Prior period expenses

IN A recent ruling, the Delhi high court had an occasion to deal with the tax treatment of prior period expenditure. The court held that the question as to the year in which a deduction is allowable may be material when the rate of tax chargeable is different in different years. The court opined that where tax is levied at a uniform rate, it is immaterial whether the deduction is allowed in one assessment year or another. The tax department is not at loss in any event. The high court also observed that the tax department should restrain itself from raising points which do not affect the taxability of the assessee or the tax that the Department is likely to collect from the assessee in one year or other.