Income Tax Section - 34A, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

  Income Tax 

Section - 34A, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

Restriction on unabsorbed depreciation and unabsorbed investment allowance for limited period in case of certain domestic companies.

34A. (1) In computing the profits and gains of the business of a domestic company in relation to the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1992, where effect is to be given to the unabsorbed depreciation allowance or unabsorbed investment allowance or both in relation to any previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on or before the 1st day of April, 1991, the deduction shall be restricted to two-third of such allowance or allowances and the balance,—

(a) where it relates to depreciation allowance, be added to the depreciation allowance for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1993 and be deemed to be part of that allowance or if there is no such allowance for that previous year, be deemed to be the allowance for that previous year and so on for the succeeding previous years ;

(b) where it relates to investment allowance, be carried forward to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1993 and the balance of the investment allowance, if any, still outstanding shall be carried forward to the following assessment year and where the period of eight years has expired before the portion of such balance is adjusted, the said period shall be extended beyond eight years till such time the portion of the said balance is absorbed in the profits and gains of the business of the domestic company.

(2) For the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1992, the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 32 and sub-section (3) of section 32A shall apply to the extent such provisions are not inconsistent with the provisions of sub-section (1) of this section.

(3) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall apply where the amount of unabsorbed depreciation allowance or of the unabsorbed investment allowance, as the case may be, or the aggregate amount of such allowances in the case of a domestic company is less than one lakh rupees.

(4) Nothing contained in sections 234B and 234C shall apply to any shortfall in the payment of any tax due on the assessed tax or, as the case may be, returned income where such shortfall is on account of restricting the amount of depreciation allowance or investment allowance under this section and the assessee has paid the amount of shortfall before furnishing the return of income under sub-section (1) of section 139.

Income Tax Section - 34, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

 Income Tax 

Section - 34, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

Conditions for depreciation allowance and development rebate.

34. (1) [***]

(2) [***]

(3)(a) The deduction referred to in section 33 shall not be allowed unless an amount equal to seventy-five per cent of the development rebate to be actually allowed is debited to the profit and loss account of any previous year in respect of which the deduction is to be allowed under sub-section (2) of that section or any earlier previous year (being a previous year not earlier than the year in which the ship was acquired or the machinery or plant was installed or the ship, machinery or plant was first put to use) and credited to a reserve account to be utilised by the assessee during a period of eight years next following for the purposes of the business of the undertaking, other than—

 (i)  for distribution by way of dividends or profits ; or

(ii)  for remittance outside India as profits or for the creation of any asset outside India :

Provided that this clause shall not apply where the assessee is a company, being a licensee within the meaning of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 (54 of 1948), or where the ship has been acquired or the machinery or plant has been installed before the 1st day of January, 1958 :

Provided further that where a ship has been acquired after the 28th day of February, 1966, this clause shall have effect in respect of such ship as if for the words "seventy-five", the word "fifty" had been substituted.

Explanation.—[Omitted by the Finance Act, 1990, w.r.e.f. 1-4-1962. Earlier, it was inserted by the Finance Act, 1966, w.r.e.f. 1-4-1962.]

(b) If any ship, machinery or plant is sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee to any person at any time before the expiry of eight years from the end of the previous year in which it was acquired or installed, any allowance made under section 33 or under the corresponding provisions of the Indian Income-tax Act, 1922 (11 of 1922), in respect of that ship, machinery or plant shall be deemed to have been wrongly made for the purposes of this Act, and the provisions of sub-section (5) of section 155 shall apply accordingly :

Provided that this clause shall not apply—

 (i)  where the ship has been acquired or the machinery or plant has been installed before the 1st day of January, 1958 ; or

(ii)  where the ship, machinery or plant is sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee to the Government, a local authority, a corporation established by a Central, State or Provincial Act or a Government company as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) ; or

(iii) where the sale or transfer of the ship, machinery or plant is made in connection with the amalgamation or succession, referred to in sub-section (3) or sub-section (4) of section 33.

 

Income Tax Section - 33B, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

  Income Tax 

Section - 33B, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

Rehabilitation allowance.

33B. Where the business of any industrial undertaking carried on in India is discontinued in any previous year by reason of extensive damage to, or destruction of, any building, machinery, plant or furniture owned by the assessee and used for the purposes of such business as a direct result of—

 (i)  flood, typhoon, hurricane, cyclone, earthquake or other convulsion of nature ; or

(ii)  riot or civil disturbance ; or

(iii) accidental fire or explosion ; or

(iv) action by an enemy or action taken in combating an enemy (whether with or without a declaration of war),

and, thereafter, at any time before the expiry of three years from the end of such previous year, the business is re-established, reconstructed or revived by the assessee, he shall, in respect of the previous year in which the business is so re-established, reconstructed or revived, be allowed a deduction of a sum by way of rehabilitation allowance equivalent to sixty per cent of the amount of the deduction allowable to him under clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 32 in respect of the building, machinery, plant or furniture so damaged or destroyed :

Provided that no deduction under this section shall be allowed in relation to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1985, or any subsequent assessment year.

Explanation.—In this section, "industrial undertaking" means any undertaking which is mainly engaged in the business of generation or distribution of electricity or any other form of power or in the construction of ships or in the manufacture or processing of goods or in mining.

Income Tax Section - 33AC, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

 Income Tax 

Section - 33AC, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

Reserves for shipping business.

33AC. (1) In the case of an assessee, being a Government company or a public company formed and registered in India with the main object of carrying on the business of operation of ships, there shall, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of this section, be allowed a deduction of an amount not exceeding fifty per cent of profits derived from the business of operation of ships (computed under the head "Profits and gains of business or profession" and before making any deduction under this section), as is debited to the profit and loss account of the previous year in respect of which the deduction is to be allowed and credited to a reserve account, to be utilised in the manner laid down in sub-section (2) :

Provided that where the aggregate of the amounts carried to such reserve account from time to time exceeds twice the aggregate of the amounts of the paid-up share capital, the general reserves and amount credited to the share premium account of the assessee, no allowance under this sub-section shall be made in respect of such excess :

Provided further that for five assessment years commencing on or after the 1st day of April, 2001 and ending before the 1st day of April, 2006, the provisions of this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words "an amount not exceeding fifty per cent of profits", the words "an amount not exceeding the profits" had been substituted:

Provided also that no deduction shall be allowed under this section for any assessment year commencing on or after the 1st day of April, 2005.

(2) The amount credited to the reserve account under sub-section (1) shall be utilised by the assessee before the expiry of a period of eight years next following the previous year in which the amount was credited—

(a)  for acquiring a new ship for the purposes of the business of the assessee ; and

(b)  until the acquisition of a new ship, for the purposes of the business of the assessee other than for distribution by way of dividends or profits or for remittance outside India as profits or for the creation of any asset outside India.

(3) Where any amount credited to the reserve account under sub-section (1),—

(a)  has been utilised for any purpose other than that referred to in clause (a) or clause (b) of sub-section (2), the amount so utilised ; or

(b)  has not been utilised for the purpose specified in clause (a) of sub-section (2), the amount not so utilised ; or

(c)  has been utilised for the purpose of acquiring a new ship as specified in clause (a) of sub-section (2), but such ship is sold or otherwise transferred, other than in any scheme of demerger by the assessee to any person at any time before the expiry of three years from the end of the previous year in which it was acquired, the amount so utilised in acquiring the ship,

shall be deemed to be the profits,—

(i)  in a case referred to in clause (a), in the year in which the amount was so utilised ; or

(ii)  in a case referred to in clause (b), in the year immediately following the period of eight years specified in sub-section (2) ; or

(iii) in a case referred to in clause (c), in the year in which the sale or transfer took place,

and shall be charged to tax accordingly.

(4) Where the ship is sold or otherwise transferred (other than in any scheme of demerger) after the expiry of the period specified in clause (c) of sub-section (3) and the sale proceeds are not utilised for the purpose of acquiring a new ship within a period of one year from the end of the previous year in which such sale or transfer took place, so much of such sale proceeds which represent the amount credited to the reserve account and utilised for the purposes mentioned in clause (c) of sub-section (3) shall be deemed to be the profits of the assessment year immediately following the previous year in which the ship is sold or transferred.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—

(a)  "public company" shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 3 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) ;

(aa) "Government company" shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) ;

(b)  "new ship" shall have the same meaning as in clause (ii) of sub-section (2) of section 32AB.

Income Tax Section - 33ABA, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

 Income Tax 

Section - 33ABA, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

Site Restoration Fund.

33ABA. (1) Where an assessee is carrying on business consisting of the prospecting for, or extraction or production of, petroleum or natural gas or both in India and in relation to which the Central Government has entered into an agreement with such assessee for such business, has before the end of the previous year—

(a)  deposited with the State Bank of India any amount or amounts in an account (hereafter in this section referred to as the special account) maintained by the assessee with that Bank in accordance with, and for the purposes specified in, a scheme (hereafter in this section referred to as the scheme) approved in this behalf by the Government of India in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; or

(b)  deposited any amount in an account (hereafter in this section referred to as the Site Restoration Account) opened by the assessee in accordance with, and for the purposes specified in, a scheme framed by the Ministry referred to in clause (a) (hereafter in this section referred to as the deposit scheme),

the assessee shall, subject to the provisions of this section, be allowed a deduction (such deduction being allowed before the loss, if any, brought forward from earlier years is set off under section 72) of—

 (i)  a sum equal to the amount or the aggregate of the amounts so deposited; or

(ii) a sum equal to twenty per cent of the profits of such business (computed under the head "Profits and gains of business or profession" before making any deduction under this section),

whichever is less :

Provided that where such assessee is a firm, or any association of persons or any body of individuals, the deduction under this section shall not be allowed in the computation of the income of any partner or, as the case may be, any member of such firm, association of persons or body of individuals :

Provided further that where any deduction, in respect of any amount deposited in the special account, or in the Site Restoration Account, has been allowed under this sub-section in any previous year, no deduction shall be allowed in respect of such amount in any other previous year :

Provided also that any amount credited in the special account or the Site Restoration Account by way of interest shall be deemed to be a deposit.

(2) The deduction under sub-section (1) shall not be admissible unless the accounts of such business of the assessee for the previous year relevant to the assessment year for which the deduction is claimed have been audited by an accountant as defined in the Explanation below sub-section (2) of section 288 ⁶²[before the specified date referred to in section 44AB and the assessee furnishes by that date] the report of such audit in the prescribed form duly signed and verified by such accountant :

Provided that in a case where the assessee is required by or under any other law to get his accounts audited, it shall be sufficient compliance with the provisions of this sub-section if such assessee gets the accounts of such business audited under such law and furnishes the report of the audit as required under such other law and a further report in the form prescribed under this sub-section.

(3) Any amount standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or the Site Restoration Account shall not be allowed to be withdrawn except for the purposes specified in the scheme or, as the case may be, in the deposit scheme.

(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3), no deduction under sub-section (1) shall be allowed in respect of any amount utilised for the purchase of—

(a)  any machinery or plant to be installed in any office premises or residential accommodation, including any accommodation in the nature of a guest-house;

(b)  any office appliances (not being computers);

(c)  any machinery or plant, the whole of the actual cost of which is allowed as a deduction (whether by way of depreciation or otherwise) in computing the income chargeable under the head "Profits and gains of business or profession" of any one previous year;

(d)  any new machinery or plant to be installed in an industrial undertaking for the purposes of business of construction, manufacture or production of any article or thing specified in the list in the Eleventh Schedule.

(5) Where any amount standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or in the Site Restoration Account is withdrawn on closure of the account during any previous year by the assessee, the amount so withdrawn from the account, as reduced by the amount, if any, payable to the Central Government by way of profit or production share as provided in the agreement referred to in section 42, shall be deemed to be the profits and gains of business or profession of that previous year and shall accordingly be chargeable to income-tax as the income of that previous year.

Explanation.—Where any amount is withdrawn on closure of the account in a previous year in which the business carried on by the assessee is no longer in existence, the provisions of this sub-section shall apply as if the business is in existence in that previous year.

(6) Where any amount standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or in the Site Restoration Account is utilised by the assessee for the purposes of any expenditure in connection with such business in accordance with the scheme or the deposit scheme, such expenditure shall not be allowed in computing the income chargeable under the head "Profits and gains of business or profession".

(7) Where any amount, standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or in the Site Restoration Account, which is released during any previous year by the State Bank of India or which is withdrawn by the assessee from the Site Restoration Account for being utilised by the assessee for the purposes of such business in accordance with the scheme or the deposit scheme is not so utilised, either wholly or in part, within that previous year, the whole of such amount or, as the case may be, part thereof which is not so utilised shall be deemed to be profits and gains of business and accordingly chargeable to income-tax as the income of that previous year.

(8) Where any asset acquired in accordance with the scheme or the deposit scheme is sold or otherwise transferred in any previous year by the assessee to any person at any time before the expiry of eight years from the end of the previous year in which it was acquired, such part of the cost of such asset as is relatable to the deduction allowed under sub-section (1) shall be deemed to be the profits and gains of business or profession of the previous year in which the asset is sold or otherwise transferred and shall accordingly be chargeable to income-tax as the income of that previous year :

Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall apply—

 (i)  where the asset is sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee to Government, a local authority, a corporation established by or under a Central, State or Provincial Act or a Government company as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956); or

(ii)  where the sale or transfer of the asset is made in connection with the succession of a firm by a company in the business or profession carried on by the firm as a result of which the firm sells or otherwise transfers to the company any asset and the scheme or the deposit scheme continues to apply to the company in the manner applicable to the firm.

Explanation.—The provisions of clause (ii) of the proviso shall apply only where—

 (i)  all the properties of the firm relating to the business or profession immediately before the succession become the properties of the company;

(ii)  all the liabilities of the firm relating to the business or profession immediately before the succession become the liabilities of the company; and

(iii) all the shareholders of the company were partners of the firm immediately before the succession.

(9) The Central Government may, if it considers necessary or expedient so to do, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that the deduction allowable under this section shall not be allowed after such date as may be specified therein.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—

(a)  "State Bank of India" means the State Bank of India constituted under the State Bank of India Act, 1955 (23 of 1955);

(b)  the expression "amount standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or the Site Restoration Account" includes interest accrued to such accounts.

Income Tax Section - 33AB, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

Income Tax 

Section - 33AB, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

Tea development account, coffee development account and rubber development account.

33AB. (1) Where an assessee carrying on business of growing and manufacturing tea or coffee or rubber in India has, before the expiry of six months from the end of the previous year or before the due date of furnishing the return of his income, whichever is earlier,—

(a) deposited with the National Bank any amount or amounts in an account (hereafter in this section referred to as the special account) maintained by the assessee with that Bank in accordance with, and for the purposes specified in, a scheme (hereafter in this section referred to as the scheme) approved in this behalf by the Tea Board or the Coffee Board or the Rubber Board ; or

(b) deposited any amount in an account (hereafter in this section referred to as the Deposit Account) opened by the assessee in accordance with, and for the purposes specified in, a scheme framed by the Tea Board or the Coffee Board or the Rubber Board, as the case may be (hereafter in this section referred to as the deposit scheme), with the previous approval of the Central Government,

the assessee shall, subject to the provisions of this section, be allowed a deduction (such deduction being allowed before the loss, if any, brought forward from earlier years is set off under section 72) of—

(a) a sum equal to the amount or the aggregate of the amounts so deposited; or

(b) a sum equal to forty per cent of the profits of such business (computed under the head "Profits and gains of business or profession" before making any deduction under this section),

whichever is less :

Provided that where such assessee is a firm, or any association of persons or any body of individuals, the deduction under this section shall not be allowed in the computation of the income of any partner, or as the case may be, any member of such firm, association of persons or body of individuals :

Provided further that where any deduction, in respect of any amount deposited in the special account, or in the Deposit Account, has been allowed under this sub-section in any previous year, no deduction shall be allowed in respect of such amount in any other previous year.

(2) The deduction under sub-section (1) shall not be admissible unless the accounts of such business of the assessee for the previous year relevant to the assessment year for which the deduction is claimed have been audited by an accountant as defined in the Explanation below sub-section (2) of section 288 ⁶¹[before the specified date referred to in section 44AB and the assessee furnishes by that date] the report of such audit in the prescribed form duly signed and verified by such accountant :

Provided that in a case where the assessee is required by or under any other law to get his accounts audited, it shall be sufficient compliance with the provisions of this sub-section if such assessee gets the accounts of such business audited under such law and furnishes the report of the audit as required under such other law and a further report in the form prescribed under this sub-section.

(3) Any amount standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or the Deposit Account shall not be allowed to be withdrawn except for the purposes specified in the scheme or, as the case may be, in the deposit scheme or in the circumstances specified below :—

(a) closure of business ;

(b) death of an assessee ;

(c) partition of a Hindu undivided family ;

(d) dissolution of a firm ;

(e) liquidation of a company.

(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3), where any amount standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or in the Deposit Account is released during any previous year by the National Bank or withdrawn by the assessee from the Deposit Account, and such amount is utilised for the purchase of—

(a) any machinery or plant to be installed in any office premises or residential accommodation, including any accommodation in the nature of a guest-house;

(b) any office appliances (not being computers);

(c) any machinery or plant, the whole of the actual cost of which is allowed as a deduction (whether by way of depreciation or otherwise) in computing the income chargeable under the head "Profits and gains of business or profession" of any one previous year;

(d) any new machinery or plant to be installed in an industrial undertaking for the purposes of business of construction, manufacture or production of any article or thing specified in the list in the Eleventh Schedule,

the whole of such amount so utilised shall be deemed to be the profits and gains of business of that previous year and shall accordingly be chargeable to income-tax as the income of that previous year.

(5) Where any amount, standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or in the Deposit Account, is withdrawn during any previous year by the assessee in the circumstance specified in clause (a) or clause (d) of sub-section (3), the whole of such amount shall be deemed to be the profits and gains of business or profession of that previous year and shall accordingly be chargeable to income-tax as the income of that previous year, as if the business had not closed or, as the case may be, the firm had not been dissolved.

(6) Where any amount standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or in the Deposit Account is utilised by the assessee for the purposes of any expenditure in connection with such business in accordance with the scheme or the deposit scheme, such expenditure shall not be allowed in computing the income chargeable under the head "Profits and gains of business or profession".

(7) Where any amount, standing to the credit of the assessee in the special account or in the Deposit Account, which is released during any previous year by the National Bank or which is withdrawn by the assessee from the Deposit Account for being utilised by the assessee for the purposes of such business in accordance with the scheme or the deposit scheme is not so utilised, either wholly or in part, within that previous year, the whole of such amount or, as the case may be, part thereof which is not so utilised shall be deemed to be profits and gains of business and accordingly chargeable to income-tax as the income of that previous year :

Provided that this sub-section shall not apply in a case where such amount is released during any previous year at the closure of the account in circumstances specified in clauses (b), (c) and (e) of sub-section (3).

(8) Where any asset acquired in accordance with the scheme or the deposit scheme is sold or otherwise transferred in any previous year by the assessee to any person at any time before the expiry of eight years from the end of the previous year in which it was acquired, such part of the cost of such asset as is relatable to the deduction allowed under sub-section (1) shall be deemed to be the profits and gains of business or profession of the previous year in which the asset is sold or otherwise transferred and shall accordingly be chargeable to income-tax as the income of that previous year :

Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall apply—

 (i) where the asset is sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee to Government, a local authority, a corporation established by or under a Central, State or Provincial Act or a Government company as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) ; or

(ii) where the sale or transfer of the asset is made in connection with the succession of a firm by a company in the business or profession carried on by the firm as a result of which the firm sells or otherwise transfers to the company any asset and the scheme or the deposit scheme continues to apply to the company in the manner applicable to the firm.

Explanation.—The provisions of clause (ii) of the proviso shall apply only where—

  (i) all the properties of the firm relating to the business or profession immediately before the succession become the properties of the company ;

 (ii) all the liabilities of the firm relating to the business or profession immediately before the succession become the liabilities of the company ; and

(iii) all the shareholders of the company were partners of the firm immediately before the succession.

(9) The Central Government, if it considers necessary or expedient so to do, may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that the deduction allowable under this section shall not be allowed after such date as may be specified therein.

Explanation.—In this section,—

 (a) "Coffee Board" means the Coffee Board constituted under section 4 of the Coffee Act, 1942 (7 of 1942);

(aa) "National Bank" means the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development established under section 3 of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981 (61 of 1981);

(ab) "Rubber Board" means the Rubber Board constituted under sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Rubber Act, 1947 (24 of 1947);

 (b) "Tea Board" means the Tea Board established under section 4 of the Tea Act, 1953 (29 of 1953).

 

Income Tax Section - 33A, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

  Income Tax 

Section - 33A, Income Tax Act 1961-2020

Development allowance.

33A. (1) In respect of planting of tea bushes on any land in India owned by an assessee who carries on business of growing and manufacturing tea in India, a sum by way of development allowance equivalent to—

(i) where tea bushes have been planted on any land not planted at any time with tea bushes or on any land which had been previously abandoned, fifty per cent of the actual cost of planting; and

(ii) where tea bushes are planted in replacement of tea bushes that have died or have become permanently useless on any land already planted, thirty per cent of the actual cost of planting,

shall, subject to the provisions of this section, be allowed as a deduction in the manner specified hereunder, namely :—

(a) the amount of the development allowance shall, in the first instance, be computed with reference to that portion of the actual cost of planting which is incurred during the previous year in which the land is prepared for planting or replanting, as the case may be, and in the previous year next following, and the amount so computed shall be allowed as a deduction in respect of such previous year next following; and

(b) thereafter, the development allowance shall again be computed with reference to the actual cost of planting, and if the sum so computed exceeds the amount allowed as a deduction under clause (a), the amount of the excess shall be allowed as a deduction in respect of the third succeeding previous year next following the previous year in which the land has been prepared for planting or replanting, as the case may be :

Provided that no deduction under clause (i) shall be allowed unless the planting has commenced after the 31st day of March, 1965, and been completed before the 1st day of April, 1990 :

Provided further that no deduction shall be allowed under clause (ii) unless the planting has commenced after the 31st day of March, 1965, and been completed before the 1st day of April, 1970.

(2) Where the total income of the assessee assessable for the assessment year relevant to the previous year in respect of which the deduction is required to be allowed under sub-section (1) (the total income for this purpose being computed after deduction of the allowance under sub-section (1) or sub-section (1A) or clause (ii) of sub-section (2) of section 33, but without making any deduction under sub-section (1) of this section or any deduction under Chapter VI-A is nil or is less than the full amount of the development allowance calculated at the rates and in the manner specified in sub-section (1)—

 (i) the sum to be allowed by way of development allowance for that assessment year under sub-section (1) shall be only such amount as is sufficient to reduce the said total income to nil ; and

(ii) the amount of the development allowance, to the extent to which it has not been allowed as aforesaid, shall be carried forward to the following assessment year, and the development allowance to be allowed for the following assessment year shall be such amount as is sufficient to reduce the total income of the assessee assessable for that assessment year, computed in the manner aforesaid, to nil, and the balance of the development allowance, if any, still outstanding shall be carried forward to the following assessment year and so on, so, however, that no portion of the development allowance shall be carried forward for more than eight assessment years immediately succeeding the assessment year in which the deduction was first allowable.

Explanation.—Where for any assessment year development allowance is to be allowed in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2) in respect of more than one previous year, and the total income of the assessee assessable for that assessment year (the total income for this purpose being computed after deduction of the allowance under sub-section (1) or sub-section (1A) or clause (ii) of sub-section (2) of section 33, but without making any deduction under sub-section (1) of this section or any deduction under Chapter VI-A) is less than the amount of the development allowance due to be made in respect of that assessment year, the following procedure shall be followed, namely :—

 (i) the allowance under clause (ii) of sub-section (2) of this section shall be made before any allowance under clause (i) of that sub-section is made; and

(ii) where an allowance has to be made under clause (ii) of sub-section (2) of this section in respect of amounts carried forward from more than one assessment year, the amount carried forward from an earlier assessment year shall be allowed before any amount carried forward from a later assessment year.

(3) The deduction under sub-section (1) shall be allowed only if the following conditions are fulfilled, namely :—

 (i) the particulars prescribed in this behalf have been furnished by the assessee;

(ii) an amount equal to seventy-five per cent of the development allowance to be actually allowed is debited to the profit and loss account of the relevant previous year and credited to a reserve account to be utilised by the assessee during a period of eight years next following for the purposes of the business of the undertaking, other than—

(a) for distribution by way of dividends or profits; or

(b) for remittance outside India as profits or for the creation of any asset outside India; and

(iii) such other conditions as may be prescribed.

(4) If any such land is sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee to any person at any time before the expiry of eight years from the end of the previous year in which the deduction under sub-section (1) was allowed, any allowance under this section shall be deemed to have been wrongly made for the purposes of this Act, and the provisions of sub-section (5A) of section 155 shall apply accordingly :

Provided that this sub-section shall not apply—

 (i) where the land is sold or otherwise transferred by the assessee to the Government, a local authority, a corporation established by a Central, State or Provincial Act, or a Government company as defined in section 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956); or

(ii) where the sale or transfer of the land is made in connection with the amalgamation or succession referred to in sub-section (5) or sub-section (6).

(5) Where, in a scheme of amalgamation, the amalgamating company sells or otherwise transfers to the amalgamated company any land in respect of which development allowance has been allowed to the amalgamating company under sub-section (1),—

(a) the amalgamated company shall continue to fulfil the conditions mentioned in sub-section (3) in respect of the reserve created by the amalgamating company and in respect of the period within which such land shall not be sold or otherwise transferred and in default of any of these conditions, the provisions of sub-section (5A) of section 155 shall apply to the amalgamated company as they would have applied to the amalgamating company had it committed the default; and

(b) the balance of development allowance, if any, still outstanding to the amalgamating company in respect of such land shall be allowed to the amalgamated company in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2), so, however, that the total period for which the balance of development allowance shall be carried forward in the assessments of the amalgamating company and the amalgamated company shall not exceed the period of eight years specified in sub-section (2) and the amalgamated company shall be treated as the assessee in respect of such land for the purposes of this section.

(6) Where a firm is succeeded to by a company in the business carried on by it as a result of which the firm sells or otherwise transfers to the company any land on which development allowance has been allowed, the provisions of clauses (a) and (b) of sub-section (5) shall, so far as may be, apply to the firm and the company.

Explanation.—The provisions of this sub-section shall apply if the conditions laid down in the Explanation to sub-section (4) of section 33 are fulfilled.

(7) For the purposes of this section, "actual cost of planting" means the aggregate of—

  (i) the cost of preparing the land;

 (ii) the cost of seeds, cutting and nurseries;

(iii) the cost of planting and replanting; and

(iv) the cost of upkeep thereof for the previous year in which the land has been prepared and the three successive previous years next following such previous year,

reduced by that portion of the cost, if any, as has been met directly or indirectly by any other person or authority:

Provided that where such cost exceeds—

  (i) forty thousand rupees per hectare in respect of land situate in a hilly area comprised in the district of Darjeeling; or

 (ii) thirty-five thousand rupees per hectare in respect of land situate in a hilly area comprised in an area other than the district of Darjeeling; or

(iii) thirty thousand rupees per hectare in any other area,

then, the excess shall be ignored.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this proviso, "district of Darjeeling" means the district of Darjeeling as on the 28th day of February, 1981, being the date of introduction of the Finance Bill, 1981, in the House of the People.

(8) The Board may, having regard to the elevation and topography, by general or special order, declare any areas to be hilly areas for the purposes of this section and such order shall not be questioned before any court of law or any other authority.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, an assessee having a leasehold or other right of occupancy in any land shall be deemed to own such land and where the assessee transfers such right, he shall be deemed to have sold or otherwise transferred such land.