Clarification with regard to power of the Assessing Officer in respect of modified return of income filed in pursuance to signing of the Advance Pricing Agreement (APA)

Section 92CC of the Act empowers the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to enter into an APA, with the approval of the Central Government, with any person for determining the Arm’s Length Price (ALP) or specifying the manner in which ALP is to be determined in relation to an international transaction which is to be entered into by that person. The APA is valid for a period, not exceeding five previous years, as may be specified therein. This section also provides for rollback of the APA for four years. Thus, once the APA is entered into, the ALP of the international transaction, which is subject matter of the APA, would be determined in accordance with such APA.

In order to give effect to the APA, section 92CD also provides for mechanism, including  filing  of modified return of income by the taxpayer and manner of completion of assessments by the Assessing Officer having regard to terms of the APA.

 Sub-section (3) of this section deals with a situation where assessment or re-assessment has already been completed, before expiry of the time allowed for filing of modified return. Apprehensions have been expressed stating that due to the use of words “assess or reassess or recompute”, the Assessing Officer may start fresh assessment or reassessment in respect of completed assessments or reassessments of the assessees who have modified their returns of income in accordance with the APA entered into by them, while the intention of the legislature is for Assessing Officer to merely modify the total income consequent to modification of return of income in pursuance to APA.

It is, therefore, proposed to amend sub-section (3) of section 92CD to clarify that in cases where assessment or reassessment has already been completed and modified return of income has been filed by the tax payer under sub-section (1) of said section, the Assessing Officers shall pass an order modifying the total income of the relevant assessment year determined in such assessment or reassessment, having regard to and in accordance with the APA.

This amendment will take effect from 1st September, 2019.

[Clause 29]