The existing provisions of section 40 specifies the amounts which shall not be deducted in computing the income chargeable under the head Profits and gains of business or profession. The non-deductible expense under the said section also includes statutory dues like fringe benefit tax, income-tax, wealth-tax, etc.
Disputes have arisen in respect of income-tax assessment of some State Government undertakings as to whether any sum paid by way of privilege fee, license fee, royalty, etc. levied or charged by the State Government exclusively on its undertakings are deductible or not for the purposes of computation of income of such undertakings. In some cases, orders have been issued to the effect that surplus arising to such undertakings shall vest with the State Government. As a result it has been claimed that such income by way of surplus is not subject to tax. It is a settled law that State Government undertakings are separate legal entities than the State and are liable to income-tax.
In order to protect the tax base of State Government undertakings vis-â-vis exclusive levy of fee, charge, etc. or appropriation of amount by the State Governments from its undertakings, it is proposed to amend section 40 of the Income-tax Act to provide that any amount paid by way of fee, charge, etc., which is levied exclusively on, or any amount appropriated, directly or indirectly, from a State Government undertaking, by the State Government, shall not be allowed as deduction for the purposes of computation of income of such undertakings under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession”. It is also proposed to define the expression “State Government Undertaking” for this purpose.
This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2014 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2014-15 and subsequent assessment years.
