Amendment to sub-section (1A) of section 35 of Income Tax Act, 1961 (2024)

Amendment to sub-section (1A) of section 35 of Income Tax Act, 1961

(i) Sub-section (1A) to section 35 of the Act was inserted by the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Act, 2020 with effect from the 1^st April, 2021. It mandated the research association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii) or the company referred to in clause (iia) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Act to file the statement of donations received by these entities from the donors. However, an inadvertent drafting error has crept in in the sub-section. The present language reads that no deduction shall be allowed to the research association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii) or the company referred to in clause (iia) of sub-section (1) of section 35, if such statement of donations is not filed. However, that was not the intention of the law. The deduction claimed by the donor needs to be dis-allowed in such cases. In section 80G of the Act similar provisions were introduced by the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Act, 2020 with effect from the 1^st April, 2021, whereby the deduction claimed by the donor under this section was disallowed in case the donee fails to furnish the statement of donations.

(ii) Hence, it is proposed to amend sub-section (1A) of section 35 of the Act to provide that the deduction claimed by the donor with respect to the donation given to any research association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii) or the company referred to in clause (iia) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Act shall be disallowed unless such research association, university, college or other institution or company files the statement of donations.

(iii) This amendment will take effect retrospectively from 1^st April, 2021.

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Note on Clause 11 of Finance Bill 2022

Clause 11 seeks to amend section 35 of the Income-tax Act relating to expenditure on scientific research.

Sub-section (1A) of said section provides that the research association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii) or the company referred to in clause (iia) of sub-section (1) of the said section, shall not be entitled to deduction as provided under sub-section (1), unless such research association, university, college or other institution or company, inter-alia, prepares a statement, setting forth such particulars and furnishes to the donor, a certificate specifying the amount of donation in the manner specified therein.

It is proposed to amend the said sub-section so as to provide that the deduction in respect of any sum paid to the research association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii) or the company referred to in clause (iia) of sub­section (1) shall not be allowed unless such research association, university, college or such other institution or company, inter-alia, prepares a statement, setting forth such particulars and furnishes to the donor, a certificate specifying the amount of donation in the manner specified therein.

This amendment will take effect retrospectively from 1st April, 2021.

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Extract of Clause 11 of Finance Bill 2022

11. Amendment of section 35.

In section 35 of the Income-tax Act, in sub-section (1A), for the words, brackets, figures and letter “the research association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii) or the company referred to in clause (iia) of sub-section (1) shall not be entitled to deduction under the respective clauses of the said sub-section”, the words, brackets, figures and letter “the deduction in respect of any sum paid to the research association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii), or the company referred to in clause (iia) of sub-section (1), shall not be allowed” shall be substituted and shall be deemed to have been substituted with effect from the 1st day of April, 2021.

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