The existing provisions of section 79 are not applicable to a company where any change in shareholding takes place in a previous year pursuant to a resolution plan approved under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) subject to the condition that jurisdictional Principal Commissioner or Commissioner is provided a reasonable opportunity of being heard. Thus, loss in such cases can be carried forward and set off even if there is change in voting power or shareholding. This benefit is proposed to be extended to certain companies. Thus it has been provided in newly substituted section 79 that the provision of this section shall not apply to those companies, and their subsidiary and the subsidiary of such subsidiary, where-
(i) the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on a petition moved by the Central Government under section 241 of the Companies Act, 2013 has suspended the Board of Directors of such company and has appointed new directors, who are nominated by the Central Government, under section 242 of the Companies Act, 2013: and
(ii) a change in shareholding of such company, and its subsidiaries and the subsidiary of such subsidiary, has taken place in a previous year pursuant to a resolution plan approved by NCLT under section 242 of the Companies Act, 2013, after affording a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the jurisdictional Principal Commissioner or Commissioner.
Further, it is also proposed that under section 115JB of the Act for calculating book profit, the aggregate amount of unabsorbed depreciation and loss (excluding depreciation) brought forward shall also be allowed to be reduced in cases of the above mentioned companies.
This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2020 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2020-21 and subsequent assessment years.
[Clauses 22 & 34]
Extract of Clauses 22 & 34 of Finance Bill 2019
22. Substitution of section 79.
For section 79 of the Income-tax Act, the following section shall be substituted with effect from the 1st day of April, 2020, namely:––
Carry forward and set off of losses in case of certain companies.
‘79. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Chapter, where a change in shareholding has 30 taken place during the previous year in the case of a company, not being a company in which the public are substantially interested, no loss incurred in any year prior to the previous year shall be carried forward and set off against the income of the previous year, unless on the last day of the previous year, the shares of the company carrying not less than fifty-one per cent. of the voting power were beneficially held by persons who beneficially held shares of the company carrying not 35 less than fifty-one per cent. of the voting power on the last day of the year or years in which the loss was incurred:
Provided that even if the said condition is not satisfied in case of an eligible start up as referred to in section 80-IAC, the loss incurred in any year prior to the previous year shall be allowed to be carried forward and set off against the income of the previous year if all the shareholders of such 40 company who held shares carrying voting power on the last day of the year or years in which the loss was incurred, continue to hold those shares on the last day of such previous year and such loss has been incurred during the period of seven years beginning from the year in which such company is incorporated.
(2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall apply,––
(a) to a case where a change in the said voting power and shareholding takes place in a previous year consequent upon the death of a shareholder or on account of transfer of shares by way of gift to any relative of the shareholder making such gift;
(b) to any change in the shareholding of an Indian company which is a subsidiary of a foreign company as a result of amalgamation or demerger of a foreign company subject to the condition 50 that fifty-one per cent. shareholders of amalgamating or demerged foreign company continue to be the shareholders of the amalgamated or the resulting foreign company;
(c) to a company where a change in the shareholding takes place in a previous year pursuant to a resolution plan approved under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, after affording a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the jurisdictional Principal Commissioner or Commissioner;
(d) to a company, and its subsidiary and the subsidiary of such subsidiary, where,––
(i) the Tribunal, on an application moved by the Central Government under section 241 of the Companies Act, 2013, has suspended the Board of Directors of such company and has appointed new directors nominated by the Central Government, under section 242 of the said Act; and
(ii) a change in shareholding of such company, and its subsidiary and the subsidiary of such subsidiary, has taken place in a previous year pursuant to a resolution plan approved by the Tribunal under section 242 of the Companies Act, 2013 after affording a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the jurisdictional Principal Commissioner or Commissioner.
Explanation.––For the purposes of this section,––
(i) a company shall be a subsidiary of another company, if such other company holds more than half in nominal value of the equity share capital of the company;
(ii) “Tribunal” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (90) of section 2 of the Companies Act, 2013.’.
34. Amendment of section 115JB.
In section 115JB of the Income-tax Act, in sub-section (2), in Explanation 1, in the long line, for clause (iih), the following clause shall be substituted with effect from the 1st day of April, 2020, namely:—
‘(iih) the aggregate amount of unabsorbed depreciation and loss brought forward in case of a—
(A) company, and its subsidiary and the subsidiary of such subsidiary, where, the Tribunal, on an application moved by the Central Government under section 241 of the Companies Act, 2013 has suspended the Board of Directors of such company and has appointed new directors who are nominated by the Central Government under section 242 of the said Act;
(B) company against whom an application for corporate insolvency resolution process has been admitted by the Adjudicating Authority under section 7 or section 9 or section 10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
Explanation.–– For the purposes of this clause,—
(i) “Adjudicating Authority” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (1) of section 5 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016;
(ii) “Tribunal” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (90) of section 2 of the Companies Act, 2013;
(iii) a company shall be a subsidiary of another company, if such other company holds more than half in the nominal value of equity share capital of the company;
(iv) “loss” shall not include depreciation; or’.
Note on Clauses 22 & 34 of Finance Bill 2019
Clause 22 of the Bill seeks to substitute section 79 of the Income-tax Act relating to carry forward and set off of losses in case of certain companies and provides that where a change in shareholding has taken place during the previous year in the case of a company, not being a company in which the public are substantially interested, no loss incurred in any year prior to the previous year shall be carried forward and set off against the income of the previous year, unless on the last day of the previous year, the shares of the company carrying not less than fifty-one per cent. of the voting power were beneficially held by persons who beneficially held shares of the company carrying not less than fifty-one per cent. of the voting power on the last day of the year or years in which the loss was incurred.
The proviso to sub-section (1) of the said section provides that if the above condition is not satisfied in case of an eligible start up as referred to in section 80-IAC, loss incurred in any year prior to the previous year shall still be allowed to be carried forward and set off against the income of the previous year if all the shareholders of such company who held shares carrying voting power on the last day of the year or years in which the loss was incurred, continue to hold those shares on the last day of such previous year and such loss has been incurred during the period of seven years beginning from the year in which such company is incorporated.
Clause (a) of sub-section (2) to the said section provides that nothing contained in the section shall apply to a case where a change in the said voting power and shareholding takes place in a previous year consequent upon the death of a shareholder or on account of transfer of shares by way of gift to any relative of the shareholder making such gift.
Clause (b) of sub-section (2) to the said section provides that nothing contained in the section shall apply to any change in the shareholding of an Indian company which is a subsidiary of a foreign company as a result of amalgamation or demerger of a foreign company subject to the condition that fifty-one per cent. shareholders of amalgamating or demerged foreign company continue to be the shareholders of the amalgamated or the resulting foreign company.
Clause (c) of sub-section (2) to the said section provides that nothing contained in this section shall apply to a company where a change in the shareholding takes place in a previous year pursuant to a resolution plan approved under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, after affording a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the jurisdictional Principal Commissioner or Commissioner.
Clause (d) of sub-section (2) to the said section provides that nothing contained in this section shall apply to a company, and its subsidiaries and the subsidiary of such subsidiary, where,–
(i) the National Company Law Tribunal, on a petition moved by the Central Government under section 241 of the Companies Act, 2013 has suspended the Board of Directors of such company and has appointed new directors which are nominated by the Central Government, under section 242 of the said Act; and
(ii) a change in shareholding of such company, and its subsidiary and the subsidiary of such subsidiary, has taken place in a previous year pursuant to a resolution plan approved by the National Company Law Tribunal under section 242 of the Companies Act, 2013 after affording a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the jurisdictional Principal Commissioner or Commissioner.
The Explanation to the section specifies that a company shall be a subsidiary of other company, if such other company holds more than half in nominal value of the equity share capital of the company.
This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2020 and will, accordingly, be applicable for assessment year 2020-2021 and subsequent assessment years.
Clause 34 of the Bill seeks to amend section 115JB of the Income-tax Act relating to special provision for payment of tax by certain companies.
The said section provides for levy of tax on certain companies on the basis of book profit which is determined after making certain adjustments to the net profit disclosed in the profit and loss account prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013. It also provides that in case of a company, against whom an application for corporate insolvency resolution process has been admitted by the Adjudicating Authority under section 7 or section 9 or section 10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, the aggregate amount of unabsorbed depreciation and loss brought forward shall be allowed to be reduced from the book profit and the loss shall not include depreciation.
It is proposed to amend the said section so as to provide that the aggregate amount of unabsorbed depreciation and loss (excluding depreciation) brought forward shall also be allowed to be reduced from the book profit in case of a company, and its subsidiary and the subsidiary of such subsidiary, where, the National Company Law Tribunal, on an application moved by the Central Government under section 241 of the Companies Act, 2013 has suspended the Board of Directors of such company and has appointed new directors who are nominated by the Central Government, under section 242 of the said Act.
It is also proposed to amend the said section so as to provide that a company shall be a subsidiary of another company, if such other company holds more than half in nominal value of the equity share capital of the company.
This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2020 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2020-2021 and subsequent assessment years.
