Budget 2022: Unexplained Loan or Borrowing to be Taxed as Cash Credits under Section 68 of the Act

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting her fourth Union Budget in Parliament in a paperless manner, like she did last year. Domestic and foreign investors, as well as other interest groups such as farmers, crypto investors, worried middle class and business organizations, as well as MPs, will be watching the Budget address closely.

The Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, submitted the Finance Bill 2022 in Parliament, which suggested Cash credits under section 68 of the Act.

Section 68 of the Act provides that where any sum is found to be credited in the books of an assessee maintained for any previous year, and the assessee offers no explanation about the nature and source thereof or the explanation offered by him is not, in the opinion of the Assessing Officer, satisfactory, the sum so credited may be charged to income-tax as the income of the assessee of that previous year.

The onus of satisfactorily explaining such credits remains on the person in whose books such sum is credited. If such person fails to offer an explanation or the explanation is not found to be satisfactory then the sum is added to the total income of the person. Certain judicial pronouncements have created doubts about the onus of proof and the requirements of this section, particularly, in cases where the sum which is credited as loan or borrowing.

It is noticed that there is a pernicious practice of conversion of unaccounted money by crediting it to the books of assesses through a masquerade of loan or borrowing.

Vide Finance Act, 2012, it was provided that the nature and source of any sum, in the nature of share application money, share capital, share premium or any such amount by whatever name called, credited in the books of a closely held company shall be treated as explained only if the source of funds is also explained in the hands of the shareholder. However, in case of loan or borrowing, the judicial decisions have held that only identity and creditworthiness of creditor and genuineness of transactions for explaining the credit in the books of account is sufficient, and the onus does not extend to explaining the source of funds in the hands of the creditor.

It is proposed to amend the provisions of section 68 of the Act so as to provide that the nature and source of any sum, whether in form of loan or borrowing, or any other liability credited in the books of an assessee shall be treated as explained only if the source of funds is also explained in the hands of the creditor or entry provider. However, this additional onus of proof of satisfactorily explaining the source in the hands of the creditor, would not apply if the creditor is a well regulated entity, i.e., it is a Venture Capital Fund, Venture Capital Company registered with SEBI.

This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2023 and will accordingly apply in relation to the assessment year 2023-24 and subsequent assessment years.