May 2023

Amount borrowed or repaid on hundi Where any amount is borrowed on a hundi from, or any amount due thereon is repaid to, any person otherwise than through an account payee cheque drawn on a bank, the amount so borrowed or repaid shall be deemed to be the income of the person borrowing or repaying the amount aforesaid for the previous year in which the amount was borrowed or repaid, as the case may be: Provided that, if in any case any amount borrowed on a hundi has been deemed under the provisions of this section to be the income of any person, such person shall not be liable to be assessed again in respect of such amount under the provisions of this section on repayment of such amount. Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, the amount repaid shall include the amount of interest paid on the amount borrowed.

Set off of loss from one source against income from another source under the same head of income (1) Save as otherwise provided in this Act, where the net result for any assessment year in respect of any source falling under any head of income, other than “Capital gains”, is a loss, the assessee shall be entitled to have the amount of such loss set off against his income from any other source under the same head. (2) Where the result of the computation made for any assessment year under sections 48 to 55 in respect of any short-term capital asset is a loss, the assessee shall be entitled to have the amount of such loss set off against the income, if any, as arrived at under a similar computation made for the assessment year in respect of any other capital asset. (3) Where the result of the computation made for any assessment year under sections 48 to 55 in respect of any capital asset (other than a short-term capital asset) is a loss, the assessee shall be entitled to have the amount of such loss set off against the income, if any, as arrived at under a similar computation made for the assessment year in respect of any other capital asset not being a short-term capital asset.

Set off of loss from one head against income from another (1) Where in respect of any assessment year the net result of the computation under any head of income, other than “Capital gains”, is a loss and the assessee has no income under the head “Capital gains”, he shall, subject to the provisions of this Chapter, be entitled to have the amount of such loss set off against his income, if any, assessable for that assessment year under any other head. (2) Where in respect of any assessment year, the net result of the computation under any head of income, other than “Capital gains”, is a loss and the assessee has income assessable under the head “Capital gains”, such loss may, subject to the provisions of this Chapter, be set off against his income, if any, assessable for that assessment year under any head of income including the head “Capital gains” (whether relating to short-term capital assets or any other capital assets). (2A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), where in respect of any assessment year, the net result of the computation under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession” is a loss and the assessee has income assessable under the head “Salaries”, the assessee shall not be entitled to have such loss set off against such income. (3) Where in respect of any assessment year, the net result of the computation under the head “Capital gains” is a loss and the assessee has income assessable under any other head of income, the assessee shall not be entitled to have such loss set off against income under the other head. (3A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), where in respect of any assessment year, the net result of the computation under the head “Income from house property” is a loss and the assessee has income assessable under any other head of income, the assessee shall not be entitled to set off such loss, to the extent the amount of the loss exceeds two lakh rupees, against income under the other head. (4) Where the net result of the computation under the head “Income from house property” is a loss, in respect of the assessment years commencing on the 1st day of April, 1995 and the 1st day of April, 1996, such loss shall be first set off under sub-sections (1) and (2) and thereafter the loss referred to in section 71A shall be set off in the relevant assessment year in accordance with the provisions of that section.

Transitional provisions for set off of loss under the head “Income from house property Where in respect of the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1993 or the 1st day of April, 1994, the net result of the computation under the head “Income from house property” is a loss, such loss in so far as it relates to interest on borrowed capital referred to in clause (vi) of sub-section (1) of section 24 and to the extent it has not been set off shall be carried forward and set off in the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1995, and the balance, if any, in the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1996, against the income under any head.

Carry forward and set off of loss from house property Where for any assessment year the net result of computation under the head “Income from house property” is a loss to the assessee and such loss cannot be or is not wholly set off against income from any other head of income in accordance with the provisions of section 71, so much of the loss as has not been so set-off or where he has no income under any other head, the whole loss shall, subject to the other provisions of this Chapter, be carried forward to the following assessment year and—  (i) be set off against the income from house property assessable for that assessment year; and  (ii) the loss, if any, which has not been set off wholly, the amount of loss not so set off, shall be carried forward to the following assessment year, not being more than eight assessment years immediately succeeding the assessment year for which the loss was first computed.

Carry forward and set off of business losses (1) Where for any assessment year, the net result of the computation under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession” is a loss to the assessee, not being a loss sustained in a speculation business, and such loss cannot be or is not wholly set off against income under any head of income in accordance with the provisions of section 71, so much of the loss as has not been so set off or, where he has no income under any other head, the whole loss shall, subject to the other provisions of this Chapter, be carried forward to the following assessment year, and—  (i) it shall be set off against the profits and gains, if any, of any business or profession carried on by him and assessable for that assessment year;  (ii) if the loss cannot be wholly so set off, the amount of loss not so set off shall be carried forward to the following assessment year and so on: Provided that where the whole or any part of such loss is sustained in any such business as is referred to in section 33B which is discontinued in the circumstances specified in that section, and, thereafter, at any time before the expiry of the period of three years referred to in that section, such business is re-established, reconstructed or revived by the assessee, so much of the loss as is attributable to such business shall be carried forward to the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which the business is so re-established, reconstructed or revived, and—  (a) it shall be set off against the profits and gains, if any, of that business or any other business carried on by him and assessable for that assessment year; and  (b) if the loss cannot be wholly so set off, the amount of loss not so set off shall, in case the business so re-established, reconstructed or revived continues to be carried on by the assessee, be carried forward to the following assessment year and so on for seven assessment years immediately succeeding. (2) Where any allowance or part thereof is, under sub-section (2) of section 32 or sub-section (4) of section 35, to be carried forward, effect shall first be given to the provisions of this section. (3) No loss (other than the loss referred to in the proviso to sub-section (1) of this section) shall be carried forward under this section for more than eight assessment years immediately succeeding the assessment year for which the loss was first computed.

Provisions relating to carry forward and set off of accumulated loss and unabsorbed depreciation allowance in amalgamation or demerger, etc (1) Where there has been an amalgamation of—  (a) a company owning an industrial undertaking or a ship or a hotel with another company; or  (b) a banking company referred to in clause (c) of section 5 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949) with a specified bank; or 38[(c) one or more public sector company or companies with one or more public sector company or companies; or  (d) an erstwhile public sector company with one or more company or companies, if the share purchase agreement entered into under strategic disinvestment restricted immediate amalgamation of the said public sector company and the amalgamation is carried out within five years from the end of the previous year in which the restriction on amalgamation in the share purchase agreement ends,] then, notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, the accumulated loss and the unabsorbed depreciation of the amalgamating company shall be deemed to be the loss or, as the case may be, allowance for unabsorbed depreciation of the amalgamated company for the previous year in which the amalgamation was effected, and other provisions of this Act relating to set off and carry forward of loss and allowance for depreciation shall apply accordingly: 39[Provided that the accumulated loss and the unabsorbed depreciation of the amalgamating company, in case of an amalgamation referred to in clause (d), which is deemed to be the loss or, as the case may be, the allowance for un-absorbed depreciation of the amalgamated company, shall not be more than the accumulated loss and unabsorbed depreciation of the public sector company as on the date on which the public sector company ceases to be a public sector company as a result of strategic disinvestment. Explanation.—For the purposes of clause (d),—  (i) “control” shall have the same meaning as assigned to in clause (27) of section 2 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013);  (ii) “erstwhile public sector company” means a company which was a public sector company in earlier previous years and ceases to be a public sector company by way of strategic disinvestment by the Government; 40[(iii) “strategic disinvestment” means sale of shareholding by the Central Government or any State Government or a public sector company, in a public sector company or in a company, which results in—   (a) reduction of its shareholding to below fifty-one per cent; and   (b) transfer of control to the buyer: Provided that the condition laid down in sub-clause (a) shall apply only in a case where shareholding of the Central Government or the State Government or the public sector company was above fifty-one per cent before such sale of shareholding: Provided further that requirement of transfer of control referred to in sub-clause (b) may be carried out by the Central Government or the State Government or the public sector company or any two of them or all of them.]] (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the accumulated loss shall not be set off or carried forward and the unabsorbed depreciation shall not be allowed in the assessment of the amalgamated company unless—  (a) the amalgamating company—   (i) has been engaged in the business, in which the accumulated loss occurred or depreciation remains unabsorbed, for three or more years;   (ii) has held continuously as on the date of the amalgamation at least three-fourths of the book value of fixed assets held by it two years prior to the date of amalgamation;  (b) the amalgamated company—   (i) holds continuously for a minimum period of five years from the date of amalgamation at least three-fourths of the book value of fixed assets of the amalgamating company acquired in a scheme of amalgamation;  (ii) continues the business of the amalgamating company for a minimum period of five years from the date of amalgamation; (iii) fulfils such other conditions as may be prescribed41 to ensure the revival of the business of the amalgamating company or to ensure that the amalgamation is for genuine business purpose. (3) In a case where any of the conditions laid down in sub-section (2) are not complied with, the set off of loss or allowance of depreciation made in any previous year in the hands of the amalgamated company shall be deemed to be the income of the amalgamated company chargeable to tax for the year in which such conditions are not complied with. (4) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of this Act, in the case of a demerger, the accumulated loss and the allowance for unabsorbed depreciation of the demerged company shall—  (a) where such loss or unabsorbed depreciation is directly relatable to the undertakings transferred to the resulting company, be allowed to be carried forward and set off in the hands of the resulting company;  (b) where such loss or unabsorbed depreciation is not directly relatable to the undertakings transferred to the resulting company, be apportioned between the demerged company and the resulting company in the same proportion in which the assets of the undertakings have been retained by the demerged company and transferred to the resulting company, and be allowed to be carried forward and set off in the hands of the demerged company or the resulting company, as the case may be. (5) The Central Government may, for the purposes of this Act, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify such conditions as it considers necessary to ensure that the demerger is for genuine business purposes. (6) Where there has been reorganisation of business, whereby, a firm is succeeded by a company fulfilling the conditions laid down in clause (xiii) of section 47 or a proprietary concern is succeeded by a company fulfilling the conditions laid down in clause (xiv) of section 47, then, notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, the accumulated loss and the unabsorbed depreciation of the predecessor firm or the proprietary concern, as the case may be, shall be

Carry forward and set off of accumulated loss and unabsorbed depreciation allowance in scheme of amalgamation in certain cases Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-clauses (i) to (iii) of clause (1B) of section 2 or section 72A, where there has been an amalgamation of— 42[(i) one or more banking company with—   (a) any other banking institution under a scheme sanctioned and brought into force by the Central Government under sub-section (7) of section 45 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949); or   (b) any other banking institution or a company subsequent to a strategic disinvestment, wherein the amalgamation is carried out within a period of five years from the end of the previous year during which such strategic disinvestment is carried out; or]  (ii) one or more corresponding new bank or banks with any other corresponding new bank under a scheme brought into force by the Central Government under section 9 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 (5 of 1970) or under section 9 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980 (40 of 1980) or both, as the case may be; or (iii) one or more Government company or companies with any other Government company under a scheme sanctioned and brought into force by the Central Government under section 16 of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, 1972 (57 of 1972), the accumulated loss and the unabsorbed depreciation of such banking company or companies or amalgamating corresponding new bank or banks or amalgamating Government company or companies shall be deemed to be the loss or, as the case may be, allowance for depreciation of such banking institution or 43-44[company or] amalgamated corresponding new bank or amalgamated Government company for the previous year in which the scheme of amalgamation was brought into force and other provisions of this Act relating to set off and carry forward of loss and allowance for depreciation shall apply accordingly. Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—   (i) “accumulated loss” means so much of the loss of the amalgamating banking company or companies or amalgamating corresponding new bank or banks or amalgamating Government company or companies under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession” (not being a loss sustained in a speculation business) which such amalgamating banking company or companies or amalgamating corresponding new bank or banks or amalgamating Government company or companies, would have been entitled to carry forward and set off under the provisions of section 72, if the amalgamation had not taken place;  (ii) “banking company” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (c) of section 5 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949); (iii) “banking institution” shall have the meaning assigned to it in sub-section (15) of section 45 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949); (iv) “corresponding new bank” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (d) of section 2 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 (5 of 1970) or, as the case may be, clause (b) of section 2 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980 (40 of 1980);  (v) “general insurance business” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (g) of section 3 of the General Insurance Business (Nationa-lisation) Act, 1972 (57 of 1972); (vi) “Government company” means a Government company as defined in clause (45) of section 2 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013), which is engaged in the general insurance business and which has come into existence by operation of section 4 or section 5 or section 16 of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, 1972 (57 of 1972);  43-44[(via) “strategic disinvestment” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (iii) of the Explanation to clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 72A;] (vii) “unabsorbed depreciation” means so much of the allowance for depreciation of the amalgamating banking company or companies or amalgamating corresponding new bank or banks or amalgamating Government company or companies which remains to be allowed and which would have been allowed to such banking company or companies or amalgamating corresponding new bank or banks or amalgamating Government company or companies, if the amalgamation had not taken place.

Provisions relating to carry forward and set-off of accumulated loss and unabsorbed depreciation allowance in business reorganisation of co-operative banks (1) The assessee, being a successor co-operative bank, shall, in a case where the amalgamation has taken place during the previous year, be allowed to set off the accumulated loss and the unabsorbed depreciation, if any, of the predecessor co-operative bank as if the amalgamation had not taken place, and all the other provisions of this Act relating to set off and carry forward of loss and allowance for depreciation shall apply accordingly. (2) The provisions of this section shall apply if—  (a) the predecessor co-operative bank—    (i) has been engaged in the business of banking for three or more years; and   (ii) has held at least three-fourths of the book value of fixed assets as on the date of the business reorganisation, continuously for two years prior to the date of business reorganisation;  (b) the successor co-operative bank—   (i) holds at least three-fourths of the book value of fixed assets of the predecessor co-operative bank acquired through business reorganisation, continuously for a minimum period of five years immediately succeeding the date of business reorganisation;   (ii) continues the business of the predecessor co-operative bank for a minimum period of five years from the date of business reorganisation; and  (iii) fulfils such other conditions as may be prescribed to ensure the revival of the business of the predecessor co-operative bank or to ensure that the business reorganisation is for genuine business purpose. (3) The amount of set-off of the accumulated loss and unabsorbed depreciation, if any, allowable to the assessee being a resulting co-operative bank shall be,—   (i) the accumulated loss or unabsorbed depreciation of the demerged co-operative bank if the whole of the amount of such loss or unabsorbed depreciation is directly relatable to the undertakings transferred to the resulting co-operative bank; or  (ii) the amount which bears the same proportion to the accumulated loss or unabsorbed depreciation of the demerged co-operative bank as the assets of the undertaking transferred to the resulting co-operative bank bears to the assets of the demerged co-operative bank if such accumulated loss or unabsorbed depreciation is not directly relatable to the undertakings transferred to the resulting co-operative bank. (4) The Central Government may, for the purposes of this section, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify such other conditions as it considers necessary, other than those prescribed under sub-clause (iii) of clause (b) of sub-section (2), to ensure that the business reorganisation is for genuine business purposes. (5) The period commencing from the beginning of the previous year and ending on the date immediately preceding the date of business reorganisation, and the period commencing from the date of such business reorganisation and ending with the previous year shall be deemed to be two different previous years for the purposes of set off and carry forward of loss and allowance for depreciation. (6) In a case where the conditions specified in sub-section (2) or notified under sub-section (4) are not complied with, the set off of accumulated loss or unabsorbed depreciation allowed in any previous year to the successor co-operative bank shall be deemed to be the income of the successor co-operative bank chargeable to tax for the year in which the conditions are not complied with. (7) For the purposes of this section,—  (a) “accumulated loss” means so much of loss of the amalgamating co-operative bank or the demerged co-operative bank, as the case may be, under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession” (not being a loss sustained in a speculation business) which such amalgamating co-operative bank or the demerged co-operative bank, would have been entitled to carry forward and set-off under the provisions of section 72 as if the business reorganisation had not taken place;  (b) “unabsorbed depreciation” means so much of the allowance for depreciation of the amalgamating co-operative bank or the demerged co-operative bank, as the case may be, which remains to be allowed and which would have been allowed to such bank as if the business reorganisation had not taken place; (c) the expressions “amalgamated co-operative bank”, “amalgamating co-operative bank”, “amalgamation”, “business reorganisation”, “co-operative bank”, “demerged co-operative bank”, “demerger”, “predecessor co-operative bank”, “successor co-operative bank” and “resulting co-operative bank” shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in section 44DB.