CHANGES IN PARTNERSHIP TAXATION IN CASE OF CAPITAL GAIN BY FINANCE ACT, 2021

While the aforesaid sections apply to even AOPs and BOIs, for the purpose of this article reference is made only to firm and partners.

When a partner’s account is settled on retirement or dissolution, he may be given one or more of the following;

(a) Cash, (b) Capital asset, (c) Stocks.

The aforesaid provisions dealt with transfer of capital asset in the limited circumstances provided thereunder.These sections generated a lot of controversies and have given rise to a number of court rulings. A prominent issue is, when a partner upon retirement or dissolution takes home more cash than his capital account balance at the time of retirement, whether he or the firm is liable to pay any tax. The courts are almost unanimous in holding that mere payment of cash would not give rise to any taxable capital gains either in the hands of the firm or in the hands of the partner. It has been held that what he gets is in settlement of his account and nothing more.

B. FINANCE ACT, 2021
The changes proposed in the Finance Bill, 2021 by way of substitution of section 45(4) and insertion of section 45(4A) were not carried through. The Finance Act, 2021 discarded the proposed changes but seeks to change the scheme of taxation of capital gain in the following manner:

(a) Existing section 45(3) is retained,
(b) Existing section 45(4) is replaced by a new sub-section,
(c) New section 9B is introduced,
(d) New clause (iii) is added to section 48.

The new scheme, through the combination of sections 45(4) and 9B, provides for taxation in the hands of the firm in the case of receipt of capital asset or stock-in-trade or cash (or a combination of two or more of them) by the partner on reconstitution or dissolution of the firm. Section 48(iii) seeks to mitigate the impact of double taxation.

Sections 9B and 45(4) apply to receipts by partner from the firm on or after 1st April, 2020 in connection with dissolution / reconstitution. A question arises as to whether these sections apply to such receipts in connection with dissolution / reconstitution which took place prior to 1st April, 2020. The literal interpretation suggests that the date of receipt being critical, the date of dissolution / reconstitution is immaterial as long as the  receipt is in connection with dissolution / reconstitution. One possible counter to this interpretation is that the erstwhile section 45(4) dealt with distribution of capital asset on dissolution or otherwise of the firm and it held the field till 31st March, 2020. Section 9B deals with receipt in connection with reconstitution or dissolution, while substituted section 45(4) deals with receipt in connection with reconstitution. One could notice some overlap between erstwhile section 45(4) and section 9B insofar as receipt of capital asset on dissolution is concerned.

On the basis of this reasoning, it is not unreasonable to expect that new provisions should be considered as applicable only when both the dissolution / reconstitution and receipt have taken place on or after 1st April, 2021. One more reason for this interpretation could be that once dissolution / reconstitution has taken place prior to 1st April, 2021, respective rights arising from such dissolution / reconstitution crystallised on the date of such dissolution / reconstitution. Any receipt thereafter is only in relation to such rights which crystallised before the effective date of the new provisions.

C. SECTION 9B
The Finance Bill, 2021 did not propose section 9B. It rather proposed a substitution of existing section 45(4) and insertion of new section 45(4A). However, while enacting the Finance Act, 2021, section 9B is introduced.

Explanation (ii) to section 9B defines ‘specified entity’ as a firm or other association of persons or body of individuals (not being a company or a co-operative society). Explanation (iii) defines ‘specified person’ as a person who is a partner of a firm or member of other association of persons or body of individuals (not being a company or a co-operative society) in any previous year. For the sake of convenience, in this article, specified entity is referred to as a firm and specified person is referred to as a partner.

Section 9B(1) provides that where a partner receives, during the previous year, any capital asset or stock-in-trade or both from a firm in connection with the dissolution or reconstitution of such firm, the firm shall be deemed to have transferred such capital asset or stock-in-trade, or both, as the case may be, to the partner in the year in which such capital asset or stock-in-trade or both are received by the partner.

Section 9B(2) provides that any profits and gains arising from such deemed transfer of capital asset or stock-in-trade, or both, as the case may be, by the firm shall be deemed to be the income of such firm of the previous year in which such capital asset or stock-in-trade or both were received by the partner. Such income shall be chargeable to income-tax as income of such firm under the head ‘Profits and gains of business or profession’ or under the head ‘Capital gains’ in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

As per section 9B(3), fair market value of the capital asset or stock-in-trade, or both, on the date of its receipt by the partner shall be deemed to be the full value of the consideration received or accruing as a result of such deemed transfer of the capital asset or stock-in-trade, or both, by the firm.

As per Explanation (i), reconstitution of the firm means, where
(a) one or more of its partners of firm ceases to be partners; or
(b) one or more new partners are admitted in such firm in such circumstances that one or more of the persons who were partners of the firm, before the change, continue as partner or partners after the change; or
(c) all the partners, as the case may be, of such firm continue with a change in their respective share or in the shares of some of them.

D. SALIENT FEATURES OF SECTION 9B
The purpose of placing section 9B outside the heads of income appears to be to avoid replication of charging and computation provisions under both heads of income, i.e., profits and gains from business or profession, and capital gains.

Section 9B would apply when a partner receives during the previous year any capital asset / stock-in-trade or both from a firm in connection with dissolution or reconstitution of firm.

Upon such receipt, the firm shall be deemed to have transferred such capital asset / stock-in-trade or both to the partner in the year of receipt of the same by the partner.

The business profits or capital gains arising from aforesaid deemed transfer shall be chargeable under the respective heads of income. Fair market value (FMV) of capital asset / stock-in-trade or both on the date of receipt shall be deemed to be the full value consideration (FVC) for determination of the business profits / capital gain.

Reconstitution would include the case of admission / retirement / change in profit-sharing ratio.

E. CERTAIN ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH SECTION 9B
Section 9B(2) deems the profits and gains on deemed transfer of capital asset or stock-in-trade as the income of the firm in the year of receipt of asset by the partner. If receipts by one or more partners spread over to more than one year, the taxability thereof on the firm follows suit.

In the case of dissolved firm, it is interesting to note how the above fiction works when the partners receive the assets in the years subsequent to the year of dissolution. While there is a fiction to deem such receipt as a transfer by firm, there is no fiction to deem that the firm is not dissolved. In such a situation, whether the machinery provision of section 189(1) which permits the A.O. to proceed to assess the firm as if it is not dissolved, applies or not is a debatable issue.

The fair market value of the allotted asset shall be deemed to be the full value of consideration. For this purpose, the balance in the capital account of the partner is not relevant.

Section 9B does not as such provide for prescription of the rules for determination of the FMV. Therefore, recourse has to be had to section 2(22B) which defines FMV. Special provisions like sections 43CA and 50C do not apply in a case covered by section 9B.

The business profit arising u/s 9B, though chargeable under the head ‘profits and gains from business or profession’, does not fall u/s 28. Therefore, section 29 which provides that ‘the income referred to in section 28 shall be computed in accordance with the provisions contained in sections 30 to 43D’ may not apply. This is for the reason that section 29 refers only to income referred to in section 28. Therefore, business profits may have to be computed on commercial principles, without recourse to the aforesaid provisions providing any allowance or disallowance.

Unlike in the case of section 29 which refers only to section 28, section 48 refers to the head ‘capital gains’. Therefore, capital gains arising from section 9B will have to be computed after considering section 48. Therefore, the cost of acquisition, cost of improvement, their indexation and incidental transfer expenditure will be available as deduction.

While section 45 is saved by sections 54 to 54GB, there is no such saving provision in section 9B. Therefore, whether a firm is eligible for exemption u/s 54EC, etc., in respect of capital gains arising u/s 9B is an open question. While on a stricter note such exemption is not available, on a liberal note one may contend that exemption should be available if related conditions are fulfilled. Proponents of a stricter interpretation may argue that exemption u/s 54EC is inconceivable as there is no inflow in terms of actual consideration for satisfying the requirement of rollover. The proponents of a liberal interpretation may counter such contention by pointing out that deeming fiction requires logical extension and rollover sections do not require rupee-to-rupee mapping. If the liberal theory is accepted, the date of receipt being deemed to be the date of transfer, is relevant for reckoning the time limit irrespective of the date of change in constitution or dissolution.

F. SECTION 45(4)
Section 45(4) as it stood before substitution by Finance Act, 2021 read as follows:
‘(4) The profits or gains arising from the transfer of a capital asset by way of distribution of capital assets on the dissolution of a firm or other association of persons or body of individuals (not being a company or a co-operative society) or otherwise, shall be chargeable to tax as the income of the firm, association or body, of the previous year in which the said transfer takes place and, for the purposes of section 48, the fair market value of the asset on the date of such transfer shall be deemed to be the full value of the consideration received or accruing as a result of the transfer.’

The substituted section 45(4) by the Finance Act, 2021 reads as follows:
‘(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where a specified person receives during the previous year any money or capital asset or both from a specified entity in connection with the reconstitution of such specified entity, then any profits or gains arising from receipt of such money by the specified person shall be chargeable to income-tax as income of such specified entity under the head “capital gains” and shall be deemed to be the income of such specified entity of the previous year in which such money or capital asset or both were received by the specified person, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Act, such profits or gains shall be determined in accordance with the following formula, namely:…’

The following table depicts some key differences between the two provisions:

G. SALIENT FEATURES OF SECTION 45(4)
Section 45(4) would apply when a partner receives during the previous year any money or capital asset or both from a firm in connection with the reconstitution of a firm.

Any profits and gains arising from such receipt shall be chargeable in the hands of the firm under the head ‘capital gains’.

Such capital gain shall be deemed to be chargeable to tax in the previous year of receipt of such money or capital or both by the partner.

Reconstitution is defined in the same manner as is defined u/s 9B.

H. COMPUTATION OF CAPITAL GAIN U/S 45(4)
Capital gain shall be computed u/s 45(4) as per the formula provided therein, i.e., A=B+C-D.

The capital gain is computed by considering the following components:
B = Amount of cash received by the partner,
C = Amount of FMV of capital asset received by the partner,
D = Amount of capital account balance of a partner in the books of the firm at the time of its reconstitution.

The difference between capital account balance on the date of receipt and aggregate of cash received and FMV of capital asset received constitutes capital gains in the hands of the firm.

I. CORRIGENDUM TO SECTION 45(4)
On 22nd March, 2021, the Finance Ministry sent a notice of amendments to the Lok Sabha, wherein section 45(4) as proposed in the Bill was substituted completely by a new section 45(4). The newly-proposed section 45(4) had the words ‘…any profits or gains arising from receipt of such money by the specified person…’

On 23rd March, 2021, the Lok Sabha approved the Bill as amended by notice of amendments dated 22nd March, 2021. The Presidential Assent to the Bill was given on 28th March, 2021. The Finance (No. 13) Act, of 2021 was notified on 28th March, 2021. The Notified Finance (No. 13) Act, of 2021 carried Section 45(4) with the aforesaid words.

Two corrigenda were issued on 6th April, 2021 and 15th April, 2021. In the first corrigendum, for the words ‘…from receipt of such money by’, the words ‘…from such receipt by…’ were substituted. While it is not known as to the exact content of section 45(4) as approved by the Lok Sabha, on the basis of Notified Finance (No. 13) Act, of 2021 it can be inferred that the Lok Sabha has approved the Bill which carried section 45(4) as stated in the notice of amendments dated 22nd March, 2021.

The aforesaid substitution is not just correcting a clerical error, but it has substantial implications. The originally introduced words would have confined the scope of section 45(4) only to receipt of money, whereas the substituted words would extend it not only to receipt of money but also to receipt of capital asset.

Unless an Amendment Act is enacted, substituted words by a corrigendum having the effect of amending a law passed by the Parliament may be open to challenge on the ground of overreach by the executive.

J. COMPARISON BETWEEN SECTION 9B AND SECTION 45(4)
The following table compares above two provisions;

The following table summarises the applicability of the above two sections:

K. DOUBLE TAXATION AND ITS MITIGATION
As may be seen from a close reading of sections 9B and 45(4), in the event of receipt of capital asset by a partner from a firm in connection with its reconstitution, the firm is liable to tax under both section 9B and section 45(4).

Explanation 2 to section 45(4) clarifies that when a capital asset is received by a partner from a firm in connection with the reconstitution of such firm, the provisions of section 45(4) shall operate in addition to the provisions of section 9B and the taxation under the said provisions thereof shall be worked out independently.

Therefore, it is a clear case where double taxation is explicitly intended or provided for. Where Parliament in its wisdom chooses to explicitly provide for double taxation, it has a plenary power to do so.

In this regard, reliance is placed on the following decisions:

•     Jain Bros vs. Union of India [1970] 77 ITR 107 (SC);

•     Laxmipat Singhania vs. CIT [1969] 72 ITR 291 (SC);

•     CIT vs. Manilal Dhanji [1962] 44 ITR 876 (SC);

•     Escorts Limited vs. UOI [1993] 199 ITR 43 (SC); and

•     Mahaveer Kumar Jain vs. CIT [2018] 404 ITR 738  (SC).

Thus, while double taxation cannot be inferred or implied, the same can be explicitly provided for.

Thus, it is a clear case of Parliament wanting to apply both sections in case of receipt of capital asset by a partner in connection with the reconstitution of a firm.

Section 48 is also amended by Finance Act, 2021 where Clause (iii) is inserted which reads as follows:
‘(iii) in case of value of any money or capital asset received by a specified person from a specified entity referred to in sub-section (4) of section 45, the amount chargeable to income-tax as income of such specified entity under that sub-section which is attributable to the capital asset being transferred by the specified entity, calculated in the prescribed manner:’

Section 48(iii) provides that the amount chargeable to tax u/s 45(4) to the extent attributable to the capital asset being transferred by a firm shall be reduced from the FVC of a capital asset being transferred by a firm. Such reduction, however, needs to be calculated in the prescribed manner. The rules in this regard are awaited. These provisions are applicable for PY 2020-21 and the rules were not out as on 1st April, 2021. Therefore, such rules when notified will have to be made retrospective so as to be applicable to PY 2020-21. If the retrospective application of rules causes prejudice to the taxpayer, the same may be open to challenge in terms of section 295(4).

As noted earlier, section 45(4) applies when a partner receives capital asset or money or both from a firm in connection with its reconstitution. If a partner receives capital asset with or without money, capital gain attributable to such receipt of capital asset will not be available for relief u/s 48(iii). This is for the obvious reason that the subject capital asset having already been given to a partner, could not be subsequently transferred by the firm to any other person. Upon allotment to a partner, the capital asset concerned ceases to exist with the firm.

However, if a firm is liable to tax on transfer of money with or without capital asset to the partner in connection with reconstitution of a firm, the capital gain on such transfer of money chargeable u/s 45(4) would be available for relief u/s 48(iii). This relief is given on the premise that when cash is paid to the retiring partner on reconstitution, the same may be attributed wholly or partly to the revaluation of one or more capital assets which are retained by the firm. Subsequently, when a firm transfers such revalued capital asset, it would be liable to pay tax on capital gain. In such a case, capital gain may include the revalued portion on which the firm would have discharged tax u/s 45(4). This will result in double taxation. In order to mitigate such double taxation, it is provided that capital gains already charged to tax u/s 45(4) to the extent attributable to the capital asset that is being transferred by a firm would be allowed as deduction u/s 48(iii).

It is interesting to note that section 48(iii) may also apply in a situation where both sections 9B and 45(4) are applied simultaneously in the same previous year.

As stated earlier, section 8 applies not only to capital gain chargeable u/s 45, but to any capital gains chargeable under the head ‘capital gain’. As section 9B provides for capital gains to be chargeable to tax under the head ‘capital gain’, section 48 is applicable to the capital gain covered u/s 9B as well.

While computing the capital gain chargeable u/s 9B read with section 48, capital gain chargeable u/s 45(4) to the extent attributable to the capital asset dealt with by section 9B would be reduced from the FVC determined u/s 9B(3). Section 48 does not provide for determination of the FVC. It only provides for deductions from the same. Therefore, there is no disharmony between section 9B(3) and deduction u/s 48(iii).

L. CERTAIN OTHER ISSUES OF SECTION 45(4)
What is the meaning of receipt of money? Whether receipt of money includes constructive receipt by way of credit to account? A mere credit to the account of the partner cannot be equated with the receipt of money. Upon reconstitution, certain sum may be credited to a partner’s account which is allowed to remain in the firm. In such case, it cannot be said that he received money from the firm upon a mere credit. However, when the amount so credited is withdrawn by him, section 45(4) is attracted. The answer could be different if the ratio of Raghav Reddy in 44 ITR 760 SC is applied to such credit unless such ratio is distinguished on the basis of Toshiku in 125 ITR 525 SC.

Whether receipt of rural agricultural land covered: As rural agricultural land is not a capital asset, section 45(4) is not attracted.

Receipt by legal heirs of deceased partner: Section 45(4) would apply to receipt by a partner from the firm. A receipt by the legal heir of the deceased partner cannot be regarded as receipt by the partner. Therefore, section 45(4) is not applicable.

Would capital balance include balances in current account and loan of partners: While the balance in current account could be appropriately called as part of capital balance, the same may not be so in the case of loan by partners.

Is proportionate share of reserves to be considered as part of capital: Credit balance in the profit and loss account or balances in the reserves should be credited to partners’ accounts before dissolution / reconstitution. In any case, payment from such credit / reserves cannot be regarded as payment in connection with dissolution / reconstitution.

How to compute if there is negative capital balance: A negative balance in the capital account represents money due by the partner to the firm. If such balance is not made good by him on dissolution / reconstitution, it amounts to a waiver which may in turn amount to payment of cash in the light of the ratio in Mahindra and Mahindra 404 ITR 1 SC.

M. WHEN GOODWILL IS TRANSFERRED
If goodwill, being a capital asset, is transferred to a partner, sections 45(4) and 9B as discussed earlier would apply. This is so irrespective of whether the goodwill is self-generated or acquired.

If goodwill is self-generated, in terms of section 55(2)(a) and section 55(1)(a) the cost of acquisition and cost of improvement shall be deemed to be nil.

If goodwill is purchased for a consideration, newly-introduced proviso to section 55(2)(a) would apply. This proviso provides that the actual cost of goodwill shall be reduced by the depreciation allowed up to A.Y. 2020-21.

Provisions of section 50 along with the newly-introduced proviso to section 50(2) may not apply in view of the fact that sections 45(4) and 9B are special provisions.

Additionally, upon such transfer, if no consideration is received or is accrued, provisions of section 50 may not operate unless the fiction of section 9B(3) is read into section 50. In any case, section 45(4) does not have any such fiction.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The author acknowledges the inputs from Mr. S. Ramasubramanian and Mr. H. Padam Chand Khincha and the support of Mrs. Sushma Ravindra for the purposes of this analysis.