Are you looking to understand about Expenditure for obtaining licence to operate telecommunication services ?
This detailed article will tell you all about Expenditure for obtaining licence to operate telecommunication services.
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In India, companies seeking to operate telecommunication services must first acquire a license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). However, in addition to the licensing process, telecom companies also need to bear expenses for spectrum acquisition, infrastructure development, and equipment purchase. These costs are necessary for starting a new telecom business and are considered as capital expenditures.
The Income Tax Act, 1961, provides deductions for expenses incurred during business activities. Section 35ABB of the Income Tax Act allows deductions for expenses incurred in obtaining a license to operate telecommunication services.
Under Section 35ABB, expenses incurred in acquiring a license to operate telecommunication services can be deducted in ten equal installments. The deduction is only available to companies engaged in the telecommunication services industry.
The deduction is available from the year in which the license is acquired, but it cannot be claimed if the license is acquired through transfer from another person. The deduction amount allowed in a given year is limited to the income earned by the company from telecommunication services.
It should be noted that the expenses incurred in obtaining a license are distinct from the costs incurred in acquiring spectrum. Expenses incurred in acquiring spectrum are classified as capital expenditures and are eligible for depreciation under Section 32 of the Income Tax Act.
In summary, expenses incurred in obtaining a license to operate telecommunication services are regarded as capital expenditures and are eligible for deductions under Section 35ABB of the Income Tax Act. The deduction is allowed in ten equal installments over a period of ten years, subject to the company being engaged in the telecommunication services industry.
section 35ABB of Income Tax Act, 1961
Section 35ABB, of Income Tax Act, 1961 states that
(1) In respect of any expenditure, being in the nature of capital expenditure, incurred for acquiring any right to operate telecommunication services either before the commencement of the business to operate telecommunication services or thereafter at any time during any previous year and for which payment has actually been made to obtain a licence, there shall, subject to and in accordance with the provisions of this section, be allowed for each of the relevant previous years, a deduction equal to the appropriate fraction of the amount of such expenditure.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—
(i) “relevant previous years” means,—
(A) in a case where the licence fee is actually paid before the commencement of the business to operate telecommunication services, the previous years beginning with the previous year in which such business commenced;
(B) in any other case, the previous years beginning with the previous year in which the licence fee is actually paid,
and the subsequent previous year or years during which the licence, for which the fee is paid, shall be in force;
(ii) “appropriate fraction” means the fraction the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is the total number of the relevant previous years;
(iii) “payment has actually been made” means the actual payment of expenditure irrespective of the previous year in which the liability for the expenditure was incurred according to the method of accounting regularly employed by the assessee.
(2) Where the licence is transferred and the proceeds of the transfer (so far as they consist of capital sums) are less than the expenditure incurred remaining unallowed, a deduction equal to such expenditure remaining unallowed, as reduced by the proceeds of the transfer, shall be allowed in respect of the previous year in which the licence is transferred.
(3) Where the whole or any part of the licence is transferred and the proceeds of the transfer (so far as they consist of capital sums) exceed the amount of the expenditure incurred remaining unallowed, so much of the excess as does not exceed the difference between the expenditure incurred to obtain the licence and the amount of such expenditure remaining unallowed shall be chargeable to income-tax as profits and gains of the business in the previous year in which the licence has been transferred.
Explanation.—Where the licence is transferred in a previous year in which the business is no longer in existence, the provisions of this sub-section shall apply as if the business is in existence in that previous year.
(4) Where the whole or any part of the licence is transferred and the proceeds of the transfer (so far as they consist of capital sums) are not less than the amount of expenditure incurred remaining unallowed, no deduction for such expenditure shall be allowed under sub-section (1) in respect of the previous year in which the licence is transferred or in respect of any subsequent previous year or years.
(5) Where a part of the licence is transferred in a previous year and sub-section (3) does not apply, the deduction to be allowed under sub-section (1) for expenditure incurred remaining unallowed shall be arrived at by—
(a) subtracting the proceeds of transfer (so far as they consist of capital sums) from the expenditure remaining unallowed; and
(b) dividing the remainder by the number of relevant previous years which have not expired at the beginning of the previous year during which the licence is transferred.
(6) Where, in a scheme of amalgamation, the amalgamating company sells or otherwise transfers the licence to the amalgamated company (being an Indian company),—
(i) the provisions of sub-sections (2), (3) and (4) shall not apply in the case of the amalgamating company; and
(ii) the provisions of this section shall, as far as may be, apply to the amalgamated company as they would have applied to the amalgamating company if the latter had not transferred the licence.
(7) Where, in a scheme of demerger, the demerged company sells or otherwise transfers the licence to the resulting company (being an Indian company),—
(i) the provisions of sub-sections (2), (3) and (4) shall not apply in the case of the demerged company; and
(ii) the provisions of this section shall, as far as may be, apply to the resulting company as they would have applied to the demerged company if the latter had not transferred the licence.
(8) Where a deduction for any previous year under sub-section (1) is claimed and allowed in respect of any expenditure referred to in that sub-section, no deduction shall be allowed under sub-section (1) of section 32 for the same previous year or any subsequent previous year.