Budget 2023: 15% concessional tax to promote new manufacturing co-operative society
The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, inter-alia, inserted section 115BAB in the Act which provides that new manufacturing domestic companies set up on or after 01.10.2019, which commence manufacturing or production by 31.03.2023 and do not avail of any specified incentive or deductions, may opt to pay tax at a concessional rate of 15 per cent. The time for commencing manufacturing or production has been extended to 31.03.2024 by the Finance Act, 2022. However, the same provision has not been provided for new manufacturing co-operative societies.
2. Representation has been received for providing a level playing field between new manufacturing co-operative societies and new manufacturing companies by providing for the concessional tax regime of 15% to new manufacturing co-operative societies as well.
3. In view of the above, it is proposed to insert a new section 115BAE to the Act in which concessional tax regime is being provided for the new manufacturing cooperative societies as well. The conditions are materially similar to the conditions applicable to new manufacturing companies, which are as under:-
i. notwithstanding anything contained in the Act but subject to the provisions of Chapter XII, other than those mentioned under section 115BAD, the income-tax payable in respect of the total income of an assessee, being a cooperative society resident in India, for any previous year relevant to the assessment year beginning on or after the 1st day of April, 2024, shall, at the option of such assessee, be computed at the rate of fifteen per cent, on satisfaction of certain specified conditions;
ii. the condition for concessional rate shall be that the total income of the new manufacturing co-operative society is computed,—
a) without any deduction under the provisions of section 10AA or clause (iia) of sub-section (1) of section 32 or section 33AB or section 33ABA or sub-clause (ii) or sub-clause (iia) or sub-clause (iii) of sub-section (1) or subsection (2AA) of section 35 or section 35AD or section 35CCC or under any of the provisions of Chapter VI-A other than the provisions of section 80JJAA;
b) without set off of any loss carried forward or depreciation from any earlier assessment year, if such loss or depreciation is attributable to any of the deductions referred to in ii(a) above; and
c) by claiming the depreciation, if any, under section 32, other than clause (iia) of sub-section (1) of the said section, determined in such manner as may be prescribed;
iii. the loss and depreciation referred to in (ii)(b) above shall be deemed to have been given full effect to and no further deduction for such loss shall be allowed for any subsequent year.
iv. the concessional rate shall not apply unless the option is exercised by the person in the prescribed manner on or before the due date specified under sub-section (1) of section 139 for furnishing the first of the returns of income for any previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on or after 1st day of April, 2024 and such option once exercised shall apply to subsequent assessment years;
v. the option so exercised cannot be withdrawn;
vi. if the income of the assessee, includes any income, which has neither been derived from nor is incidental to manufacturing or production of an article or thing and in respect of which no specific rate of tax has been provided separately under this Chapter, such income shall be taxed at the rate of twenty-two per cent and no deduction or allowance in respect of any expenditure or allowance shall be made in computing such income;
vii. where it appears to the Assessing Officer that, owing to the close connection between the assessee to which this section applies and any other person, or for any other reason, the course of business between them is so arranged that the business transacted between them produces to the assessee more than the ordinary profits which might be expected to arise in such business, the Assessing Officer shall, in computing the profits and gains of such business for the purposes of this section, take the amount of profits as may be reasonably deemed to have been derived therefrom and such income shall be charged at the tax rate of thirty per cent.;
viii. in case the aforesaid arrangement involves a specified domestic transaction referred to in section 92BA, the amount of profits from such transaction shall be determined having regard to arm’s length price as defined in clause (ii) of section 92F. The amount, being profits in excess of the amount of the profits determined by the Assessing Officer, shall be deemed to be the income of the assessee. The income-tax payable in respect of the income, in such case shall be computed at the rate of thirty per cent;
ix. the income-tax payable in respect of income, being short term capital gains derived from transfer of a capital asset on which no depreciation is allowable under the Act shall be computed at the rate of twenty-two per cent;
x. where the assessee fails to satisfy the specified conditions under the section in any previous year, the option shall become invalid in respect of the assessment year relevant to that previous year and subsequent assessment years and other provisions of the Act shall apply to the assessee as if the option had not been exercised for the assessment year relevant to that previous year and subsequent assessment years.
4. It is further proposed to provide that any machinery or plant which was used outside India by any other person shall not be regarded as machinery or plant previously used for any purpose, on fulfilment of certain specified conditions.
5. It is also proposed that where any machinery or plant or any part thereof previously used for any purpose is put to use by the assessee and the total value of such machinery or plant or part thereof does not exceed twenty per cent of the total value of the machinery or plant used by the assessee, then, the concessional rate shall apply on fulfilment of the specified conditions.
6. It is proposed to provide that the assessee shall not be engaged in any business other than the business of manufacture or production of any article or thing and research in relation to, or distribution of, such article or thing manufactured or produced by it.
7. Further, it is proposed that the business of manufacture or production of any article or thing shall include the business of generation of electricity, but not include certain specified businesses.
8. Further, it is proposed to insert a new clause (vb) in the section 92BA of the Act to include the transaction between the Cooperative society and the other person with close connection within the purview of ‘specified domestic transaction’.
9. These amendments are proposed to take effect from the 1st day of April, 2024 and shall accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2024-25 and subsequent assessment years.
[Clauses 45, 51 & 52]
Extract of relevant clause of Finance Bill 2023
Clause 45 of the Bill seeks to amend section 92BA of the Income-tax Act relating to meaning of ‘specified domestic transaction’.
It is proposed to insert a new clause (vb) to the said section to include the transaction between the cooperative society and the other person with close connection within the meaning of ‘specified domestic transaction’. This is consequential to the insertion of new section 115BAE.
This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2024 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2024-2025 and subsequent assessment years.
Clause 51 of the Bill seeks to amend section 115BAD of the Income-tax Act relating to tax on income of certain resident co-operative societies.
The existing provisions of the section 115BAD of the Act, inter alia, provides a concessional taxation regime for co-operative societies, wherein they can opt to pay tax at the reduced rate of twenty-two per cent. if they do not avail of any specified incentives or deductions.
It is proposed to make consequential amendments since new section 115BAE relating to tax on income of new manufacturing co-operative societies is being inserted.
This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2024 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2024-2025 and subsequent assessment years.
Clause 52 of the Bill seeks to insert a new section 115BAE of the Income-tax Act relating to tax on income of certain new manufacturing co-operative societies
The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, inter-alia, inserted section 115BAB to Act which provides that new manufacturing domestic companies set up on or after 1st October, 2019, which commence manufacturing or production by 31st March, 2023 and do not avail of any specified incentive or deductions, may opt to pay tax at a concessional rate of fifteen per cent. The time for commencing manufacturing or production has been extended to 31st March, 2024 by the Finance Act, 2022. The same provision has not been provided to new manufacturing co-operative societies.
It is proposed to insert a new section 115BAE so as to provide that new manufacturing co-operative society set up on or after 1st April, 2023, which commence manufacturing or production by 31st March, 2025 and do not avail of any specified incentive or deduction, may opt to pay tax at a concessional rate of fifteen per cent.
This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2024 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2024-2025 and subsequent assessment years.
Extract of Relevant Amendment Proposed by Finance Bill, 2023
45. Amendment of section 92BA.
In section 92BA of the Income-tax Act, after clause (va), the following clause shall be inserted with effect from the 1st day of April, 2024, namely:–
“(vb) any business transacted between the assessee and other person as referred to in sub-section (4) of section 115BAE”.
51. Amendment of section 115BAD.
In section 115BAD of the Income-tax Act, in sub-section (1), after the words “provisions of this Chapter,”, the words, figures and letters “other than those mentioned under section 115BAE,” shall be inserted with effect from the 1st day of April, 2024.
52. Insertion of new section 115BAE.
After section 115BAD of the Income-tax Act, with effect from the 1st day of April, 2024, the following section shall be inserted, namely:–
Tax on income of certain new manufacturing co-operative societies.
“115BAE. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act but subject to the provisions of this Chapter, other than those mentioned under section 115BAD, the income-tax payable in respect of the total income of an assessee, being a co-operative society resident in India, for any previous year relevant to the assessment year beginning on or after the 1st day of April, 2024, shall, at the option of such assessee, be computed at the rate of fifteen per cent. if the conditions contained in sub-section (2) are satisfied:
Provided that where the total income of the assessee includes any income, which has neither been derived from nor is incidental to, manufacturing or production of an article or thing and in respect of which no specific rate of tax has been provided separately under this Chapter, such income shall be taxed at the rate of twenty-two per cent. and no deduction or allowance in respect of any expenditure or allowance shall be made in computing such income:
Provided further that the income-tax payable in respect of the income, of the assessee deemed so under the second proviso to sub-section (4) shall be computed at the rate of thirty per cent.:
Provided also that the income-tax payable in respect of income, being short term capital gains derived from transfer of a capital asset on which no depreciation is allowable under the Act shall be computed at the rate of twenty-two per cent:
Provided also that where the assessee fails to satisfy the conditions contained in sub-section (2) in any previous year, the option shall become invalid in respect of the assessment year relevant to that previous year and subsequent assessment years and other provisions of the Act shall apply to the assessee as if the option had not been exercised for the assessment year relevant to that previous year and subsequent assessment years.
(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), the following conditions shall apply, namely:—
(a) the cooperative society has been set-up and registered on or after the 1st day of April, 2023, and has commenced manufacturing or production of an article or thing on or before the 31st day of March, 2024 and,—
(i) the business is not formed by splitting up, or the reconstruction, of a business already in existence;
(ii) does not use any machinery or plant previously used for any purpose.
Explanation 1.—For the purposes of sub-clause (ii), any machinery or plant which was used outside India by any other person shall not be regarded as machinery or plant previously used for any purpose, if the following conditions are fulfilled, namely:—
(A) such machinery or plant was not, at any time previous to the date of the installation, used in India;
(B) such machinery or plant is imported into India from any country outside India; and
(C) no deduction on account of depreciation in respect of such machinery or plant has been allowed or is allowable under the provisions of this Act in computing the total income of any person for any period prior to the date of installation of machinery or plant by the person.
Explanation 2.—Where any machinery or plant or any part thereof previously used for any purpose is put to use by the assessee and the total value of such machinery or plant or part thereof does not exceed twenty per cent. of the total value of the machinery or plant used by the assessee, then, for the purposes of sub-clause (ii), the condition specified therein shall be deemed to have been complied with;
(b) the assessee is not engaged in any business other than the business of manufacture or production of any article or thing and research in relation to, or distribution of, such article or thing manufactured or produced by it.
Explanation.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby clarified that the business of manufacture or production of any article or thing shall include the business of generation of electricity, but not include a business of,—
(i) development of computer software in any form or in any media;
(ii) mining;
(iii) conversion of marble blocks or similar items into slabs;
(iii) bottling of gas into cylinder;
(iv) printing of books or production of cinematograph film; or
(iv) any other business as may be notified by the Central Government in this behalf;
(c) the total income of the assessee has been computed,—
(i) without any deduction under the provisions of section 10AA or clause (iia) of sub-section (1) of section 32 or section 33AB or section 33ABA or sub-clause (ii) or sub-clause (iia) or sub-clause (iii) of subsection (1) or sub-section (2AA) of section 35 or section 35AD or section 35CCC or under any of the provisions of Chapter VI-A other than the provisions of section 80JJAA;
(ii) without set off of any loss carried forward or depreciation from any earlier assessment year, if such loss or depreciation is attributable to any of the deductions referred to in clause (i); and
(iii) by claiming the depreciation, if any, under section 32, other than clause (iia) of sub-section (1) of the said section, determined in such manner as may be prescribed.
(3) The loss and depreciation referred to in sub-clause (ii) of clause (c) of sub-section (2) shall be deemed to have been given full effect to and no further deduction for such loss shall be allowed for any subsequent year.
(4) Where it appears to the Assessing Officer that, owing to the close connection between the assessee to which this section applies and any other person, or for any other reason, the course of business between them is so arranged that the business transacted between them produces to the assessee more than the ordinary profits which might be expected to arise in such business, the Assessing Officer shall, in computing the profits and gains of such business for the purposes of this section, take the amount of profits as may be reasonably deemed to have been derived therefrom:
Provided that in case the aforesaid arrangement involves a specified domestic transaction referred to in section 92BA, the amount of profits from such transaction shall be determined having regard to arm’s length price as defined in clause (ii) of section 92F:
Provided further that the amount, being profits in excess of the amount of the profits determined by the Assessing Officer, shall be deemed to be the income of the assessee.
(5) Nothing contained in this section shall apply unless the option is exercised by the person in the prescribed manner on or before the due date specified under sub-section (1) of section 139 for furnishing the first of the returns of income for any previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on or after 1st day of April, 2024, and such option once exercised shall apply to subsequent assessment years:
Provided that once the option has been exercised for any previous year shall not be allowed to be withdrawn for the same or any other previous year.”.
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