Section 44AB of Income Tax Act for AY 2023-24

Section 44AB of Income Tax Act as amended by Finance Act 2022. Audit of accounts of certain persons carrying on business or profession.

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Amended and updated notes on section 44AB of Income Tax Act 1961 as amended by the Finance Act 2022 and Income-tax Rules, 1962. Detail discussion on provisions and rules related to audit of accounts of certain persons carrying on business or profession.

Chapter IV (Sections 14 to 59) of the Income Tax Act 1961 deals with the provisions related to computation of total income. Section 44AB of IT Act 1961-2023 provides for audit of accounts of certain persons carrying on business or profession.

Recently, we have discussed in detail section 44AA (maintenance of accounts by certain persons carrying on profession or business) of IT Act 1961. Today, we learn the provisions of section 44AB of Income-tax Act 1961. The amended provision of section 44AB is effective for financial year 2022-23 relevant to the assessment year 2023-24.

In this article, you will learn detail of the provisions of section 44AB of the Income Tax Act, 1961 Bare Act read with the Income-tax Rules, 1962, regulations, notifications, circulars, orders and Press Release by CBDT, Income Tax Department and the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India.

Section-44AB: Audit of Accounts of certain persons carrying on Business or Profession

Every person,—

Clause(a): carrying on business shall, if his total sales, turnover or gross receipts, as the case may be, in business exceed or exceeds one crore rupees in any previous year:

Provided that in the case of a person whose—

  • (a) aggregate of all amounts received including amount received for sales, turnover or gross receipts during the previous year, in cash, does not exceed five per cent of the said amount; and
  • (b) aggregate of all payments made including amount incurred for expenditure, in cash, during the previous year does not exceed five per cent of the said payment,

this clause shall have effect as if for the words “one crore rupees”, the words “ten crore rupees” had been substituted; or

[Proviso to clause (a) of section 44AB was inserted w.e.f. 01.04.2020 by the Finance Act 2020]

[Long line of proviso to clause (a) of section 44AB has been amended (substituted) w.e.f. 1st April, 2021 by the Finance Act 2021]

Clause(b): carrying on profession shall, if his gross receipts in profession exceed fifty lakh rupees in any previous year; or

Clause(c): carrying on the business shall, if the profits and gains from the business are deemed to be the profits and gains of such person under section 44AE or section 44BB or section 44BBB, as the case may be, and he has claimed his income to be lower than the profits or gains so deemed to be the profits and gains of his business, as the case may be, in any previous year; or

Clause(d): carrying on the profession shall, if the profits and gains from the profession are deemed to be the profits and gains of such person under section 44ADA and he has claimed such income to be lower than the profits and gains so deemed to be the profits and gains of his profession and his income exceeds the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax in any previous year; or

Clause(e): carrying on the business shall, if the provisions of sub-section (4) of section 44AD are applicable in his case and his income exceeds the maximum amount which is not chargeable to income-tax in any previous year,

get his accounts of such previous year audited by an accountant before the specified date and furnish by that date the report of such audit in the prescribed form duly signed and verified by such accountant and setting forth such particulars as may be prescribed:

Provided that this section shall not apply to the person, who declares profits and gains for the previous year in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 44AD and his total sales, turnover or gross receipts, as the case may be, in business does not exceed two crore rupees in such previous year:

Provided further that this section shall not apply to the person, who derives income of the nature referred to in section 44B or section 44BBA, on and from the 1st day of April, 1985 or, as the case may be, the date on which the relevant section came into force, whichever is later:

Provided also that in a case where such person is required by or under any other law to get his accounts audited, it shall be sufficient compliance with the provisions of this section if such person gets the accounts of such business or profession audited under such law before the specified date and furnishes by that date the report of the audit as required under such other law and a further report by an accountant in the form prescribed under this section.

Explanation: For the purposes of this section,—

  • (i) “accountant” shall have the same meaning as in the Explanation below sub-section (2) of section 288;
  • (ii) “specified date”, in relation to the accounts of the assessee of the previous year relevant to an assessment year, means date one month prior to the due date for furnishing the return of income under sub-section (1) of section 139.

[Explanation of section 44AB was amended w.e.f. 01.04.2020 by the Finance Act 2020]


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