Suggestions on Clause 32 of Finance Bill / Budget 2017- Section 79- Carry forward and set off of loss in case of eligible start-ups – Condition to be further relaxed
The Finance Bill, 2017 proposes to amend section 79 to provide that where a change in shareholding has taken place in a previous year in the case of a company, not being a company in which the public are substantially interested and being an eligible start-up as referred to in section 80-IAC of the Act, loss shall be carried forward and set off against the income of the previous year, if all the shareholders of such company which held shares carrying voting power on the last day of the year or years in which the loss was incurred, being the loss incurred during the period of 7 years beginning from the year in which such company is incorporated, continue to hold those shares on the last day of such previous year.
The existing provisions provide for restrictions on carry forward of losses in case of substantial change in shareholding of the Indian company. As per the current provisions, shareholders of the company at the end of the financial year in which the loss was incurred must continue to own at least 51% of the shares in that company in the year in which such carry forward loss is to be set off; otherwise, the company loses the ability to carry forward such loss.
The Government, in pursuance of the start-up action plan and facilitating ease of doing business, proposes to introduce a beneficial regime for start-up to carry forward and set off losses. It has been proposed that as long as all the original shareholders of the Company at the end of the financial year in which the loss was incurred continue to be shareholders of such shares in the financial year in which the loss is to be set off, the benefit of carry forward of loss would be available.
Another issue is on account of turnover condition specified in Explanation (ii) (b) of section 80-IAC for a company to qualify as `eligible start up’. The condition is that turnover of such company should not exceed Rs. 25 Crore anytime between F.Y. 2016-17 to F.Y. 2020-21. This condition also creates uncertainty for start ups in the matter of section 79 limitation as generally applicable to closely held companies i.e., whether the turnover limit has to be adhered to in the year of set-off as well.
The condition of continuing to hold all shares appears to be applicable not only to the initial promoters but also all persons investing subsequently in the start up, which may cause genuine practical hardship. This may also be practically difficult for the start-up company to achieve since PE investors generally look at time frame of 3 to 5 years for exit at a higher price. The exit may happen either through secondary sale in subsequent round of PE funding or through IPO. Any such exit will trigger section 79 limitation for the start-up company.
Suggestion:
It is, therefore, suggested that the condition of continuous holding of the promoters/investors (being persons holding shares in the year of loss) be relaxed. Inter-se transfers between such shareholders be permitted. Also, it should suffice that the group of promoters/ investors hold upto 26% of the voting power in the year of set-off In any case, the turnover condition for a company to be an ‘eligible start up’ may be omitted in Explanation (ii)(b) to section 80IAC.
Also, the period for carry forward and set-off of losses can be extended based on period of gestation in the particular industry instead of initial period of 7 years.
