CASH PAYMENT IN EXCESS OF RS. 10,000/- U/S 40A(3) AND RULE 6DD

Article discusses the treatment of expenditures incurred by an assessee in excess of Rs. 10000/- in cash or bearer cheque under section 40A(3) of the Income Tax Act, 1961

The income tax department in its endeavor to plug in tax evasion mechanisms has introduced section 40(A)(3). This section provides that any expenditure incurred by an assessee (whether individual, company, firm etc.) above Rs. 10000/- other than by account payee cheque or draft or use of electronic clearing system through a bank account or through such other electronic mode as may be prescribed shall not be allowed as a deduction. Simply put, this section covers those payments over Rs. 10000/-  made by bearer cheque or cash.

However, if the payments are made for hiring or leasing carriages for goods such as lorries, trucks etc then the limit is extended to Rs 35000/-.

To further counter any tax evasion, the Income Tax department has specified that this section extends to single payments or aggregate of payments made to a single person in a day. Therefore, if X makes a payment to Y, of Rs. 10000, Rs. 15000, and Rs. 18000 in cash in one single day, then the aggregate amount of Rs. 43000 will be disallowed. Even the purchase of goods falls under the term expenditure. This section shall not apply to expenses which is not to be claimed as deduction u/s 30 to 37.

The Extract Of Section 40(A)(3) reads as:

Expenses or payments not deductible in certain circumstances

40(A)(3) Where the assessee incurs any expenditure in respect of which a payment or aggregate of payments made to a person in a day, otherwise than by an account payee cheque drawn on a bank or account payee bank draft, or use of electronic clearing system through a bank account 39[or through such other electronic mode as may be prescribed], exceeds ten thousand rupees, no deduction shall be allowed in respect of such expenditure.

This section is not applicable in the following cases. These points are covered under Rule 6DD of the Income tax rules :-

1)  Payments made to banking and other credit institutions such as RBI, commercial banks, cooperative banks, LIC etc.

2) Payments made through the banking system i.e. Letters of credit, mail or telegraphic transfers, bills of exchange etc.

3)  Payment by adjustment of a liability for goods supplied or services rendered: – where the payment is made by way of adjustment against the amount of any liability incurred by the payee for any goods supplied or services rendered by the assessee to such payee, no disallowance operates.

4) No disallowance is applicable where such expenses are made to growers, producers or cultivators of agriculture, horticulture, fish and animal produce.

5) Payment is made to a producer for the purchase of the products manufactured or processed without the aid of power in a cottage industry.

6)   Payment is made to a person who resides or carries on his/her business in a village not served by banks and financial institutions.

7)   Any payments made to Government (whether State or Central Government). Such payments are direct taxes, indirect taxes, duties, cess etc.

8)  No disallowance operates where any payment by way of gratuity, retrenchment compensation or similar terminal benefit, is made to an employee of the assessee or his heirs of any such assessee on or in connection with the retrenchment, resignation, discharge or death of such employee, if the income chargeable under the head salaries of the employee in respect of the financial year in which such retirement, resignation, discharge or death took place or in the immediately preceding financial year did not exceeds Rs. 50000.

9)  In case of a bank closure either due to a holiday or strike and payments in cash were made on such a day, then this section will not be applicable and there will be no disallowance

10) Payment made by any person to his agent who is required to make payment in cash for goods or services.

11) Authorized dealers and foreign exchange money changers as registered with RBI are required to pay cash for purchase of foreign currency. Therefore the disallowance under this section is not applicable to them.

12) where the payment is made by an assessee by way of salary to his employee after deducting the income-tax from salary in accordance with the provisions of section 192 of the Act, and when such employee—

(i) is temporarily posted for a continuous period of fifteen days or more in a place other than his normal place of duty or on a ship; and (ii) does not maintain any account in any bank at such place or ship;