THE Budget has proposed significant rationalisation of MAT provisions which will take effect from April 1, 2021 and will apply from AY 2021-22.

Section 115JB of the Act provides for MAT at the rate of 15 per cent of its book profit, in case tax on the total income of a company computed under the provisions of the Act is less than the 15 per cent of book profit. Book profit for this purpose is computed by making certain adjustments to the profit disclosed in the profit and loss account prepared by the company in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013.

Representations were received that the computation of book profit under section 115JB does not provide for any adjustment on account of additional income of past year(s) included in books of account of current year on account of secondary adjustment under section 92CE or on account of an Advance Pricing Agreement (APA) entered with the taxpayer under section 92CC.

Representation has also been received that since dividend income is now taxable in the hand of shareholders, dividend received by a foreign company on its investment in India is required to be excluded for the purposes of calculation of book profit in case the tax payable on such dividend income is less than MAT liability on account of concessional tax rate provided in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).

Hence it is proposed to,-

(i) provide that in cases where past year income is included in books of account during the previous year on account of an APA or a secondary adjustment, the Assessing Officer shall, on an application made to him in this behalf by the assessee, recompute the book profit of the past year(s) and tax payable, if any, during the previous year, in the prescribed manner. Further, the provision of section 154 of the Act shall apply so far as possible and the period of four years specified in sub-section (7) of section 154 shall be reckoned from the end of the financial year in which the said application is received by the Assessing Officer.

(ii) to provide similar treatment to dividend as already there for capital gains on transfer of securities, interest, royalty and Fee for Technical Services (FTS) in calculating book profit for the purposes of section 115JB of the Act, so that both specified dividend income and the expense claimed in respect thereof are reduced and added back, while computing book profit in case of foreign companies where such income is taxed at lower than MAT rate due to DTAA.