Agricultural extension services play a critical role in enhancing the productivity in the agricultural sector. In order to incentivise the business entities to provide better and effective agriculture extensive services, it is proposed to insert a new provision in the Income-tax Act to allow weighted deduction of 150% of the expenditure incurred on agricultural extension project. The agricultural extension project eligible for this weighted deduction shall be notified by the Board in accordance with the prescribed guidelines.
Under the existing provisions of Section 35(2AB) of the Income-tax Act, a company is allowed weighted deduction at the rate of 200% of expenditure (not being in the nature of cost of any land or building) incurred on approved in-house research and development facilities. These provisions are not applicable in respect of any expenditure incurred by a company after 31st March, 2012.
In order to encourage new investment by the assessees engaged in the business of generation or generation and distribution of power, it is proposed to amend this section to provide that an assessee engaged in the business of generation or generation and distribution of power shall also be allowed initial depreciation at the rate of 20% of actual cost of new machinery or plant (other than ships and aircraft) acquired and installed in a previous year.
It is proposed to insert a new clause (48) in section 10 of the Income-tax Act to provide for exemption in respect of any income of a foreign company received in India in Indian currency on account of sale of crude oil to any person in India subject to the following conditions: (i) The receipt of money is under an agreement or an arrangement which is either entered into by the Central Government or approved by it. (ii) The foreign company, and the arrangement or agreement has been notified by the Central Government having regard to the national interest in this behalf. (iii) The receipt of the money is the only activity carried out by the foreign company in India.
