Rationalization of deduction under section 80CCG.
Under the existing provisions of section 80CCG, deduction for three consecutive assessment years is allowed upto Rs. 25,000 to a resident individual for investment made in listed equity shares or listed units of an equity oriented fund subject to fulfilment of certain conditions. This deduction was introduced vide Finance Act, 2012. However considering the fact that limited number of individuals availed this deduction and also to rationalize the multiplicity of deductions available under Chapter VI-A of the Act, it is proposed to phase out this deduction by providing that no deduction under section 80CCG shall be allowed from assessment year 2018-19. However, an assessee who has claimed deduction under this section for assessment year 2017-18 and earlier assessment years shall be allowed deduction under this section till the assessment year 2019-20 if he is otherwise eligible to claim the deduction as per the provisions of this section.
This amendment will take effect from the 1st April, 2018 and shall accordingly apply in relation to assessment year 2018-19 and subsequent years.
[Clause 34]
Extract of relevant clause from Finance Bill, 2017
Amendment of section 80CCG.
34. In section 80CCG of the Income-tax Act, after sub-section (4), the following sub-section shall be inserted with effect from the 1st day of April, 2018, namely:—
“(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (1) to (4), no deduction under this section shall be allowed in respect of any assessment year commencing on or after the 1st day of April, 2018:
Provided that an assessee, who has acquired listed equity shares or listed units of an equity oriented fund in accordance with the scheme referred to in sub-section (1) and claimed deduction under this section for any assessment year commencing on or before the 1st day of April, 2017, shall be allowed deduction under this section till the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2019, if he is otherwise eligible to claim the deduction in accordance with the other provisions of this section.”.
