employed
2574 Points
Joined May 2008
Dear Chintan,
I am not disagreeing with anything else u said.. only the depreciation.
Please see section 32, the words are that assessee shall be allowed depreciation...
Depreciation is only an estimate of the reduction in value of an asset, and the compensation opportunity cost of funds blocked in the asset*, but not an expenditure. When u buy the asset, u r incurring a capital expenditure for that, no doubt... but u are being given an allowance as depreciation for the estimated dimunition in value...
The issue, is that assessee is incurring capital expenditure, but he is not getting a deduction for that expenditure. So u cant disallow the capital expenditure for asset acquisition.
Instead, he is given an allowance to estimate the value of assets lost by their active or passive use.... hence it cannot be said that the depreciation is an expenditure for which deduction is allowed... THE DEDUCTION u/s 32 IS NOT FOR EXPENDITURE, IT IS FOR AN ALLOWANCE. Hence 40A(3) cannot affect it.
Expenditure, in the context of this section means cash outgo, even courts have upheld that..
BUT on the other hand, he is getting 100% deduction for scientific research assets, not depreciation for them! Hence, every right to disallow capital exp referred in sec 35....
*LOGIC BEHIND DENYING INDEXATION FOR DEPRECIABLE ASSETS, SEC 50 (NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE DEEMING FICTION THAT IT IS STCG)