Income Tax Return filing mandatory for trust registered u/s 12AA w.e.f AY 2018-19

By | February 20, 2017
(Last Updated On: February 20, 2017)

Change or modifications of object and filing of return of income in case of entities exempt under sections 11 and 12

Summary :  Section 12A is proposed to be amended by Finance Bill 2017 to provide that any trust or institution availing benefit of tax exemption under section 11 should inform the CIT within 30 days if there is any change in the object clause which do not conform to the conditions of the registration.
Further, return filing is proposed to be made mandatory for the trust registered under sections 12AA. Earlier, return filing was mandatory only when income of a trust before availing exemption under section 11 exceeds the basic
exemption limit.

Relevant extracts from Explanatory memorandum to the provisions of Finance Bill 2017

Clarity of procedure in respect of change or modifications of object and filing of return of income in case of entities exempt under sections 11 and 12

The existing provisions of section 12A of the Act provide for conditions for applicability of sections 11 and 12 in relation to the benefit of exemption in respect of income of any trust or institution.

Further, the provisions of section 12AA of the Act provide for registration of the trust or institution which entitles them to the benefit of sections 11 and 12. It also provides the circumstances under which registration can be cancelled, one such circumstance being satisfaction of the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner that its activities are not genuine or are not being carried out in accordance with its objects subsequent to grant of registration. However, at present there is no explicit provision in the Act which mandates said trust or institution to approach for fresh registration in the event of adoption or undertaking modifications of the objects after the registration has been granted.

Therefore, it is proposed to amend section 12A so as to provide that where a trust or an institution has been granted registration under section 12AA or has obtained registration at any time under section 12A [as it stood before its amendment by the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1996] and, subsequently, it has adopted or undertaken modifications of the objects which do not conform to the conditions of registration, it shall be required to obtain fresh registration by making an application within a period of thirty days from the date of such adoption or modifications of the objects in the prescribed form and manner.

Further, as per the existing provisions of said section, the entities registered under section 12AA are required to file return of income under sub-section (4A) of section 139, if the total income without giving effect to the provisions of sections 11 and 12 exceeds the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax. However, there is no clarity as to whether the said return of income is to be filed within time allowed u/s 139 of the Act or otherwise.

In order to provide clarity in this regard, it is proposed to further amend section 12A so as to provide for further condition that the person in receipt of the income chargeable to income-tax shall furnish the return of income within the time allowed under section 139 of the Act.

These amendments are clarificatory in nature.

These amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2018 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to assessment year 2018-19 and subsequent years.

[Clauses 9 & 10]

Relevant Note on Clause 9 of Finance Bill 2017

Clause 9 of the Bill seeks to amend section 12A of the Income-tax Act relating to conditions for applicability of sections 11 and 12.

It is proposed to insert a new clause (ab) in sub-section (1) of said section so as to provide another condition for applicability of sections 11 and 12, where a trust or an institution has been granted registration under section 12AA or has obtained registration at any time under section 12A [as it stood before its amendment by the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1996], and, subsequently, it has adopted or undertaken modification of the objects which do not conform to the conditions of registration, it shall be required to make an application for registration in the prescribed form and manner, within a period of thirty days from the date of such adoption or modification in the objects, and that it is registered under section 12AA.

It is also proposed to insert a new clause (c) in sub-section (1) of the said section so as to provide that the person in receipt of the income shall furnish the return of income referred to in sub-section (4A) of section 139 within the time allowed under that section.

These amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2018 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to assessment year 2018-2019 and subsequent years.

Relevant Clause 9 of Finance Bill 2017

Amendment of section 12A.

9. In section 12A of the Income-tax Act, in sub-section (1), with effect from the 1st day of April, 2018,—

(i) after clause (aa), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:—

“(ab) the person in receipt of the income has made an application for registration of the trust or institution, in a case where a trust or an institution has been granted registration under section 12AA or has obtained registration at any time under section 12A [as it stood before its amendment by the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1996], and, subsequently, it has adopted or undertaken modifications of the objects which do not conform to the conditions of registration, in the prescribed form and manner, within a period of thirty days from the date of said adoption or modification, to the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner and such trust or institution is registered under section 12AA;”;

(ii) after clause (b), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:—

“(ba) the person in receipt of the income has furnished the return of income for the previous year in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (4A) of section 139, within the time allowed under that section.”.

Relevant Clause 10 of Finance Bill 2017

Amendment of section 12AA.

10. In section 12AA of the Income-tax Act, with effect from the 1st day of April, 2018,—

(a) in sub-section (1), after the word, brackets and letters “clause (aa)”, the words, brackets and letters “or clause (ab)” shall be inserted;

(b) in sub-section (2), after the word, brackets and letters “clause (aa)”, the words, brackets and letters “or clause (ab)” shall be inserted.

Books on Budget 2017-18

Taxmann’s Budget 2017-18 -Book

Budget 2017-18- Notifications on Central Excise , Customs and Service tax – New Book

Ajit Prakashan’s Union Budget 2017-18 -New Book

BDP’s Customs Law Manual (2017-18 Budget Editon with CD) -New Book

Related Post on Budget 2017-18

Budget Speech 2017-18 -Download /Print

Finance Bill 2017 -Download /Print -Budget 2017-18

Memorandum Explaining Provisions in Finance Bill 2017

Updates  on Union Budget 2017-18

 

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