Deduction for inter corporate dividends prevents cascading taxation when dividends are onward distributed within the prescribed timeframe.
Clause 148 permits a deduction for dividends received by a domestic company from domestic companies, foreign companies and business trusts, limited to the amount the recipient company actually distributes to its shareholders by the date one month before the due date for filing the return referenced in the Bill; the same amount cannot be deducted in any other tax year. The deduction is conditional on onward distribution and timely compliance, creating documentary and administrative verification obligations and raising clarifications around the definition of dividend, treatment of foreign dividends and business trust distributions.