Budget 2020 Special: No tax audit by MSME if it’s turnover doesnot exceeds Rs. 5 Crore

Under section 44AB of the Act, every person carrying on business is required to get his accounts audited, if his total sales, turnover or gross receipts, in business exceed or exceeds one crore rupees in any previous year. In case of a person carrying on profession he is required to get his accounts audited, if his gross receipt in profession exceeds, fifty lakh rupees in any previous year.

In order to reduce compliance burden on small and medium enterprises, it is proposed to increase the threshold limit for a person carrying on business from *one crore rupees to five crore rupees* in cases where,-

(i)       aggregate of all *receipts* in cash during the previous year does not exceed five per cent of such receipt; and

(ii)      aggregate of all *payments* in cash during the previous year does not exceed five per cent of such payment.

Further, to enable pre-filling of returns in case of persons having income from business or profession, it is required that the tax audit report may be furnished by the said assessees *at least one month prior to the due date of filing of return of income*. This requires amendments in all the sections of the Act which mandates filing of audit report along with the return of income or by the due date of filing of return of income. Thus, provisions of section 10, section 10A, section 12A, section 32AB, section 33AB, section 33ABA, section 35D, section 35E, section 44AB, section 44DA, section 50B, section 80-IA, section

80-IB, section 80JJAA, section 92F, section 115JB, section 115JC and section 115VW of the Act are proposed to be amended accordingly.

Further, the due date for filing return of income under sub-section (1) of section 139 is proposed to be amended by:-

(A)      providing 31st October of the assessment year (as against 30th September) as the due date for an  assessee referred to in clause (a) of Explanation 2 of sub-section (1) of Section 139 of the Act;

(B)      removing the distinction between a working and a non-working partner of a firm with respect to the due date as mentioned in sub-clause (iii) of clause (a) of Explanation 2 of sub-section (1) of Section 139 of the Act.

These amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2020 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year

2020-21 and subsequent assessment years.