16 January 2014
Dear sir , The following instructions are issued for dealing with cases in which an asset is being acquired under on what is known as hire-purchase agreement : 1. In every case of payment purporting to be for hire-purchase, production of the agreement under which the payment is made should be insisted on. 2. Where the effect of an agreement is that the ownership of the subject is at once transferred to the lessee (e.g., where the lessor obtains a right to sue for arrear instalments but no right to recovery of the asset), the transaction should be regarded as one of purchase by instalments and no deduction in respect of “hire” should be made. Depreciation should be allowed to the lessee on the entire purchase price as per the agreement. 3. Where the terms of the agreement provide that the equipment shall eventually become the property of the hirer or confer on the hirer an option to purchase the equipment, the transaction should be regarded as one of hire purchase. In such cases the periodical payments made by the hirer should for tax purposes be regarded as made up of : a. Consideration for hire, to be allowed as a deduction in the assessment, and b. payment on account of purchase to be treated as capital outlay, depreciation being allowed to the lessee on the initial value (i.e., the amount for which the hired subject would have been sold for cash at the date of agreement). The allowance to be made in respect of hire should be the difference between the aggregate amount of the periodical payments under the agreement and the initial value (as described above), the amount of this allowance being spread evenly over the term of the agreement. If, however, the agreement was terminated either by the outright purchase of equipment or of its return to the owner, the deduction should cease as from the date of the termination. An assessee claiming this deduction should be asked to furnish a certificate, from the vendor or other satisfactory evidence, of the initial value (as described above). Where no certificate or satisfactory evidence is forthcoming, the initial value should be arrived at by computing the present value of the amount payable under the agreement at an appropriate rate per centum; in doubtful cases the facts should be reported to the Board.
CAclubindia
