Application to Assessing Officer (AO) under New Form 15E under Rule 29BA read with Section 195
Background
Section 195 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (‘Act’) deals with deduction of tax at source in case of payments made to non-resident and Foreign Companies.
Sub-section 2 of Section 195 of the Act provides that where the person responsible for paying any sum chargeable under the Act to a non-resident considers that the whole of such sum would not be income chargeable in the case of recipient, he may make an application.
Finance Act 2019 (Act no. 2) had amended Section 195 (2) and Section 195(7) of the Act to provide that application for determination of appropriate proportion of sum chargeable, would be made to Assessing Officer (‘AO’) in such form and manner, as may be prescribed.
New Rule 29BA
Accordingly, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has now issued a notification No. 18/2021-Income Tax, Dated: March 16, 2021 and inserted a New Rule in the Income-tax Rules, 1962. The new Rule is Rule 29BA. The Rule would be effective from 1 April 2021.
The new Rule 29BA deals with application for grant of certificate for determination of appropriate proportion (other than salary), payable to non-resident, chargeable in case of the recipients.
Mode and Form of Application
An application by a person for determination of appropriate proportion of sum chargeable in is to be made in Form 15E electronically.
It can be either under digital signature; or through electronic verification code.
Certificate by the tax officer
The AO shall examine whether the sum being paid or credited is chargeable to tax under the provisions of the Act read with the relevant Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, if any, and if the sum is chargeable to tax, he shall proceed to determine the appropriate proportion of such sum chargeable to tax.
In case the AO is satisfied that the whole of sum would not be income chargeable in case of recipient, then he would issue certificate accordingly
The AO shall examine the application and shall issue certificate, as may consider necessary, depending upon facts of each case.
The certificate shall be valid only for the payment to non-resident named in that certificate and for such period of the previous year as may be specified in the certificate.
Factors that would be considered by AO, while granting certificate
The AO shall consider the following factors:
1) tax payable on estimated income of the previous year relevant to the assessment year;
2) tax payable on the assessed or returned/ estimated income of preceding 4 previous years;
3) existing liability under the Income-tax Act, 1961 and Wealth-tax Act, 1957
4) advance tax payment, tax deducted at source and tax collected at source for the assessment year relevant to the previous year till the date of making application
Validity of certificate/ reapplication if required
Application for fresh certificate may be made, if the assessee so desires, after the expiry of the period of validity of the earlier certificate or within three months before the expiry thereof
Details requested in Form 15E
1) Basic details of the payer
2) Basic details of the recipient
3) Details of transactions
4) Taxability under the Act
5) Taxability under the treaty
6) List of documents to be uploaded
List of Documents required along with Form 15E
1. Documents such as Relevant documents such as contract for sale of goods and/or provisions for services (if any), computation of capital gains, share purchase agreement, bank payment, details of cost of acquisition, contract note (if any), share certificate (if any), etc.
2. Details of assessed/returned/estimated income of payee of preceding four previous years, if available
3. Computation of estimated income chargeable to tax and Tax Liability of the previous year
4. Copy of Tax Residency Certificate and Form 10F
5. Documents in support of claim of applicability of sections 194LB/ 194LBA/194LC/194LD
6. Any other documents you wish to furnish in support of your claim.
Hi Anand……very nicely explained all faced of notification. but my issue is , if the payer has not filed filed any TDS return in past could not be registred on TRACES to file form 15E, and form 15E is not available on PAN login Efiling Portal , then how form 15E can be filed, pl suggest
Hi Anand, that’s a very good article.
Is the site working, I mean will I be able to upload/ submit the form.