442. Whether the date of transfer, as referred to in section 54E of the Act, is the date of conversion of the capital asset into stock-in-trade or the date on which the stock-in-trade is sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee
1. Section 2(47 ) of the Income-tax Act provides that any conversion of capital assets into stock-in-trade shall be regarded as a transfer. This transfer arises in the year in which such conversion takes place and, accordingly, capital gain would normally arise in that very year. However, section 45(2) of the Act postpones the assessment of such capital gains to the year in which the stock-in-trade is actually sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee.
2. In order to qualify for deduction under section 54E of the Act, the investment in specified assets was required to be made within six months from the date of transfer. A question had arisen as to whether the date of transfer, as referred to in section 54E of the Act, is the date of conversion of the capital asset into stock-in-trade or the date on which the stock-in-trade is sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee.
3. The Board had earlier issued a Circular No. 560 dated 18-5-1990, in consultation with Ministry of Law, clarifying that for purposes of section 54E of the Act, the date of transfer in such cases is the date on which the capital asset is converted by the assessee into stock-in-trade and not the date on which such stock-in-trade is sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee. Section 54E became inoperative for transfers made on or after 1-4-1992.
4. Sections 54EA, 54EB and 54EC also provide deduction from long-term capital gain if the sale proceeds/long-term capital gain is invested in specified assets within a period of 6 months from the date of transfer. It is not possible for an assessee to make the required investment under the aforesaid sections at the point of conversion of capital asset into stock-in-trade because the right to collect sales consideration in such cases arises only at the point of sale or transfer otherwise of stock-in-trade. The board has considered the matter afresh in consultation with the Ministry of Law and has decided that the period of 6 months for making investments in specified assets for the purpose of sections 54EA, 54EB and 54EC should be taken from the date such stock-in-trade is sold or otherwise transferred, in terms of section 45(2) of the Act.
