Section 34 — General conditions for allowable deductions

Old Act equivalent: Section 37(1) of IT Act 1961 Sub-part: D.—Profits and gains of business or profession

Statutory Text

  1. (1) Any expenditure (not being an expenditure of the nature specified in

     	 sections 28 to 33, 44 to 49, 51 and 52 and not being in the nature of capital
    

expenditure or personal expenses of the assessee), laid out or expended wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the business or profession shall be allowed in computing the income chargeable under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession”. (2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), an expenditure laid out or expended wholly and exclusively for business or profession by the assessee shall not include any of the following:—

(a) an expenditure incurred for any purpose which is an offence or is pro­ hibited by law; or

(b) an expenditure incurred on the activities relating to corporate social responsibility referred to in section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013); or

(c) an expenditure incurred on advertisement in any souvenir, brochure, tract, pamphlet or the like, published by a political party. (3) The expenditure mentioned in sub-section (2)(a) shall include expenditure incurred for—

(a) any purpose which is an offence under, or is prohibited by, any law in force in or outside India; or

(b) providing a benefit or perquisite in any form to a person, who may or may not be carrying on a business or exercising a profession, when its acceptance by the person is in violation of any law or rule or regulation or guideline governing the conduct of that person; or

(c) compounding an offence under any law in force in or outside India; or

(d) settling proceedings initiated in relation to contravention under any law notified by the Central Government in this behalf.

Amounts not deductible in certain circumstances.

Sub-sections

Sub-section (1)

  1. (1) Any expenditure (not being an expenditure of the nature specified in

     	 sections 28 to 33, 44 to 49, 51 and 52 and not being in the nature of capital
    

expenditure or personal expenses of the assessee), laid out or expended wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the business or profession shall be allowed in computing the income chargeable under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession”.

Sub-section (2)

(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), an expenditure laid out or expended wholly and exclusively for business or profession by the assessee shall not include any of the following:—

(a) an expenditure incurred for any purpose which is an offence or is pro­ hibited by law; or

(b) an expenditure incurred on the activities relating to corporate social responsibility referred to in section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013); or

(c) an expenditure incurred on advertisement in any souvenir, brochure, tract, pamphlet or the like, published by a political party.

Sub-section (3)

(3) The expenditure mentioned in sub-section (2)(a) shall include expenditure incurred for—

(a) any purpose which is an offence under, or is prohibited by, any law in force in or outside India; or

(b) providing a benefit or perquisite in any form to a person, who may or may not be carrying on a business or exercising a profession, when its acceptance by the person is in violation of any law or rule or regulation or guideline governing the conduct of that person; or

(c) compounding an offence under any law in force in or outside India; or

(d) settling proceedings initiated in relation to contravention under any law notified by the Central Government in this behalf.

Amounts not deductible in certain circumstances.

Provisos

None.

Explanations

None.

Tables

None.

Key Structure

  • Applies to: All assessees claiming deductions under sections 28 to 33.
  • Scope: General conditions - expenditure must be laid out or expended wholly and exclusively for the purposes of business or profession.
  • Disallowed: Expenditure of capital nature (unless expressly allowed), personal expenses, expenditure on purposes not related to business.

Cross-References

Amendment Notes

None noted from the extracted pages.

Practical Notes