Budget 2020-21 + FINANCE BILL, 2020

Incentives to resident co-operative societies.

The TLAA, which replaced The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, sought to provide additional fiscal stimulus to attract investment, generate employment and boost the economy in the wake of economic developments post enactment of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2019 and keeping in view the reduction of rate of corporate income tax by many countries world over. TLAA, inter alia, introduced section 115BAA in the Act so as to provide that an existing domestic company may opt to pay tax at 22 per cent., if it does not claim any incentive and deduction as provided in said section.

In case of the domestic company opting to pay tax at the rate of 22 per cent. under said section, it was provided that,-

(a) failure to satisfy specified conditions would disqualify it for the concessional rate and normal provisions of the Act shall apply.

(b) deemed loss or depreciation arising out of amalgamation attributable to any incentive, deduction or exemption, shall not be allowed in computation of income.

(c) for FY 2020-21, where there is unabsorbed depreciation allowance in respect of a block of asset which has not been given full effect to in earlier FYs, corresponding adjustment shall be made to the written down value of such block of assets as on 1st April, 2020.

(d) it shall be entitled to deduction under section 80LA of the Act, subject to fulfilment of conditions contained therein, in respect of a Unit in the International Financial Services Centre, if any.

It was also provided that such company shall not be subjected to Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) under section 115JB of the Act and that, the carry forward and set off of MAT credit, if any, under section 115JAA of the Act would not be allowed.

Representations have been received from the stakeholders requesting to provide for concessional rate of tax in case of resident co-operative society on similar lines. In view of the above, it is proposed to insert a new section (115BAD) in the Act to provide that,-

(i) notwithstanding anything contained in the Act but subject to the provisions of Chapter XII and satisfaction of certain conditions, a co-operative society resident in India shall have the option to pay tax at 22 per cent. for assessment year 2021-22 onwards in respect of its total income so however that if it fails to satisfy the conditions in any previous year, the option shall become invalid and other provisions of the Act shall apply;

(ii) the condition for concessional rate shall be that the total income of the co-operative society is computed,-

(a) without any deduction under the provisions of section 10AA or clause (iia) of sub-section (1) of section 32 or section 32AD or section 33AB or section 33ABA or sub-clause (ii) or sub-clause (iia) or sub-clause (iii) of sub-section (1) or sub-section (2AA) of section 35 or section 35AD or section 35CCC or under any provisions of Chapter VI-A;

(b) without set off of any loss carried forward or depreciation from any earlier assessment year, if such loss or depreciation is attributable to any of the deductions referred to in (a) above; and

(c) by claiming the depreciation, if any, under section 32, except clause (iia) of sub-section (1) thereof, determined in such manner as may be prescribed;

(iii) the loss and depreciation referred to in (ii)(b) above shall be deemed to have been given full effect to and no further deduction for such loss or depreciation shall be allowed for any subsequent year. However, where there is a depreciation allowance in respect of a block of asset which has not been given full effect to prior to the assessment year beginning on 1st April, 2021, corresponding adjustment shall be made to the written down value of such block of assets as on 1st April, 2020 in the prescribed manner, if the option is exercised for a previous year relevant to the assessment year beginning on 1st April, 2021;

(iv) the concessional rate shall not apply unless option is exercised by the co-operative society in the prescribed manner on or before the due date specified under sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act for furnishing the returns of income for any previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on or after 1st April, 2021 and such option once exercised shall apply to subsequent assessment years;

(v) if the person has a Unit in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), as referred to in sub-section

(1A) of section 80LA, the deduction under section 80LA shall be available to such Unit subject to fulfilment of the conditions contained in that section; and

(vi) the option so exercised cannot be withdrawn;

(vii) The surcharge applicable to such co-operative society shall be levied at 10 per cent..

It is further proposed to amend section 115JC of the Act so as to provide that the provisions relating to Alternate Minimum Tax (AMT) shall not apply to such co-operative society.

It is also proposed to amend section 115JD of the Act so as to provide that the provisions relating to carry forward and set off of AMT credit, if any, shall not apply to such co-operative society.

This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2021 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2021-22 and subsequent assessment years.

[Clauses 53, 57 & 58]

Budget 2020-21 + FINANCE BILL, 2020