Learner
1317 Points
Joined August 2008
As per Sec 32..
"Depreciation can be claimed on an asset if it has been USED for the purpose of business or profession during the last previous year.".......hence dep. will be available only if the asset has been put to use..
However, as per AS -6..
If an asset has been purchased, the same being ready to use...could have been put to use any time during the previous year..hence depreciation has to be claimed whether or not it has been actually put to use..
Moreover, the courts have also given contrary decisions on the above issue..
Recently, the Delhi High Court in case of CIT v. Insilco Ltd. (2009),, has given the following decision..
The Court observed that the expression “used for the purposes of business” appearing in section 32 also takes into account emergency spares, which, even though ready for use, yet are not consumed or used during the relevant period.
This is because these spares are specific to a fixed asset, namely plant and machinery, and form an integral part of the fixed asset. These spares will, in all probability, be useless once the asset is discarded and will also have to be disposed of. In this sense, the concept of passive use which applies to standby machinery will also apply to emergency spares.
Therefore, once the spares are considered as emergency spares required for plant and machinery, the assessee would be entitled to capitalize the entire cost of such spares and claim depreciation thereon.
– One of the conditions for claim of depreciation is that the asset must be “used for the purpose of business or profession”. In the past, courts have held that, in certain circumstances, an asset can be said to be in use even when it is “kept ready for use”. For example, depreciation can be claimed by a transport company on spare engines kept in store in case of need, though they have not actually been used by the company. Hence, in such cases, the term “use” embraces both active use and passive use for business purposes.