07 February 2011
In India a comapny is liable to pay income tax on the income computed in accordance with the provisions of the Income tax Act,1961, whereas the profit and loss account of the company is prepared as per provisions of the Companies Act,1956. There were large number of companies who had book profits as per their profit and loss account but were not paying any income tax because income computed as per provisions of the income tax act,1961 was either nil or negative or insignificant by virtue of availing certain deduction / exemption available to them as per the Income tax Act,1961. In such cases, although the companies were showing book profits and declaring dividends to the shareholders, they were not paying any income tax. These companies are popularly known as Zero Tax companies. Inorder to bring such companies under the income tax act net,The Finace Act 2005, introduced from FY 2006-07, Section 115JB that provides if the tax payable on the total income as computed under the Income-tax Act,1961 in respect of any previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on or after April 1 2001, is less than 7.5% of its book profit, such book profit shall be deemed to be the total income of the assessee and the tax payable for the relevant previous year shall be 7.5% of such book profit. Budget 2010-11 MAT u/s 115JB has been increased to 18%.