Amended and updated notes on section 92B 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 meaning of international transaction.
Chapter X (Sections 92 to 94B) of the Income Tax Act 1961 deals with the provisions related to special provisions relating to avoidance of tax. Section 92B of IT Act 1961-2023 provides for meaning of international transaction.
Recently, we have discussed in detail section 92A (Meaning of associated enterprise) of IT Act 1961. Today, we learn the provisions of section 92B of Income-tax Act 1961. The amended provision of section 92B 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 92B 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-92B: Meaning of international transaction
Section 92B(1) of Income Tax Act
For the purposes of this section and sections 92, 92C, 92D and 92E, “international transaction” means a transaction between two or more associated enterprises, either or both of whom are non-residents, in the nature of purchase, sale or lease of tangible or intangible property, or provision of services, or lending or borrowing money, or any other transaction having a bearing on the profits, income, losses or assets of such enterprises, and shall include a mutual agreement or arrangement between two or more associated enterprises for the allocation or apportionment of, or any contribution to, any cost or expense incurred or to be incurred in connection with a benefit, service or facility provided or to be provided to any one or more of such enterprises.
Section 92B(2) of Income Tax Act
A transaction entered into by an enterprise with a person other than an associated enterprise shall, for the purposes of sub-section (1), be deemed to be an international transaction entered into between two associated enterprises, if there exists a prior agreement in relation to the relevant transaction between such other person and the associated enterprise, or the terms of the relevant transaction are determined in substance between such other person and the associated enterprise where the enterprise or the associated enterprise or both of them are non-residents irrespective of whether such other person is a non-resident or not.
Explanation: For the removal of doubts, it is hereby clarified that—
(i) the expression “international transaction” shall include—
- (a) the purchase, sale, transfer, lease or use of tangible property including building, transportation vehicle, machinery, equipment, tools, plant, furniture, commodity or any other article, product or thing;
- (b) the purchase, sale, transfer, lease or use of intangible property, including the transfer of ownership or the provision of use of rights regarding land use, copyrights, patents, trademarks, licences, franchises, customer list, marketing channel, brand, commercial secret, know-how, industrial property right, exterior design or practical and new design or any other business or commercial rights of similar nature;
- (c) capital financing, including any type of long-term or short-term borrowing, lending or guarantee, purchase or sale of marketable securities or any type of advance, payments or deferred payment or receivable or any other debt arising during the course of business;
- (d) provision of services, including provision of market research, market development, marketing management, administration, technical service, repairs, design, consultation, agency, scientific research, legal or accounting service;
- (e) a transaction of business restructuring or reorganisation, entered into by an enterprise with an associated enterprise, irrespective of the fact that it has bearing on the profit, income, losses or assets of such enterprises at the time of the transaction or at any future date;
(ii) the expression “intangible property” shall include—
- (a) marketing related intangible assets, such as, trademarks, trade names, brand names, logos;
- (b) technology related intangible assets, such as, process patents, patent applications, technical documentation such as laboratory notebooks, technical know-how;
- (c) artistic related intangible assets, such as, literary works and copyrights, musical compositions, copyrights, maps, engravings;
- (d) data processing related intangible assets, such as, proprietary computer software, software copyrights, automated databases, and integrated circuit masks and masters;
- (e) engineering related intangible assets, such as, industrial design, product patents, trade secrets, engineering drawing and schema-tics, blueprints, proprietary documentation;
- (f) customer related intangible assets, such as, customer lists, customer contracts, customer relationship, open purchase orders;
- (g) contract related intangible assets, such as, favourable supplier, contracts, licence agreements, franchise agreements, non-compete agreements;
- (h) human capital related intangible assets, such as, trained and organised work force, employment agreements, union contracts;
- (i) location related intangible assets, such as, leasehold interest, mineral exploitation rights, easements, air rights, water rights;
- (j) goodwill related intangible assets, such as, institutional goodwill, professional practice goodwill, personal goodwill of professional, celebrity goodwill, general business going concern value;
- (k) methods, programmes, systems, procedures, campaigns, surveys, studies, forecasts, estimates, customer lists, or technical data;
- (l) any other similar item that derives its value from its intellectual content rather than its physical attributes.