Budget 2017-Extension of capital gain exemption to Rupee Denominated Bonds
With a view to provide relief to non-resident investor, in the wake of permission to the Indian corporates by the Reserve Bank of India (the RBI) to issue rupee denominated bonds outside India as a measure to enable the Indian corporates to raise funds from a source outside India, the Finance Act, 2016, inter-alia, amended section 48 of the Act with effect from the 1st April, 2017 so as to provide that the gains arising on account of appreciation of rupee against a foreign currency at the time of redemption of rupee denominated bond of an Indian company subscribed by him, shall be ignored for the purpose of computation of full value of consideration.
Representations have been received to allow exemption from capital gain arising to secondary holders as well. It has also been represented to allow exemption in respect of transfer of Rupee Denominated Bonds from non-resident to non-resident for the purpose of increasing acceptability and transferability of such instrument in the foreign market.
In order to further provide relief in respect of gains arising on account of appreciation of rupee against a foreign currency at the time of redemption of rupee denominated bond of an Indian company to secondary holders as well, it is proposed to amend section 48 providing that the said appreciation of rupee shall be ignored for the purposes of computation of full value of consideration.
Further, with a view to facilitate transfer of Rupee Denominated Bonds from non-resident to non-resident, it is proposed to amend section 47 so as to provide that any transfer of capital asset, being rupee denominated bond of Indian company issued outside India, by a non- resident to another non- resident shall not be regarded as transfer.
These amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2018 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2018-19 and subsequent years.
[Clause 24]
Extract of relevant clause from Finance Bill, 2017
Amendment of section 48.
24. In section 48 of the Income-tax Act, with effect from the 1st day of April, 2018,—
(a) in the fifth proviso, for the word “subscribed”, the word “held” shall be substituted;
(b) in the Explanation, in clause (iii), for the figures, letters and words “1st day of April, 1981”, the figures, letters and words “1st day of April, 2001” shall be substituted.
