1.
Dear Ritesh Jha,
The change due to retirement or demise of a partner will affect the carry forward loss of the firm since the loss to the extent of the retired or deceased partner has to be reduced for carrying forward to the subsequent year. [Section 78 of the Income Tax Act]
In your question, P, S & R are partners. One of them, say P retires in the current year on 31-12-2010.
Current year income of the firm = Rs 3,30,000 of which P’s share comes to Rs 82,500 based on the accounts prepared.
In the last year, the firm had a loss of Rs 3,00,000.
Thus, the share loss of P comes to Rs 1,00,000 of which only Rs 82,500 will be allowed to be set off and remaining loss of Rs 17,500 will go lapse.
As far as second question is concerned, change in constitution per se will not attract provision of section 78. Provision of section 78 will be attracted only if there is change in constitution which has resulted in retirement of any of the partner or any of the partner has deceased. In this regard, wordings of section 78 is as under:
Section 78 (1): Where a change has occurred in the constitution of a firm, nothing in this Chapter shall entitle the firm to have carried forward and set off so much of the loss proportionate to the share of a retired or deceased partner as exceeds his share of profits, if any, in the firm in respect of the previous year.
Change in constitution may arise because of admission of partner, change in profit sharing ratio. However, such things are not covered by section 78.
Regards,
Rohan Thakkar
rohan@rthakkar.com