Deputy Manager Assurance
230 Points
Joined October 2008
Hi Friends,
Thanks a lot for your replies, Charging the Income from lettiing out to Reliance under Income from other sources is an obvoius answer. We should appreciate the fact that the Original question is being asked by a CA final student (Yogesh Shah) so it is quiet obvious that he also would have came across all the clarifications which you have given. When we look him as our client we can find ways to treat it as agricultural income, the Section 2(1A) reads as follows;
" 6“agricultural income”7 means8—
9[(a) any rent10 or revenue10 derived10 from land10 which is situated in India and is used for agricultural purposes;]
(b) any income derived from such land10 by—
(i) agriculture10; or
(ii) the performance by a cultivator or receiver of rent-in-kind of any process ordinarily employed by a cultivator or receiver of rent-in-kind to render the produce raised or received by him fit to be taken to market10; or
(iii) the sale by a cultivator or receiver of rent-in-kind of the produce raised or received by him, in respect of which no process has been performed other than a process of the nature described in paragraph (ii) of this sub-clause ;
(c) any income derived from any building owned and occupied by the receiver of the rent or revenue of any such land, or occupied by the cultivator or the receiver of rent-in-kind, of any land with respect to which, or the produce of which, any process mentioned in paragraphs (ii) and (iii) of sub-clause (b) is carried on :.................."
Our case comes under Clause (a) of Section 2(1A) which says
(a) any rent or revenue derived from land which is situated in India and is used for agricultural purposes;
IT IS NOT
(b) any rent or revenue derived from land on letting out for agricultural purpose
There is a subtle difference between the above two sentences. All the replies given by you exactly goes in line with the 2nd line("b" above) . Though not with the 1st line ("a" above) since the Land used for agricultural purposes also implies partial use. The act doesnt put a restriction saying that it should be used in entirety for agricultural purpose. I feel there is an arguable loop available in this sub-clause which is not clarified even by the explanation provided under the section for clause (c) which is as follows;
"For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that income derived from any building or land referred to in sub-clause (c) arising from the use of such building or land for any purpose (including letting for residential purpose or for the purpose of any business or profession) other than agriculture falling under sub-clause (a) or sub-clause (b) shall not be agricultural income"
This Income cannot be compared with letting out the cultivated land for shooting since it is an separate activity altogether but letting for Reliance tower is not an activity so there is no requirement to argue whether letting out for Reliance tower is agricultural activity since it cannot be considered as an activity perse.
So I feel that lncome from letting can be claimed as exempt under Section 2(1A)(a)
Pls correct if I am wrong.........