Unabsorbed depreciation deductible from book profits even if it was adjusted under rehabilitation Scheme

Facts:

a) The assessee-company made huge loss and its net worth got wiped out. Therefore, the case of the assessee was referred to BIFR under SICA. It was declared as 'sick' industrial unit. 

b) The Board has sanctioned the rehabilitation scheme and, all credit amounts lying in various accounts, such as, equity share capital account, share premium account, etc. were transferred to credit of rehabilitation account. Ultimately, the credit balance in that account was used to liquidate the debit balance of profit & loss account by way of transfer of debit balance of P&L to the rehabilitation scheme account to the extent of credit balance available therein.

c) Since the net worth of the company was negative till AY 2008-09, it was not under the obligation to pay book-profit tax as per clause(vii) of Explanation to section 115JB. During AY 2012-13, assessee claimed deduction of unabsorbed depreciation loss of earlier years while computing the book profit. However, AO denied such deduction. He held that once the assessee made credits in the P&L account by way of restructuring , then the debit balance would be considered as wiped out from the P&L account and thus no unabsorbed depreciation would be available for reduction under Section 115JB.On appeal, CIT(A) upheld AO’s order.

Foreign tax credit should be given on tax liability computed under MAT provisions

The issue that was disputed in the instant case was as under:

“Whether relief under section 90 of Income-tax Act(‘the Act’) in respect of tax paid in a foreign country would be available while computing tax liability under as per provisions of MAT ?.”

The Tribunal held in favour of assessee as under:

1)   The Mumbai Tribunal in case of ACIT v. L&T Ltd. (in ITA No.4499/Mum/2008/ dated 22-04-2009) had held that once taxable income was determined either under the normal provisions of the Act or as per Sec 115JB, subsequent portion relating to rebate and set-off would be governed by the normal provision of the Act.

2)   There is no provision in the Act, debarring granting of credit for tax paid abroad in case income is computed under section 115JB. Thus, assessee could not be denied set off of tax relief under section 90 against the tax liability determined under section 115JB. - Dy.CIT v. Subex Technology Ltd. [2015] 63 taxmann.com 124 (Bangalore - Trib.). 

Capital gain exempted under sec. 47 isn't liable to MAT as it doesn't fall in definition of income

Whether capital gains exempted under section 47(iv) of income-tax Act (‘the Act’) would be includible in the books profit under section 115JB for computing MAT?

The Mumbai ITAT held in favour of assessee as under:

1)  The provisions of section 10 lists out various types of income, which do not form part of total income. All those items of receipts shall otherwise fall under the definition of the term "income" as defined in section 2(24) of the Act, but they are not included in total income in view of the provisions of section 10 of the Act. Since they are considered as "incomes not included in total income", the legislature, in its wisdom, has decided not to subject them to MAT.

2)   Clause (ii) of Explanation 1 to section 115JB specifically provides that the amount of income to which any of the provisions of section 10 applies (other than the provisions contained in clause (38) thereof) than it is to be reduced from the Net profit, if they are credited to the Profit and Loss account.

3)  The logic of these provisions is that an item of receipt which falls under the definition of "income" but exempted under section 10 are to be excluded for the purpose of computing "Book Profit".

4)  Thus, it is seen that the legislature seeks to maintain parity between the computation of "total income" and "book profit", in respect of exempted category of income.

5)   If the said logic is extended further, an item of receipt which does not fall under the definition of "income" at all and hence falls outside the purview of the computation provisions of Income tax Act, cannot also be included in "book profit" under Section 115JB of the Act.

6)   The profits and gains arising under Section 47(iv) is not falling under the definition of "transfer" and consequently, the same does not fall within the purview of the definition of "income" given under Section 2(24)(vi) of the Act.

7)   Therefore in the instant case the capital gains does not fall within the purview of the definition of "income", so the question of including the same in the Book Profit under section 115JB of the Act does not arise. - SHIVALIK VENTURE (P.) LTD. V. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF INCOME-TAX, 8(3), MUMBAI - [2015] 60 taxmann.com 314 (Mumbai - Trib.)