank” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (ii) of the Explanation to clause (viia) of sub-section (1) of section 36;

(iiib) interest payable to the Nordic Investment Bank, being a multilateral financial institution constituted by the Governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, on a loan advanced by it to a project approved by the Central Government in terms of the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by the Central Government with that Bank on the 25th day of November, 1986;

(iiic) interest payable to the European Investment Bank, on a loan granted by it in pursuance of the framework-agreement for financial co-operation entered into on the 25th day of November, 1993 by the Central Government with that Bank;]

(iv) interest payable—

(a) by Government or a local authority on moneys borrowed by it before the 1st day of June, 2001 from, or debts owed by it before the 1st day of June, 2001 to, sources outside India;

(b)  by an industrial undertaking in India on moneys borrowed by it under a loan agreement entered into before the 1st day of June, 2001 with any such financial institution] in a foreign country as may be approved in this behalf by the Central Government by general or special order ;

(c) by an industrial undertaking in India on any moneys borrowed or debt incurred by it before the 1st day of June, 2001] in a foreign country in respect of the purchase outside India of raw materials or components] or capital plant and machinery, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf having regard to the terms of the loan or debt and its repayment.

[Explanation 1.]—For the purposes of this item, “purchase of capital plant and machinery” includes the purchase of such capital plant and machinery under a hire-purchase agreement or a lease agreement with an option to purchase such plant and machinery.

[Explanation 2.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that the usance interest payable outside India by an undertaking engaged in the business of ship-breaking in respect of purchase of a ship from outside India shall be deemed to be the interest payable on a debt incurred in a foreign country in respect of the purchase outside India;

(d) by the Industrial Finance Corporation of India established by the Industrial Finance Corporation Act, 1948 (15 of 1948), or the Industrial Development Bank of India established under the Industrial Development Bank of India Act, 1964 (18 of 1964), or the Export-Import Bank of India established under the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981 (28 of 1981), or the National Housing Bank established under section 3 of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987 (53 of 1987), or the Small Industries Development Bank of India established under section 3 of the Small Industries Development Bank of India Act, 1989 (39 of 1989),] or the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India [a company formed and registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1913 (7 of 1913)], on any moneys borrowed by it from sources outside India before the 1st day of June, 2001, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment;

[(e) by any other financial institution established in India or a banking company to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949), applies (including any bank or banking institution referred to in section 51 of that Act), on any moneys borrowed by it from sources outside India before the 1st day of June, 2001] under a loan agreement approved by the Central Government where the moneys are borrowed either for the purpose of advancing loans to industrial undertakings in India for purchase outside India of raw materials or capital plant and machinery or for the purpose of importing any goods which the Central Government may consider necessary to import in the public interest, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment;

(f) by an industrial undertaking in India on any moneys borrowed by it in foreign currency from sources outside India under a loan agreement approved by the Central Government before the 1st day of June, 2001] having regard to the need for industrial development in India, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment;

(fa) by a scheduled bank to a non-resident or to a person who is not ordinarily resident within the meaning of sub-section (6) of section 6 on deposits in foreign currency where the acceptance of such deposits by the bank is approved by the Reserve Bank of India.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this item, the expression “scheduled bank” means the State Bank of India constituted under the State Bank of India Act, 1955 (23 of 1955), a subsidiary bank as defined in the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 (38 of 1959), a corresponding new bank constituted under section 3 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 (5 of 1970), or under section 3 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980 (40 of 1980), or any other bank being a bank included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934), but does not include a co-operative bank;]

(g) by a public company formed and registered in India with the main object of carrying on the business of providing long-term finance for construction or purchase of houses in India for residential purposes, [being a company eligible for deduction under clause (viii) of sub-section (1) of section 36 on any moneys borrowed by it in foreign currency from sources outside India under a loan agreement approved by the Central Government before the 1st day of June, 2003, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment.

Explanation.—For the purposes of items (f), (fa) and (g), the expression “foreign currency” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (46 of 1973);]

(h) by any public sector company in respect of such bonds or debentures and subject to such conditions, including the condition that the holder of such bonds or debentures registers his name and the holding with that company, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf;

[(i) by Government on deposits made by an employee of the Central Government or a State Government or a public sector company, in accordance with such scheme as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, frame in this behalf, out of the moneys due to him on account of his retirement, whether on superannuation or otherwise.

Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “industrial undertaking” means any undertaking which is engaged in—

  (a) the manufacture or processing of goods; or

(aa) the manufacture of computer software or recording of programme on any disc, tape, perforated media or other information device; or]

  (b) the business of generation or distribution of electricity or any other form of power; or

(ba) the business of providing telecommunication services; or

  (c) mining; or

  (d) the construction of ships; or

da) the business of ship-breaking; or

(e) the operation of ships or aircrafts or construction or operation of rail systems.

Explanation 1A.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “interest” shall not include interest paid on delayed payment of loan or on default if it is in excess of two per cent per annum over the rate of interest payable in terms of such loan.]

Explanation 2.—For the purposes of this clause, the expression “interest” includes hedging transaction charges on account of currency fluctuation;

(v) interest on—

   (a) securities held by the Welfare Commissioner, Bhopal Gas Victims, Bhopal, in the Reserve Bank’s SGL Account No. SL/DH 048;

  (b) deposits for the benefit of the victims of the Bhopal gas leak disaster held in such account, with the Reserve Bank of India or with a public sector bank, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, whether prospectively or retrospectively but in no case earlier than the 1st day of April, 1994 in this behalf.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “public sector bank” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Explanation to clause (23D);]

(vi) interest on Gold Deposit Bonds issued under the Gold Deposit Scheme, 1999 notified by the Central Government;]

(vii) interest on bonds—

  (a) issued by a local authority or by a State Pooled Finance Entity; and

 (b) specified by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “State Pooled Finance Entity” shall mean such entity which is set up in accordance with the guidelines for the Pooled Finance Development Scheme notified by the Central Government in the Ministry of Urban Development;]

(viii) any income by way of interest received by a non-resident or a person who is not ordinarily resident, in India on a deposit made on or after the 1st day of April, 2005, in an Offshore Banking Unit referred to in clause (u) of section 2 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005;

Amendment in Deductions In Respect Of Profits and Gains from Industrial Infrastructure Undertakings, Etc. Notification Issued On 21-2-2012

WHEREAS the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (iii) of sub-section (4) of section 80-IA of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961) (hereinafter referred to as the said Act), has framed and notified a scheme for industrial park, by the notifications of the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion) vide number S.O. 193(E), dated the 30th March, 1999, for the period beginning on the 1st day of April, 1997 and ending on the 31st day of March, 2002 and vide number S.O. 354(E) dated the 1st day of April, 2002, for the period beginning on the 1st day of April, 1997 and ending on the 31st day of March, 2006;

AND WHEREAS M/s. Prasad Technology Park Private Limited having its registered office at #2/10, 3rd Floor, 80 Feet Road, Poojari Layout, RMV, 2nd stage, Bangalore-560094, is developing an Industrial Park at Plot No. 97, E.P.I.P. Industrial Area, Whitefield, Bangalore, Karnataka-560 066;

AND WHEREAS the Central Government has approved the said Industrial Park vide Ministry of Commerce and Industry letter No. 15/62/2005-ID-II dated 13-4-2006 subject to the terms and conditions mentioned therein;

NOW, THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (iii) of sub-section (4) of section 80-IA of the said Act, the Central Government hereby notifies the undertaking, being developed and being maintained and operated by M/s. Prasad Technology Park Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, as an industrial park for the purposes of the said clause (iii) subject to the terms and conditions mentioned in the annexure to this notification.

Reference: Section 80-IA of the income Tax Act, 1961

Deductions in respect of profits and gains from industrial undertakings or enterprises engaged in infrastructure development, etc.

(1) Where the gross total income of an assessee includes any profits and gains derived by an undertaking or an enterprise from any business referred to in sub-section (4) (such business being hereinafter referred to as the eligible business), there shall, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of this section, be allowed, in computing the total income of the assessee, a deduction of an amount equal to hundred per cent of the profits and gains derived from such business for ten consecutive assessment years.

(2) The deduction specified in sub-section (1) may, at the option of the assessee, be claimed by him for any ten consecutive assessment years out of fifteen years beginning from the year in which the undertaking or the enterprise develops and begins to operate any infrastructure facility or starts providing telecommunication service or develops an industrial park or develops a special economic zone referred to in clause (iii) of sub-section (4)] or generates power or commences transmission or distribution of power or undertakes substantial renovation and modernisation of the existing transmission or distribution lines:

Provided that where the assessee develops or operates and maintains or develops, operates and maintains any infrastructure facility referred to in clause (a) or clause (b) or clause (c) of the Explanation to clause (i) of sub-section (4), the provisions of this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words “fifteen years”, the words “twenty years” had been substituted.

(2A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), the deduction in computing the total income of an undertaking providing telecommunication services, specified in clause (ii) of sub-section (4), shall be hundred per cent of the profits and gains of the eligible business for the first five assessment years commencing at any time during the periods as specified in sub-section (2) and thereafter, thirty per cent of such profits and gains for further five assessment years.]

(3) This section applies to an undertaking referred to in clause (ii) or] clause (iv) of sub-section (4)] which fulfils all the following conditions, namely :—

 (i)  it is not formed by splitting up, or the reconstruction, of a business already in existence :

Provided that this condition shall not apply in respect of an undertaking which is formed as a result of the re-establishment, reconstruction or revival by the assessee of the business of any such undertaking as is referred to in section 33B, in the circumstances and within the period specified in that section;

(ii)  it is not formed by the transfer to a new business of machinery or plant previously used for any purpose:

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply in the case of transfer, either in whole or in part, of machinery or plant previously used by a State Electricity Board referred to in clause (7) of section 2 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003), whether or not such transfer is in pursuance of the splitting up or reconstruction or reorganisation of the Board under Part XIII of that Act.

Explanation 1.—For the purposes of clause (ii), any machinery or plant which was used outside India by any person other than the assessee shall not be regarded as machinery or plant previously used for any purpose, if the following conditions are fulfilled, namely :—

(a)  such machinery or plant was not, at any time previous to the date of the installation by the assessee, used in India;

(b)  such machinery or plant is imported into India from any country outside India; and

(c)  no deduction on account of depreciation in respect of such machinery or plant has been allowed or is allowable under the provisions of this Act in computing the total income of any person for any period prior to the date of the installation of machinery or plant by the assessee.

Explanation 2.—Where in the case of an undertaking, any machinery or plant or any part thereof previously used for any purpose is transferred to a new business and the total value of the machinery or plant or part so transferred does not exceed twenty per cent of the total value of the machinery or plant used in the business, then, for the purposes of clause (ii) of this sub-section, the condition specified therein shall be deemed to have been complied with.

(4) This section applies to—

(i) any enterprise carrying on the business of (i) developing or (ii) operating and maintaining or (iii) developing, operating and maintaining] any infrastructure facility which fulfils all the following conditions, namely :—

(a)  it is owned by a company registered in India or by a consortium of such companies or by an authority or a board or a corporation or any other body established or constituted under any Central or State Act;

(b)  it has entered into an agreement with the Central Government or a State Government or a local authority or any other statutory body for (i) developing or (ii) operating and maintaining or (iii) developing, operating and maintaining a new infrastructure facility;

(c)  it has started or starts operating and maintaining the infrastructure facility on or after the 1st day of April, 1995:

Provided that where an infrastructure facility is transferred on or after the 1st day of April, 1999 by an enterprise which developed such infrastructure facility (hereafter referred to in this section as the transferor enterprise) to another enterprise (hereafter in this section referred to as the transferee enterprise) for the purpose of operating and maintaining the infrastructure facility on its behalf in accordance with the agreement with the Central Government, State Government, local authority or statutory body, the provisions of this section shall apply to the transferee enterprise as if it were the enterprise to which this clause applies and the deduction from profits and gains would be available to such transferee enterprise for the unexpired period during which the transferor enterprise would have been entitled to the deduction, if the transfer had not taken place.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, “infrastructure facility” means—

(a)  a road including toll road, a bridge or a rail system;

(b)  a highway project including housing or other activities being an integral part of the highway project;

(c)  a water supply project, water treatment system, irrigation project, sanitation and sewerage system or solid waste management system;

(d)  a port, airport, inland waterway, inland port or navigational channel in the sea

(ii)  any undertaking which has started or starts providing telecommunication services, whether basic or cellular, including radio paging, domestic satellite service, network of trunking, broadband network and internet services on or after the 1st day of April, 1995, but on or before the 31st day of March,2005.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, “domestic satellite” means a satellite owned and operated by an Indian company for providing telecommunication service;

(iii)  any undertaking which develops, develops and operates or maintains and operates an industrial park or special economic zone notified by the Central Government in accordance with the scheme framed and notified by that Government for the period beginning on the 1st day of April, 1997 and ending on the 31st day of March, 2006:

Provided that in a case where an undertaking develops an industrial park on or after the 1st day of April, 1999 or a special economic zone on or after the 1st day of April, 2001 and transfers the operation and maintenance of such industrial park or such special economic zone, as the case may be, to another undertaking (hereafter in this section referred to as the transferee undertaking), the deduction under sub-section (1) shall be allowed to such transferee undertaking for the remaining period in the ten consecutive assessment years as if the operation and maintenance were not so transferred to the transferee undertaking :

Provided further that in the case of any undertaking which develops, develops and operates or maintains and operates an industrial park, the provisions of this clause shall have effect as if for the figures, letters and words “31st day of March, 2006”, the figures, letters and words “31st day of March, 2011” had been substituted;

(iv)  an undertaking which,—

(a)  is set up in any part of India for the generation or generation and distribution of power if it begins to generate power at any time during the period beginning on the 1st day of April, 1993 and ending on the 31st day of March,2012;

(b)  starts transmission or distribution by laying a network of new transmission or distribution lines at any time during the period beginning on the 1st day of April, 1999 and ending on the 31st day of March,2012:

Provided that the deduction under this section to an undertaking under sub-clause (b) shall be allowed only in relation to the profits derived from laying of such network of new lines for transmission or distribution;

(c)  undertakes substantial renovation and modernisation of the existing network of transmission or distribution lines at any time during the period beginning on the 1st day of April, 2004 and ending on the 31st day of March, 2012.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, “substantial renovation and modernisation” means an increase in the plant and machinery in the network of transmission or distribution lines by at least fifty per cent of the book value of such plant and machinery as on the 1st day of April, 2004;]

(v)  an undertaking owned by an Indian company and set up for reconstruction or revival of a power generating plant, if—

(a)  such Indian company is formed before the 30th day of November, 2005 with majority equity participation by public sector companies for the purposes of enforcing the security interest of the lenders to the company owning the power generating plant and such Indian company is notified before the 31st day of December, 2005 by the Central Government for the purposes of this clause;

(b)  such undertaking begins to generate or transmit or distribute power before the 31st day of March, 2011

(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, the profits and gains of an eligible business to which the provisions of sub-section (1) apply shall, for the purposes of determining the quantum of deduction under that sub-section for the assessment year immediately succeeding the initial assessment year or any subsequent assessment year, be computed as if such eligible business were the only source of income of the assessee during the previous year relevant to the initial assessment year and to every subsequent assessment year up to and including the assessment year for which the determination is to be made.

(6) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (4), where housing or other activities are an integral part of the highway project and the profits of which are computed on such basis and manner as may be prescribed, such profit shall not be liable to tax where the profit has been transferred to a special reserve account and the same is actually utilised for the highway project excluding housing and other activities before the expiry of three years following the year in which such amount was transferred to the reserve account; and the amount remaining unutilised shall be chargeable to tax as income of the year in which such transfer to reserve account took place.

(7) The deduction under sub-section (1) from profits and gains derived from an undertaking shall not be admissible unless the accounts of the undertaking for the previous year relevant to the assessment year for which the deduction is claimed have been audited by an accountant, as defined in the Explanation below sub-section (2) of section 288, and the assessee furnishes, along with his return of income, the report of such audit in the prescribed form duly signed and verified by such accountant.

(8) Where any goods or services held for the purposes of the eligible business are transferred to any other business carried on by the assessee, or where any goods or services held for the purposes of any other business carried on by the assessee are transferred to the eligible business and, in either case, the consideration, if any, for such transfer as recorded in the accounts of the eligible business does not correspond to the market value of such goods or services as on the date of the transfer, then, for the purposes of the deduction under this section, the profits and gains of such eligible business shall be computed as if the transfer, in either case, had been made at the market value of such goods or services as on that date :

Provided that where, in the opinion of the Assessing Officer, the computation of the profits and gains of the eligible business in the manner hereinbefore specified presents exceptional difficulties, the Assessing Officer may compute such profits and gains on such reasonable basis as he may deem fit.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, “market value”, in relation to any goods or services, means the price that such goods or services would ordinarily fetch in the open market.]

The following Explanation shall be substituted for the existing Explanation to sub-section (8) of section 80-IA by the Finance Act, 2012, w.e.f. 1-4-2013 :

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, “market value”, in relation to any goods or services, means—

 (i)  the price that such goods or services would ordinarily fetch in the open market; or

(ii)  the arm’s length price as defined in clause (ii) of section 92F, where the transfer of such goods or services is a specified domestic transaction referred to in section 92BA.

(9) Where any amount of profits and gains of an undertaking or of an enterprise in the case of an assessee is claimed and allowed under this section for any assessment year, deduction to the extent of such profits and gains shall not be allowed under any other provisions of this Chapter under the heading “C.—Deductions in respect of certain incomes“, and shall in no case exceed the profits and gains of such eligible business of undertaking or enterprise, as the case may be.

(10) Where it appears to the Assessing Officer that, owing to the close connection between the assessee carrying on the eligible business to which this section applies and any other person, or for any other reason, the course of business between them is so arranged that the business transacted between them produces to the assessee more than the ordinary profits which might be expected to arise in such eligible business, the Assessing Officer shall, in computing the profits and gains of such eligible business for the purposes of the deduction under this section, take the amount of profits as may be reasonably deemed to have been derived therefrom.

The following proviso shall be inserted in sub-section (10) of section 80-IA by the Finance Act, 2012, w.e.f. 1-4-2013 :

Provided
that in case the aforesaid arrangement involves a specified domestic transaction referred to in section 92BA, the amount of profits from such transaction shall be determined having regard to arm’s length price as defined in clause (ii) of section 92F.

(11) The Central Government may, after making such inquiry as it may think fit, direct, by notification in the Official Gazette, that the exemption conferred by this section shall not apply to any class of industrial undertaking or enterprise with effect from such date as it may specify in the notification.

(12) Where any undertaking of an Indian company which is entitled to the deduction under this section is transferred, before the expiry of the period specified in this section, to another Indian company in a scheme of amalgamation or demerger—

(a)  no deduction shall be admissible under this section to the amalgamating or the demerged company for the previous year in which the amalgamation or the demerger takes place; and

(b)  the provisions of this section shall, as far as may be, apply to the amalgamated or the resulting company as they would have applied to the amalgamating or the demerged company if the amalgamation or demerger had not taken place.

(12A) Nothing contained in sub-section (12) shall apply to any enterprise or undertaking which is transferred in a scheme of amalgamation or demerger on or after the 1st day of April, 2007.

(13) Nothing contained in this section shall apply to any Special Economic Zones notified on or after the 1st day of April, 2005 in accordance with the scheme referred to in sub-clause (iii) of clause (c) of sub-section (4).

[Explanation.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that nothing contained in this section shall apply in relation to a business referred to in sub-section (4) which is in the nature of a works contract awarded by any person (including the Central or State Government) and executed by the undertaking or enterprise referred to in sub-section (1).


 

Exemptions on Interest on Bonds/Debentures of Indian Railway Finance Corporation, Notification Issued on 14-2-2012

S.O. (E).- In exercise of the powers conferred by item (h) of sub-clause (iv) of clause (15) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Government hereby makes following amendment to the notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), vide number S.O. 2210(E), dated the 23rd September, 2011, namely :-

In the said notification, in the Table, for serial number 2 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

S. No. (1)

Entities (2)

Aggregate Amount of Bonds (3)

“2.

Indian Railway Finance Corporation Ltd.

Rs. 7,000 crores”

 

Reference: Section 10(15) of the income Tax Act, 1961

(i) income by way of interest, premium on redemption or other payment on such securities, bonds, annuity certificates, savings certificates, other certificates issued by the Central Government and deposits as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf, subject to such conditions and limits as may be specified in the said notification ;

(iib)in the case of an individual or a Hindu undivided family, interest on such Capital Investment Bonds as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf :

Provided that the Central Government shall not specify, for the purposes of this sub-clause, such Capital Investment Bonds on or after the 1st day of June, 2002;

(iic) in the case of an individual or a Hindu undivided family, interest on such Relief Bonds as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf ;

(iid) interest on such bonds, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, arising to—

 (a) a non-resident Indian, being an individual owning the bonds ; or

 (b) any individual owning the bonds by virtue of being a nominee or survivor of the non-resident Indian ; or

 (c) any individual to whom the bonds have been gifted by the non-resident Indian :

Provided that the aforesaid bonds are purchased by a non-resident Indian in foreign exchange and the interest and principal received in respect of such bonds, whether on their maturity or otherwise, is not allowable to be taken out of India :

Provided further that where an individual, who is a non-resident Indian in any previous year in which the bonds are acquired, becomes a resident in India in any subsequent year, the provisions of this sub-clause shall continue to apply in relation to such individual :

Provided also that in a case where the bonds are encashed in a previous year prior to their maturity by an individual who is so entitled, the provisions of this sub-clause shall not apply to such individual in relation to the assessment year relevant to such previous year :

Provided also that the Central Government shall not specify, for the purposes of this sub-clause, such bonds on or after the 1st day of June, 2002.]

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “non-resident Indian” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (e) of section 115C;

(iii) interest on securities held by the Issue Department of the Central Bank of Ceylon constituted under the Ceylon Monetary Law Act, 1949;

(iiia) interest payable to any bank incorporated in a country outside India and authorised to perform central banking functions in that country on any deposits made by it, with the approval of the Reserve Bank of India, with any scheduled bank.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, “scheduled bank” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (ii) of the Explanation to clause (viia) of sub-section (1) of section 36;

(iiib) interest payable to the Nordic Investment Bank, being a multilateral financial institution constituted by the Governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, on a loan advanced by it to a project approved by the Central Government in terms of the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by the Central Government with that Bank on the 25th day of November, 1986;

(iiic) interest payable to the European Investment Bank, on a loan granted by it in pursuance of the framework-agreement for financial co-operation entered into on the 25th day of November, 1993 by the Central Government with that Bank;]

(iv) interest payable—

(a) by Government or a local authority on moneys borrowed by it before the 1st day of June, 2001 from, or debts owed by it before the 1st day of June, 2001 to, sources outside India;

(b)  by an industrial undertaking in India on moneys borrowed by it under a loan agreement entered into before the 1st day of June, 2001 with any such financial institution] in a foreign country as may be approved in this behalf by the Central Government by general or special order ;

(c) by an industrial undertaking in India on any moneys borrowed or debt incurred by it before the 1st day of June, 2001] in a foreign country in respect of the purchase outside India of raw materials or components] or capital plant and machinery, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf having regard to the terms of the loan or debt and its repayment.

[Explanation 1.]—For the purposes of this item, “purchase of capital plant and machinery” includes the purchase of such capital plant and machinery under a hire-purchase agreement or a lease agreement with an option to purchase such plant and machinery.

[Explanation 2.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that the usance interest payable outside India by an undertaking engaged in the business of ship-breaking in respect of purchase of a ship from outside India shall be deemed to be the interest payable on a debt incurred in a foreign country in respect of the purchase outside India;

(d) by the Industrial Finance Corporation of India established by the Industrial Finance Corporation Act, 1948 (15 of 1948), or the Industrial Development Bank of India established under the Industrial Development Bank of India Act, 1964 (18 of 1964), or the Export-Import Bank of India established under the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981 (28 of 1981), or the National Housing Bank established under section 3 of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987 (53 of 1987), or the Small Industries Development Bank of India established under section 3 of the Small Industries Development Bank of India Act, 1989 (39 of 1989),] or the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India [a company formed and registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1913 (7 of 1913)], on any moneys borrowed by it from sources outside India before the 1st day of June, 2001, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment;

[(e) by any other financial institution established in India or a banking company to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949), applies (including any bank or banking institution referred to in section 51 of that Act), on any moneys borrowed by it from sources outside India before the 1st day of June, 2001] under a loan agreement approved by the Central Government where the moneys are borrowed either for the purpose of advancing loans to industrial undertakings in India for purchase outside India of raw materials or capital plant and machinery or for the purpose of importing any goods which the Central Government may consider necessary to import in the public interest, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment;

(f) by an industrial undertaking in India on any moneys borrowed by it in foreign currency from sources outside India under a loan agreement approved by the Central Government before the 1st day of June, 2001] having regard to the need for industrial development in India, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment;

(fa) by a scheduled bank to a non-resident or to a person who is not ordinarily resident within the meaning of sub-section (6) of section 6 on deposits in foreign currency where the acceptance of such deposits by the bank is approved by the Reserve Bank of India.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this item, the expression “scheduled bank” means the State Bank of India constituted under the State Bank of India Act, 1955 (23 of 1955), a subsidiary bank as defined in the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 (38 of 1959), a corresponding new bank constituted under section 3 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 (5 of 1970), or under section 3 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980 (40 of 1980), or any other bank being a bank included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934), but does not include a co-operative bank;]

(g) by a public company formed and registered in India with the main object of carrying on the business of providing long-term finance for construction or purchase of houses in India for residential purposes, [being a company eligible for deduction under clause (viii) of sub-section (1) of section 36 on any moneys borrowed by it in foreign currency from sources outside India under a loan agreement approved by the Central Government before the 1st day of June, 2003, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment.

Explanation.—For the purposes of items (f), (fa) and (g), the expression “foreign currency” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (46 of 1973);]

(h) by any public sector company in respect of such bonds or debentures and subject to such conditions, including the condition that the holder of such bonds or debentures registers his name and the holding with that company, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf;

[(i) by Government on deposits made by an employee of the Central Government or a State Government or a public sector company, in accordance with such scheme as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, frame in this behalf, out of the moneys due to him on account of his retirement, whether on superannuation or otherwise.

Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “industrial undertaking” means any undertaking which is engaged in—

  (a) the manufacture or processing of goods; or

(aa) the manufacture of computer software or recording of programme on any disc, tape, perforated media or other information device; or]

  (b) the business of generation or distribution of electricity or any other form of power; or

(ba) the business of providing telecommunication services; or

  (c) mining; or

  (d) the construction of ships; or

da) the business of ship-breaking; or

(e) the operation of ships or aircrafts or construction or operation of rail systems.

Explanation 1A.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “interest” shall not include interest paid on delayed payment of loan or on default if it is in excess of two per cent per annum over the rate of interest payable in terms of such loan.]

Explanation 2.—For the purposes of this clause, the expression “interest” includes hedging transaction charges on account of currency fluctuation;

(v) interest on—

   (a) securities held by the Welfare Commissioner, Bhopal Gas Victims, Bhopal, in the Reserve Bank’s SGL Account No. SL/DH 048;

  (b) deposits for the benefit of the victims of the Bhopal gas leak disaster held in such account, with the Reserve Bank of India or with a public sector bank, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, whether prospectively or retrospectively but in no case earlier than the 1st day of April, 1994 in this behalf.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “public sector bank” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Explanation to clause (23D);]

(vi) interest on Gold Deposit Bonds issued under the Gold Deposit Scheme, 1999 notified by the Central Government;]

(vii) interest on bonds—

  (a) issued by a local authority or by a State Pooled Finance Entity; and

 (b) specified by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “State Pooled Finance Entity” shall mean such entity which is set up in accordance with the guidelines for the Pooled Finance Development Scheme notified by the Central Government in the Ministry of Urban Development;]

(viii) any income by way of interest received by a non-resident or a person who is not ordinarily resident, in India on a deposit made on or after the 1st day of April, 2005, in an Offshore Banking Unit referred to in clause (u) of section 2 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005;

Exemption to Salaried Persons from Requirement of Furnishing a Return of Income for Assessment Year 2012-13, Notification Issued On 17-2-2012

The Central Government has exempted the following class of persons, subject to the conditions specified hereinafter, from the requirement of furnishing a return of income under sub-section (1) of section 139 for the assessment year 2012-13, namely:-

1.
Class of persons. -An individual whose total income for the relevant assessment year does not exceed five lakh rupees and consists of only income chargeable to income-tax under the following head,-

(A)  “Salaries”;

(B)  “Income from other sources”, by way of interest from a saving account in a bank, not exceeding ten thousand rupees.

2. Conditions, – The individual referred to in para 1,-

 (i)  has reported to his employer his Permanent Account Number (PAN);

(ii)  has reported to his employer, the incomes mentioned in sub-para (B) of para 1 and the employer has deducted the tax thereon;

(iii)  has received a certificate of tax deduction in Form 16 from his employer which mentions the PAN, details of income and the tax deducted at source and deposited to the credit of the Central Government;

(iv)  has discharged his total tax liability for the assessment year through tax deduction at source and its deposit by the employer to the Central Government;

(v) has no claim of refund of taxes due to him for the income of the assessment year, and

(vi)  has received salary from only one employer for the assessment year.

3. The exemption from the requirement of furnishing a return of income tax shall not be available where a notice under section 142(1) or section 148 or section 153A or section 153C of the Income-tax Act has been issued for filing a return of income for the relevant assessment year.

4. This notification shall come into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

 

Reference: Section 139 of the income Tax Act, 1961

Return of income

(1) Every person,—

 (a) being a company or a firm; or

 (b) being a person other than a company or a firm, if his total income or the total income of any other person in respect of which he is assessable under this Act during the previous year exceeded the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax,

shall, on or before the due date, furnish a return of his income or the income of such other person during the previous year, in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and setting forth such other particulars as may be prescribed :

Provided that a person referred to in clause (b), who is not required to furnish a return under this sub-section and residing in such area as may be specified by the Board in this behalf by notification in the Official Gazette, and who during the previous year incurs an expenditure of fifty thousand rupees or more towards consumption of electricity or at any time during the previous year fulfils any one of the following conditions, namely :—

  (i) is in occupation of an immovable property exceeding a specified floor area, whether by way of ownership, tenancy or otherwise, as may be specified by the Board in this behalf; or

 (ii) is the owner or the lessee of a motor vehicle other than a two-wheeled motor vehicle, whether having any detachable side car having extra wheel attached to such two-wheeled motor vehicle or not; or

(iii)

(iv) has incurred expenditure for himself or any other person on travel to any foreign country; or

 (v) is the holder of a credit card, not being an “add-on” card, issued by any bank or institution; or

(vi) is a member of a club where entrance fee charged is twenty-five thousand rupees or more,

shall furnish a return, of his income during any previous year ending before the 1st day of April, 2005, on or before the due date in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and setting forth such other particulars as may be prescribed :

Provided further that the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify the class or classes of persons to whom the provisions of the first proviso shall not apply:

Provided
also that every company or a firm shall furnish on or before the due date the return in respect of its income or loss in every previous year :

Provided also that a person, being a resident other than not ordinarily resident in India within the meaning of clause (6) of section 6, who is not required to furnish a return under this sub-section and who during the previous year has any asset (including any financial interest in any entity) located outside India or signing authority in any account located outside India, shall furnish, on or before the due date, a return in respect of his income or loss for the previous year in such form and verified in such manner and setting forth such other particulars as may be prescribed :

Provided also that every person, being an individual or a Hindu undivided family or an association of persons or a body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, or an artificial juridical person, if his total income or the total income of any other person in respect of which he is assessable under this Act during the previous year, without giving effect to the provisions of section 10A or section 10B or section 10BA or Chapter VI-A exceeded the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax, shall, on or before the due date, furnish a return of his income or the income of such other person during the previous year, in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and setting forth such other particulars as may be prescribed.

Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression “motor vehicle” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (28) of section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988).

Explanation 2.—In this sub-section, “due date” means,—

 (a) where the assessee other than an assessee referred to in clause (aa)
is—

  (i) a company ; or

 (ii) a person (other than a company) whose accounts are required to be audited under this Act or under any other law for the time being in force; or

(iii) a working partner of a firm whose accounts are required to be audited under this Act or under any other law for the time being in force,

the 30th day of September of the assessment year;

(aa) in the case of an assessee who
is required to furnish a report referred to in section 92E, the 30th day of November of the assessment year;

 (b) in the case of a person other than a company, referred to in the first proviso to this sub-section, the 31st day of October of the assessment year;

 (c) in the case of any other assessee, the 31st day of July of the assessment year.

Explanation 3.—For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression “travel to any foreign country” does not include travel to the neighbouring countries or to such places of pilgrimage as the Board may specify in this behalf by notification in the Official Gazette.

(1A) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1), any person, being an individual who is in receipt of income chargeable under the head “Salaries” may, at his option, furnish a return of his income for any previous year to his employer, in accordance with such scheme as may be specified by the Board in this behalf, by notification in the Official Gazette, and subject to such conditions as may be specified therein, and such employer shall furnish all returns of income received by him on or before the due date, in such form (including on a floppy, diskette, magnetic cartridge tape, CD-ROM or any other computer readable media) and manner as may be specified in that scheme, and in such case, any employee who has filed a return of his income to his employer shall be deemed to have furnished a return of income under sub-section (1), and the provisions of this Act shall apply accordingly.

(1B) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1), any person, being a company or being a person other than a company, required to furnish a return of income under sub-section (1), may, at his option, on or before the due date, furnish a return of his income for any previous year in accordance with such scheme as may be specified by the Board in this behalf by notification in the Official Gazette and subject to such conditions as may be specified therein, in such form (including on a floppy, diskette, magnetic cartridge tape, CD-ROM or any other computer readable media) and in the manner as may be specified in that scheme, and in such case, the return of income furnished under such scheme shall be deemed to be a return furnished under sub-section (1), and the provisions of this Act shall apply accordingly.

(1C) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, exempt any class or classes of persons from the requirement of furnishing a return of income having regard to such conditions as may be specified in that notification.

(3) If any person who has sustained a loss in any previous year under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession” or under the head “Capital gains” and claims that the loss or any part thereof should be carried forward under sub-section (1) of section 72, or sub-section (2) of section 73, or sub-section (1) or sub-section (3) of section 74, or sub-section (3) of section 74A], he may furnish, within the time allowed under sub-section (1), a return of loss in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and containing such other particulars as may be prescribed, and all the provisions of this Act shall apply as if it were a return under sub-section (1).

(4) Any person who has not furnished a return within the time allowed to him under sub-section (1), or within the time allowed under a notice issued under sub-section (1) of section 142, may furnish the return for any previous year at any time before the expiry of one year from the end of the relevant assessment year or before the completion of the assessment, whichever is earlier :

Provided that where the return relates to a previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1988, or any earlier assessment year, the reference to one year aforesaid shall be construed as a reference to two years from the end of the relevant assessment year.

(4A) Every person in receipt of income derived from property held under trust or other legal obligation wholly for charitable or religious purposes or in part only for such purposes, or of income being voluntary contributions referred to in sub-clause (iia) of clause (24) of section 2, shall, if the total income in respect of which he is assessable as a representative assessee (the total income for this purpose being computed under this Act without giving effect to the provisions of sections 11 and 12) exceeds the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax, furnish a return of such income of the previous year in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and setting forth such other particulars as may be prescribed and all the provisions of this Act shall, so far as may be, apply as if it were a return required to be furnished under sub-section (1).

(4B) The chief executive officer (whether such chief executive officer is known as Secretary or by any other designation) of every political party shall, if the total income in respect of which the political party is assessable (the total income for this purpose being computed under this Act without giving effect to the provisions of section 13A) exceeds the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax, furnish a return of such income of the previous year in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and setting forth such other particulars as may be prescribed and all the provisions of this Act, shall, so far as may be, apply as if it were a return required to be furnished under sub-section (1).

(4C) Every—

 (a) research association referred to in clause (21) of section 10;

 (b) news agency referred to in clause (22B) of section 10;

 (c) association or institution referred to in clause (23A) of section 10;

 (d) institution referred to in clause (23B) of section 10;

 (e) fund or institution referred to in sub-clause (iv) or trust or institution referred to in sub-clause (v) or any university or other educational institution referred to in sub-clause (iiiad) or] sub-clause (vi) or any hospital or other medical institution referred to in [sub-clause (iiiae) or] sub-clause (via) of clause (23C) of section 10;

 (f) trade union referred to in sub-clause (a) or association referred to in sub-clause (b) of clause (24) of section 10;

(g) body or authority or Board or Trust or Commission (by whatever name called) referred to in clause (46) of section 10;

 (h) infrastructure debt fund referred to in clause (47) of section 10,

shall, if the total income in respect of which such research association, news agency, association or institution, fund or trust or university or other educational institution or any hospital or other medical institution or trade union or body or authority or Board or Trust or Commission or infrastructure debt fund] is assessable, without giving effect to the provisions of section 10, exceeds the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax, furnish a return of such income of the previous year in the prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner and setting forth such other particulars as may be prescribed and all the provisions of this Act shall, so far as may be, apply as if it were a return required to be furnished under sub-section (1).

(4D) Every university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) and clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 35, which is not required to furnish return of income or loss under any other provision of this section, shall furnish the return in respect of its income or loss in every previous year and all the provisions of this Act shall, so far as may be, apply as if it were a return required to be furnished under sub-section (1).

(5) If any person, having furnished a return under sub-section (1), or in pursuance of a notice issued under sub-section (1) of section 142, discovers any omission or any wrong statement therein, he may furnish a revised return at any time before the expiry of one year from the end of the relevant assessment year or before the completion of the assessment, whichever is earlier :

Provided that where the return relates to the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1988, or any earlier assessment year, the reference to one year aforesaid shall be construed as a reference to two years from the end of the relevant assessment year.

[(6) The prescribed form of the returns referred to in sub-sections (1) and (3) of this section, and in clause (i) of sub-section (1) of section 142 shall, in such cases as may be prescribed, require the assessee to furnish the particulars of income exempt from tax, assets of the prescribed nature, value and belonging to him, his bank account and credit card held by him], expenditure exceeding the prescribed limits incurred by him under prescribed heads and such other outgoings as may be prescribed.

(6A) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (6), the prescribed form of the returns referred to in *] this section, and in clause (i) of sub-section (1) of section 142 shall, in the case of an assessee engaged in any business or profession, also require him to furnish the report of any audit referred to in section 44AB, or, where the report has been furnished prior to the furnishing of the return, a copy of such report together with proof of furnishing the report, the particulars of the location and style of the principal place where he carries on the business or profession and all the branches thereof, the names and addresses of his partners, if any, in such business or profession and, if he is a member of an association or body of individuals, the names of the other members of the association or the body of individuals and the extent of the share of the assessee and the shares of all such partners or the members, as the case may be, in the profits of the business or profession and any branches thereof.

(7)

(8)(a) Where the return under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) or sub-section (4) for an assessment year is furnished after the specified date, or is not furnished, then [whether or not the Assessing Officer has extended the date for furnishing the return under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), the assessee shall be liable to pay simple interest at fifteen per cent per annum, reckoned from the day immediately following the specified date to the date of the furnishing of the return or, where no return has been furnished, the date of completion of the assessment under section 144, on the amount of the tax payable on the total income as determined on regular assessment, as reduced by the advance tax, if any, paid, and any tax deducted at source :

Provided that the Assessing Officer may, in such cases and under such circumstances as may be prescribed, reduce or waive the interest payable by any assessee under this sub-section.

Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this sub-section, “specified date”, in relation to a return for an assessment year, means,—

(a) in the case of every assessee whose total income, or the total income of any person in respect of which he is assessable under this Act, includes any income from business or profession, the date of the expiry of four months from the end of the previous year or where there is more than one previous year, from the end of the previous year which expired last before the commencement of the assessment year or the 30th day of June of the assessment year, whichever is later;

 (b) in the case of every other assessee, the 30th day of June of the assessment year.

Explanation 2.—Where, in relation to an assessment year, an assessment is made for the first time under section 147, the assessment so made shall be regarded as a regular assessment for the purposes of this sub-section.

(b) Where as a result of an order under section 147 or section 154 or section 155 or section 250 or section 254 or section 260 or section 262 or section 263 or section 264 or an order of the Settlement Commission under sub-section (4) of section 245D, the amount of tax on which interest was payable under this sub-section has been increased or reduced, as the case may be, the interest shall be increased or reduced accordingly, and—

(i) in a case where the interest is increased, the Assessing Officer shall serve on the assessee, a notice of demand in the prescribed form specifying the sum payable, and such notice of demand shall be deemed to be a notice under section 156 and the provisions of this Act shall apply accordingly;

 (ii) in a case where the interest is reduced, the excess interest paid, if any, shall be refunded.

(c) The provisions of this sub-section shall apply in respect of the assessment for the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1988, or any earlier assessment year, and references therein to the other provisions of this Act shall be construed as references to the said provisions as they were applicable to the relevant assessment year.

(9) Where the Assessing Officer considers that the return of income furnished by the assessee is defective, he may intimate the defect to the assessee and give him an opportunity to rectify the defect within a period of fifteen days from the date of such intimation or within such further period which, on an application made in this behalf, the Assessing Officer may, in his discretion, allow; and if the defect is not rectified within the said period of fifteen days or, as the case may be, the further period so allowed, then, notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, the return shall be treated as an invalid return and the provisions of this Act shall apply as if the assessee had failed to furnish the return :

Provided that where the assessee rectifies the defect after the expiry of the said period of fifteen days or the further period allowed, but before the assessment is made, the Assessing Officer may condone the delay and treat the return as a valid return.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, a return of income shall be regarded as defective unless all the following conditions are fulfilled, namely :—

(a) the annexures, statements and columns in the return of income relating to computation of income chargeable under each head of income, computation of gross total income and total income have been duly filled in;

(b) the return is accompanied by a statement showing the computation of the tax payable on the basis of the return;

(bb) the return is accompanied by the report of the audit referred to in section 44AB, or, where the report has been furnished prior to the furnishing of the return, by a copy of such report together with proof of furnishing the report;

 (c) the return is accompanied by proof of—

  (i)  the tax, if any, claimed to have been deducted or collected at source and the advance tax and tax on self-assessment, if any, claimed to have been paid :

[Provided that where the return is not accompanied by proof of the tax, if any, claimed to have been deducted or collected at source, the return of income shall not be regarded as defective if—

(a) a certificate for tax deducted or collected was not furnished under section 203 or section 206C to the person furnishing his return of income;

(b) such certificate is produced within a period of two years specified under sub-section (14) of section 155;

 (ii) the amount of compulsory deposit, if any, claimed to have been made under the Compulsory Deposit Scheme (Income-tax Payers) Act, 1974 (38 of 1974);

 (d) where regular books of account are maintained by the assessee, the return is accompanied by copies of—

  (i) manufacturing account, trading account, profit and loss account or, as the case may be, income and expenditure account or any other similar account and balance sheet;

 (ii) in the case of a proprietary business or profession, the personal account of the proprietor; in the case of a firm, association of persons or body of individuals, personal accounts of the partners or members; and in the case of a partner or member of a firm, association of persons or body of individuals, also his personal account in the firm, association of persons or body of individuals;

(e) where the accounts of the assessee have been audited, the return is accompanied by copies of the audited profit and loss account and balance sheet and the auditor’s report and, where an audit of cost accounts of the assessee has been conducted, under section 233B of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), also the report under that section;

(f) where regular books of account are not maintained by the assessee, the return is accompanied by a statement indicating the amounts of turnover or, as the case may be, gross receipts, gross profit, expenses and net profit of the business or profession and the basis on which such amounts have been computed, and also disclosing the amounts of total sundry debtors, sundry creditors, stock-in-trade and cash balance as at the end of the previous year.

(10)Omitted by the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1991, w.e.f. 1-4-1991.

                                                             
                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                                            
         
                        
 

Amendment in Rule 35A by Substitution of Words 'Income Tax Officer' and "Appellate Assistant Commissioner", Notification Issued on 7-2-2012

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (5) of section 255 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, the Appellate Tribunal hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Income Tax (Appellate Tribunal) Rules, 1963, namely :-

Short title and Commencement

(1) These rules may be called the Income Tax (Appellate Tribunal) Amendment Rules, 2012.

  

(2) These rules shall come into force with effect from the date of their publication in the official Gazette.

Amendment in Rule 2

Definitions.

For the existing Rule 2(ii)(b), the following shall be substituted:-

“(b) in relation to an income-tax authority who is a party to any proceedings before the Tribunal –

(i)  a person duly appointed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes as “authorised representative” to appear, plead and act on behalf of the income-tax department; and

(ii) a person duly authorised by the Chief Commissioner of Income-tax to appear, plead and act on behalf of the income-tax department.”

Amendment in Rule 4A

Powers and functions of the Registrar.
For the existing Rule 4A(2)(i), the following shall be substituted:-
“to receive all appeals, miscellaneous applications, stay petitions as well as other documents including applications for early hearing, transfer of appeals, applications for adjournment;”

Amendment in Rule 9

What to accompany memorandum of appeal?

In Rule 9, the words “Income Tax Officer” may be substituted by the words “Assessing Officer.”

After existing Rule 9, the following shall be inserted as Rule 9 A :-

“9A (1) In the event of change in the address of the parties to the appeal as provided in column Nos. 10 & 11 of Form No. 36, the appellant should file a revised Form No. 36 duly filled up giving the new address of the party, duly verified in the same manner as required by Rule 47 of the Income Tax Rules, 1962.

(2) The revised Form No. 36 shall specify the appeal No. as originally assigned or, in the event of non-availability of such No., the date of filing of the appeal shall be mentioned in the covering letter.

(3) No cognizance of change of address of the parties shall be taken for any purpose, unless a revised form as per sub-rules (1) and (2) is filed.

(4) The address furnished in the revised Form No. 36 shall be deemed to be the address of the parties for the purpose of service of all notices/orders.”

Amendment in Rule 26

Continuation of proceedings after the death or insolvency of a party to the appeal.

For the existing Rule 26, the following rule shall be substituted:-

“Where an assessee whether he be an appellant or the respondent to an appeal dies or is adjudicated insolvent or in the case of a company being wound up, the appeal shall not abate and may, if the assessee was the appellant, be continued by, and if he was the respondent be continued against, the executor, administrator or other legal representative of the assessee or by or against the assignee, receiver or liquidator, as the case may be:

Provided that:

(i)  The assessee files a revised Form No. 36 duly filled up giving revised name of the party duly verified in the same manner as required by Rule 47 of Income Tax Rules, 1962;

(ii) The revised Form No. 36 shall specify the appeal number as originally assigned or, in the event of non-availability of such number on the date of filing the appeal shall be mentioned in the covering letter to enable the Registrar to place fresh Form No. 36 in the original file.”

Amendment in Rule 34A

Procedure for dealing with applications under section 254(2).

For the existing Rule 34A(2), the following shall be substituted:-

“Every application made under sub-rule (1) shall be in triplicate and the procedure for filing of appeals in these rules will apply mutatis mutandis to such applications.

The Applicant shall also state whether any Miscellaneous Application under section 254(2) was filed earlier before the Tribunal against the same order and if so, the fate of such application. Copies of the orders passed by the Tribunal on such applications shall also be filed before the Tribunal in triplicate along with the Miscellaneous Application.”

The existing proviso to Rule 34A(3) is deleted.

Deletion of proviso to Rule 35A

Procedure for filing and disposal of stay petition. The existing Rule 35A(3) is deleted.

Further amendments

Wherever the words “Income Tax Officer” exist in the ITAT Rules, the same shall be substituted by the words “Assessing Officer.”

Likewise, wherever the words “Appellate Assistant Commissioner” exist in the ITAT Rules, the same be substituted by the words “CIT(Appeals)”.

 

Reference: Section 255 of the income Tax Act, 1961

Procedure of Appellate Tribunal

(1) The powers and functions of the Appellate Tribunal may be exercised and discharged by Benches constituted by the President of the Appellate Tribunal from among the members thereof.

(2) Subject to the provisions contained in sub-section (3), a Bench shall consist of one judicial member and one accountant member.

(3) The President or any other member of the Appellate Tribunal authorised in this behalf by the Central Government may, sitting singly, dispose of any case which has been allotted to the Bench of which he is a member and which pertains to an assessee whose total income as computed by the Assessing Officer in the case does not exceed five hundred thousand rupees, and the President may, for the disposal of any particular case, constitute a Special Bench consisting of three or more members, one of whom shall necessarily be a judicial member and one an accountant member.

(4) If the members of a Bench differ in opinion on any point, the point shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority, if there is a majority, but if the members are equally divided, they shall state the point or points on which they differ, and the case shall be referred by the President of the Appellate Tribunal for hearing on such point or points by one or more of the other members of the Appellate Tribunal, and such point or points shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority of the members of the Appellate Tribunal who have heard the case, including those who first heard it.

(5) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Appellate Tribunal shall have power to regulate its own procedure and the procedure of Benches thereof in all matters arising out of the exercise of its powers or of the discharge of its functions, including the places at which the Benches shall hold their sittings.

(6) The Appellate Tribunal shall, for the purpose of discharging its functions, have all the powers which are vested in the income-tax authorities referred to in section 131, and any proceeding before the Appellate Tribunal shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228 and for the purpose of section 196 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), and the Appellate Tribunal shall be deemed to be a civil court for all the purposes of section 195 and Chapter XXXV of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898).

Annual Statement by A Non-Resident Shall Be Furnished In Form No. 49C as Per Notification Issued on Dated 6-2-2012

S.O…………(E).- In exercise of the powers conferred by section 285 read with section 295 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Board of Direct Taxes hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Income-tax Rules, 1962, namely:-

1. (1). These rules may be called the Income-tax (2nd Amendment) Rules, 2012.

(2). They shall come into force on the 1st day of April, 2012.

2. In the Income-tax Rules, 1962 (hereafter referred to as the principal rules), –

(a) after rule 114D, the following rule shall be inserted, namely.-

“114DA. Furnishing of Annual Statement by a non-resident having Liaison Office in India.—(1) The annual statement as provided under section 285 for every financial year, shall be furnished in Form No. 49C.

(2) The annual statement referred to in sub-rule (1) shall be duly verified by the Chartered Accountant or the person authorised in this behalf by the non-resident person, who shall be known as the Authorised Signatory.

(3) The annual statement referred to in sub-rule (1) snail be furnished in electronic form along with digital signature.

(4) The Director General of Income-tax (Systems) shall specify the procedure for filing of annual statement referred to in sub-rule (l)and shall also be responsible for formulating and implementing appropriate security, archival and retrieval policies in relation to statements so furnished. “;

(b) in Appendix-II, after the Form No. 49B, the following Form shall be inserted, namely: -.

“FORM No. 49C

[See rule 114DA]

Annual Statement under section 285 of the Income-tax Act, 1961

Sl No.

  

  

1

Financial Year for which the Statement is being submitted

  

2

Name and Principal Address of the non- resident person in India

  

3

Head Office Address of the non-resident person

  

4

Permanent Account Number (if Allotted)

  

5

Tax Identification No., if any, of country of Incorporation or residence

  

6

Liaison Office (L.O.) Registration No. granted by RBI

  

7

Nature of activities undertaken by L.O.

  

8

Date of opening of L.O. in India

  

9

Date of RBI approval for L.O. opening

  

10

Address of L.O./L.O.s in India

  

11

Date of submitting Annual Activity Certificate (AAC) for the Financial Year to RBI

  

12

Name, address and Membership No. of the Chartered Accountant signing the Annual Activity Certificate (AAC) as prescribed by RBI

  

13

India specific financial details for the financial year i.e., receipts, income and expenses of the non-resident person from or in India (not only of the L.O.)

  

14

Details of all purchases, sales of material, and services from/to Indian parties during the year by the non-resident person (not limited to transactions made by (L.O.)

  

15

Name & Designation of Officer In charge for each Office of the non-resident person in India

  

16

Details of any salary or compensation of any sort payable outside India to any employee working in India or for services rendered in India

  

17

Total Number of employees working in the LO/L.O.s during the year. Particulars of employees drawing salary of Rs. 50,000 or above per month specifying their Name Designation and sitting location

  

18

Details (with complete addresses Including PAN) of agents/representative/distributors of the non-resident person in India.

  

19

Names & addresses of the top five parties in India with whom the L.O. has been doing the liaisoning

  

20

Details of Products or services for which liaisoning activity is done by the L.O.

  

21

Details of any other entity (including PAN, if any) for which liaisoning activity is done by the (L.O.)

  

22

Details of Group entities (with addresses and PAN, if any) present in India as Branch Office/Companies/LLPs etc., incorporated in India and nature their business activities.

  

23

Details (with addresses) of other L.O.s of the Group entities in India

  

24

Other Group entities operating from the same premises as the office of the L.O.

  

VERIFICATION

I, ……… [full name in block letters] …………………. son/daughter of ………………………………….. holding Permanent Account Number…………………………………………..……………………….. solemnly declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief, the information given in the form is correct and complete and that the other particulars shown therein ore truly stated. I further declare that I am submitting this form in my capacity as ………………………. and I am also competent to make this submission and verify it.

Verified today the ……………. day of ……………..

 
 

Place

Signature of Authorised Signatory

Name ……………………………………..”

Exemptions on Interest on Bonds/Debentures of Notified Bonds/Debentures of Public Sector Companies, Notification Issued on 6-3-2012

The Central Government hereby makes following amendment to the notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, sub-section (ii), vide Notification number 07/2012, F. No. 178/56/201-(ITA.1) dated the 14th February, 2012, namely, in the said notification:-

(a)  The phrase “Rural Electrification Corporation” in para 1, shall be substituted with “Rural Electrification Corporation Limited.”

(b)  The Explanation to the aforesaid notification shall stand substituted by the following Explanation :-

“(i)  Qualified Institutional Buyers shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the SEBI (Issue and listing of Debt Securities) Regulations, 2008.

(ii)  Any individual investor investing upto rupees five lakh shall be treated as retail investor and any individual investor investing more than rupee five lakh shall be treated as High Networth Individual.”

Reference: Section 10(15) of the income Tax Act, 1961

(i) income by way of interest, premium on redemption or other payment on such securities, bonds, annuity certificates, savings certificates, other certificates issued by the Central Government and deposits as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf, subject to such conditions and limits as may be specified in the said notification ;

(iib)in the case of an individual or a Hindu undivided family, interest on such Capital Investment Bonds as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf :

Provided that the Central Government shall not specify, for the purposes of this sub-clause, such Capital Investment Bonds on or after the 1st day of June, 2002;

(iic) in the case of an individual or a Hindu undivided family, interest on such Relief Bonds as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf ;

(iid) interest on such bonds, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, arising to—

 (a) a non-resident Indian, being an individual owning the bonds ; or

 (b) any individual owning the bonds by virtue of being a nominee or survivor of the non-resident Indian ; or

 (c) any individual to whom the bonds have been gifted by the non-resident Indian :

Provided that the aforesaid bonds are purchased by a non-resident Indian in foreign exchange and the interest and principal received in respect of such bonds, whether on their maturity or otherwise, is not allowable to be taken out of India :

Provided further that where an individual, who is a non-resident Indian in any previous year in which the bonds are acquired, becomes a resident in India in any subsequent year, the provisions of this sub-clause shall continue to apply in relation to such individual :

Provided also that in a case where the bonds are encashed in a previous year prior to their maturity by an individual who is so entitled, the provisions of this sub-clause shall not apply to such individual in relation to the assessment year relevant to such previous year :

Provided also that the Central Government shall not specify, for the purposes of this sub-clause, such bonds on or after the 1st day of June, 2002.]

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “non-resident Indian” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (e) of section 115C;

(iii) interest on securities held by the Issue Department of the Central Bank of Ceylon constituted under the Ceylon Monetary Law Act, 1949;

(iiia) interest payable to any bank incorporated in a country outside India and authorised to perform central banking functions in that country on any deposits made by it, with the approval of the Reserve Bank of India, with any scheduled bank.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, “scheduled bank” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (ii) of the Explanation to clause (viia) of sub-section (1) of section 36;

(iiib) interest payable to the Nordic Investment Bank, being a multilateral financial institution constituted by the Governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, on a loan advanced by it to a project approved by the Central Government in terms of the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by the Central Government with that Bank on the 25th day of November, 1986;

(iiic) interest payable to the European Investment Bank, on a loan granted by it in pursuance of the framework-agreement for financial co-operation entered into on the 25th day of November, 1993 by the Central Government with that Bank;]

(iv) interest payable—

(a) by Government or a local authority on moneys borrowed by it before the 1st day of June, 2001 from, or debts owed by it before the 1st day of June, 2001 to, sources outside India;

(b)  by an industrial undertaking in India on moneys borrowed by it under a loan agreement entered into before the 1st day of June, 2001 with any such financial institution] in a foreign country as may be approved in this behalf by the Central Government by general or special order ;

(c) by an industrial undertaking in India on any moneys borrowed or debt incurred by it before the 1st day of June, 2001] in a foreign country in respect of the purchase outside India of raw materials or components] or capital plant and machinery, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf having regard to the terms of the loan or debt and its repayment.

[Explanation 1.]—For the purposes of this item, “purchase of capital plant and machinery” includes the purchase of such capital plant and machinery under a hire-purchase agreement or a lease agreement with an option to purchase such plant and machinery.

[Explanation 2.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that the usance interest payable outside India by an undertaking engaged in the business of ship-breaking in respect of purchase of a ship from outside India shall be deemed to be the interest payable on a debt incurred in a foreign country in respect of the purchase outside India;

(d) by the Industrial Finance Corporation of India established by the Industrial Finance Corporation Act, 1948 (15 of 1948), or the Industrial Development Bank of India established under the Industrial Development Bank of India Act, 1964 (18 of 1964), or the Export-Import Bank of India established under the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981 (28 of 1981), or the National Housing Bank established under section 3 of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987 (53 of 1987), or the Small Industries Development Bank of India established under section 3 of the Small Industries Development Bank of India Act, 1989 (39 of 1989),] or the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India [a company formed and registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1913 (7 of 1913)], on any moneys borrowed by it from sources outside India before the 1st day of June, 2001, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment;

[(e) by any other financial institution established in India or a banking company to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949), applies (including any bank or banking institution referred to in section 51 of that Act), on any moneys borrowed by it from sources outside India before the 1st day of June, 2001] under a loan agreement approved by the Central Government where the moneys are borrowed either for the purpose of advancing loans to industrial undertakings in India for purchase outside India of raw materials or capital plant and machinery or for the purpose of importing any goods which the Central Government may consider necessary to import in the public interest, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment;

(f) by an industrial undertaking in India on any moneys borrowed by it in foreign currency from sources outside India under a loan agreement approved by the Central Government before the 1st day of June, 2001] having regard to the need for industrial development in India, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment;

(fa) by a scheduled bank to a non-resident or to a person who is not ordinarily resident within the meaning of sub-section (6) of section 6 on deposits in foreign currency where the acceptance of such deposits by the bank is approved by the Reserve Bank of India.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this item, the expression “scheduled bank” means the State Bank of India constituted under the State Bank of India Act, 1955 (23 of 1955), a subsidiary bank as defined in the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 (38 of 1959), a corresponding new bank constituted under section 3 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 (5 of 1970), or under section 3 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980 (40 of 1980), or any other bank being a bank included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934), but does not include a co-operative bank;]

(g) by a public company formed and registered in India with the main object of carrying on the business of providing long-term finance for construction or purchase of houses in India for residential purposes, [being a company eligible for deduction under clause (viii) of sub-section (1) of section 36 on any moneys borrowed by it in foreign currency from sources outside India under a loan agreement approved by the Central Government before the 1st day of June, 2003, to the extent to which such interest does not exceed the amount of interest calculated at the rate approved by the Central Government in this behalf, having regard to the terms of the loan and its repayment.

Explanation.—For the purposes of items (f), (fa) and (g), the expression “foreign currency” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (46 of 1973);]

(h) by any public sector company in respect of such bonds or debentures and subject to such conditions, including the condition that the holder of such bonds or debentures registers his name and the holding with that company, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf;

[(i) by Government on deposits made by an employee of the Central Government or a State Government or a public sector company, in accordance with such scheme as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, frame in this behalf, out of the moneys due to him on account of his retirement, whether on superannuation or otherwise.

Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “industrial undertaking” means any undertaking which is engaged in—

  (a) the manufacture or processing of goods; or

(aa) the manufacture of computer software or recording of programme on any disc, tape, perforated media or other information device; or]

  (b) the business of generation or distribution of electricity or any other form of power; or

(ba) the business of providing telecommunication services; or

  (c) mining; or

  (d) the construction of ships; or

da) the business of ship-breaking; or

(e) the operation of ships or aircrafts or construction or operation of rail systems.

Explanation 1A.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “interest” shall not include interest paid on delayed payment of loan or on default if it is in excess of two per cent per annum over the rate of interest payable in terms of such loan.]

Explanation 2.—For the purposes of this clause, the expression “interest” includes hedging transaction charges on account of currency fluctuation;

(v) interest on—

   (a) securities held by the Welfare Commissioner, Bhopal Gas Victims, Bhopal, in the Reserve Bank’s SGL Account No. SL/DH 048;

  (b) deposits for the benefit of the victims of the Bhopal gas leak disaster held in such account, with the Reserve Bank of India or with a public sector bank, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, whether prospectively or retrospectively but in no case earlier than the 1st day of April, 1994 in this behalf.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “public sector bank” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Explanation to clause (23D);]

(vi) interest on Gold Deposit Bonds issued under the Gold Deposit Scheme, 1999 notified by the Central Government;]

(vii) interest on bonds—

  (a) issued by a local authority or by a State Pooled Finance Entity; and

 (b) specified by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-clause, the expression “State Pooled Finance Entity” shall mean such entity which is set up in accordance with the guidelines for the Pooled Finance Development Scheme notified by the Central Government in the Ministry of Urban Development;]

(viii) any income by way of interest received by a non-resident or a person who is not ordinarily resident, in India on a deposit made on or after the 1st day of April, 2005, in an Offshore Banking Unit referred to in clause (u) of section 2 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005;

Exemptions on Statutory Body/Authority/Board/Commission by Notified Body or Authority – National Skill Development Corporation, Notification Issued on 28-2-2012

In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (46) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Government hereby notifies for the purposes of the said clause, the National Skill Development Corporation, a body constituted by the Central Government, in respect of the specified income arising to the said Corporation , as follows:-

(a)  long-term or short-term capital gain out of investment in an organization for skill development;

(b)  dividend and royalty from skill development venture supported or funded by National Skill Development Corporation;

(c)  interest on loans to Institutions for skill development;

(d)  interest earned on fixed deposits with banks; and

(e)  amount received in the form of Government grants.

2. This Notification shall be applicable for the specified income of the National Skill Development Corporation for the financial year 2011-12 to financial year 2015-16.

3. This notification shall be effective where-

(i)  the activities and the nature of the specified income of the National Skill Development Corporation remain unchanged throughout the financial year; and

(ii)  the National Skill Development Corporation files return of income in accordance with clause (g) of sub-section (4C) section 139 of the Act.

 

Reference: Section 10(46) of the income Tax Act, 1961

Any specified income arising to a body or authority or Board or Trust or Commission (by whatever name called) which—

(a) has been established or constituted by or under a Central, State or Provincial Act, or constituted by the Central Government or a State Government, with the object of regulating or administering any activity for the benefit of the general public;

(b) is not engaged in any commercial activity; and

(c) is notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette for the purposes of this clause.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, “specified income” means the income, of the nature and to the extent arising to a body or authority or Board or Trust or Commission (by whatever name called) referred to in this clause, which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf;