Section 2(1A) Income Tax: Agricultural Income – Meaning

As per Section 2(1A) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, unless the context otherwise requires, the term “agricultural income” means:

(a) any rent or revenue derived from land which is situated in India and is used for agricultural purposes;

(b) any income derived from such land by-

(i) agriculture; or

(ii) the performance by a cultivator or receiver of rent-in-kind of any process ordinarily employed by a cultivator or receiver of rent-in-kind to render the produce raised or received by him fit to be taken to market; or

(iii) the sale by a cultivator or receiver of rent-in-kind of the produce raised or received by him, in respect of which no process has been performed other than a process of the nature described in paragraph (ii) of this sub-clause;

(c) any income derived from any building owned and occupied by the receiver of the rent or revenue of any such land, or occupied by the cultivator or the receiver of rent-in-kind, of any land with respect to which, or the produce of which, any process mentioned in paragraphs (ii) and (iii) of sub-clause (b) is carried on:

Provided that,-

(i) the building is on or in the immediate vicinity of the land, and is a building which the receiver of the rent or revenue or the cultivator, or the receiver of rent-in-kind, by reason of his connection with the land, requires as a dwelling house, or as a store-house, or other out-building, and

(ii) the land is either assessed to land revenue in India or is subject to a local rate assessed and collected by officers of the Government as such or where the land is not so assessed to land revenue or subject to a local rate, it is not situated,-

(A) in any area which is comprised within the jurisdiction of a municipality (whether known as a municipality, municipal corporation, notified area committee, town area committee, town committee or by any other name) or a cantonment board and which has a population of not less than ten thousand; or

(B) in any area within the distance, measured aerially,-

(I) not being more than two kilometres, from the local limits of any municipality or cantonment board referred to in item (A) and which has a population of more than ten thousand but not exceeding one lakh; or

(II) not being more than six kilometres, from the local limits of any municipality or cantonment board referred to in item (A) and which has a population of more than one lakh but not exceeding ten lakh; or

(III) not being more than eight kilometres, from the local limits of any municipality or cantonment board referred to in item (A) and which has a population of more than ten lakh.

Explanations:

1. For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that revenue derived from land shall not include and shall be deemed never to have included any income arising from the transfer of any land referred to in item (a) or item (b) of sub-clause (iii) of clause (14) of this section.

2. For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that income derived from any building or land referred to in sub-clause (c) arising from the use of such building or land for any purpose (including letting for residential purpose or for the purpose of any business or profession) other than agriculture falling under sub-clause (a) or sub-clause (b) shall not be agricultural income.

3. For the purposes of this clause, any income derived from saplings or seedlings grown in a nursery shall be deemed to be agricultural income.

4. For the purposes of clause (ii) of the proviso to sub-clause (c), “population” means the population according to the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published before the first day of the previous year.

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In view of the availability of income tax exemption for the agriculture/ agricultural income u/s 10(1), there have been many disputes created by the IT Officials on various issues relating to agriculture income during the course of assessment. Therefore, it’s advisable to have a clear understanding of the meaning of the term agriculture/ agricultural income under Income Tax to avoid litigation.

Income Tax Provisions relating to Agricultural Income (AY 2022-23) under the Finance Act 2022

1. Section 2(2) of the Finance Act, 2022: In the cases to which Paragraph A of Part I of the First Schedule applies, where the assessee has, in the previous year, any net agricultural income exceeding five thousand rupees, in addition to total income, and the total income exceeds two lakh fifty thousand rupees, then,-

(a) the net agricultural income shall be taken into account, in the manner provided in clause (b) (that is to say, as if the net agricultural income were comprised in the total income after the first two lakh fifty thousand rupees of the total income but without being liable to tax), only for the purpose of charging income-tax in respect of the total income; and

(b) the income-tax chargeable shall be calculated as follows:-

(i) the total income and the net agricultural income shall be aggregated and the amount of income-tax shall be determined in respect of the aggregate income at the rates specified in the said Paragraph A, as if such aggregate income were the total income;

(ii) the net agricultural income shall be increased by a sum of two lakh fifty thousand rupees, and the amount of income-tax shall be determined in respect of the net agricultural income as so increased at the rates specified in the said Paragraph A, as if the net agricultural income as so increased were the total income;

(iii) the amount of income-tax determined in accordance with sub-clause (i) shall be reduced by the amount of income-tax determined in accordance with sub-clause (ii) and the sum so arrived at shall be the income-tax in respect of the total income:

Provided that in the case of every individual, being a resident in India, who is of the age of sixty years or more but less than eighty years at any time during the previous year, referred to in item (II) of Paragraph A of Part I of the First Schedule, the provisions of this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words “two lakh fifty thousand rupees”, the words “three lakh rupees” had been substituted:

Provided further that in the case of every individual, being a resident in India, who is of the age of eighty years or more at any time during the previous year, referred to in item (III) of Paragraph A of Part I of the First Schedule, the provisions of this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words “two lakh fifty thousand rupees”, the words “five lakh rupees” had been substituted.

2. Section 2(13c) of the Finance Act, 2022: “net agricultural income” in relation to a person, means the total amount of agricultural income, from whatever source derived, of that person computed in accordance with the rules contained in Part IV of the First Schedule.

3. Part IV of the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 2022: RULES FOR COMPUTATION OF NET AGRICULTURAL INCOME [See section 2(13) (c)]

Rule 1.- Agricultural income of the nature referred to in sub-clause (a) of clause (1A) of section 2 of the Income-tax Act shall be computed as if it were income chargeable to income-tax under that Act under the head “Income from other sources” and the provisions of sections 57 to 59 of that Act shall, so far as may be, apply accordingly:

Provided that sub-section (2) of section 58 shall apply subject to the modification that the reference to section 40A therein shall be construed as not including a reference to sub-sections (3), (3A) and (4) of section 40A.

Rule 2.- Agricultural income of the nature referred to in sub-clause (b) or sub-clause (c) of clause (1A) of section 2 of the Income-tax Act [other than income derived from any building required as a dwelling-house by the receiver of the rent or revenue of the cultivator or the receiver of rent-in-kind referred to in the said sub-clause (c)] shall be computed as if it were income chargeable to income-tax under that Act under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession” and the provisions of sections 30, 31, 32, 36, 37, 38, 40, 40A [other than sub-sections (3), (3A) and (4) thereof], 41, 43, 43A, 43B and 43C of the Income-tax Act shall, so far as may be, apply accordingly.

Rule 3.- Agricultural income of the nature referred to in sub-clause (c) of clause (1A) of section 2 of the Income-tax Act, being income derived from any building required as a dwelling-house by the receiver of the rent or revenue or the cultivator or the receiver of rent-in-kind referred to in the said sub-clause (c) shall be computed as if it were income chargeable to income-tax under that Act under the head “Income from house property” and the provisions of sections 23 to 27 of that Act shall, so far as may be, apply accordingly.

Rule 4.- Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of these rules, in a case-

(a) where the assessee derives income from sale of tea grown and manufactured by him in India, such income shall be computed in accordance with rule 8 of the Income-tax Rules, 1962, and sixty per cent. of such income shall be regarded as the agricultural income of the assessee;

(b) where the assessee derives income from sale of centrifuged latex or cenex or latex based crepes (such as pale latex crepe) or brown crepes (such as estate brown crepe, re-milled crepe, smoked blanket crepe or flat bark crepe) or technically specified block rubbers manufactured or processed by him from rubber plants grown by him in India, such income shall be computed in accordance with rule 7A of the Income-tax Rules, 1962, and sixty-five per cent. of such income shall be regarded as the agricultural income of the assessee;

(c) where the assessee derives income from sale of coffee grown and manufactured by him in India, such income shall be computed in accordance with rule 7B of the Income-tax Rules, 1962, and sixty per cent. or seventy-five per cent., as the case may be, of such income shall be regarded as the agricultural income of the assessee.

Rule 5.- Where the assessee is a member of an association of persons or a body of individuals (other than a Hindu undivided family, a company or a firm) which in the previous year has either no income chargeable to tax under the Income-tax Act or has total income not exceeding the maximum amount not chargeable to tax in the case of an association of persons or a body of individuals (other than a Hindu undivided family, a company or a firm) but has any agricultural income then, the agricultural income or loss of the association or body shall be computed in accordance with these rules and the share of the assessee in the agricultural income or loss so computed shall be regarded as the agricultural income or loss of the assessee.

Rule 6.- Where the result of the computation for the previous year in respect of any source of agricultural income is a loss, such loss shall be set off against the income of the assessee, if any, for that previous year from any other source of agricultural income:

Provided that where the assessee is a member of an association of persons or a body of individuals and the share of the assessee in the agricultural income of the association or body, as the case may be, is a loss, such loss shall not be set off against any income of the assessee from any other source of agricultural income.

Rule 7.- Any sum payable by the assessee on account of any tax levied by the State Government on the agricultural income shall be deducted in computing the agricultural income.

Rule 8.- (1) Where the assessee has, in the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2022, any agricultural income and the net result of the computation of the agricultural income of the assessee for any one or more of the previous years relevant to the assessment years commencing on the 1st day of April, 2014 or the 1st day of April, 2015 or the 1st day of April, 2016 or the 1st day of April, 2017 or the 1st day of April, 2018 or the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020, or the 1st day of April, 2021, is a loss, then, for the purposes of sub-section (2) of section 2 of this Act,–

(i) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2014, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2015 or the 1st day of April, 2016 or the 1st day of April, 2017 or the 1st day of April, 2018 or the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021,

(ii) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2015, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2016 or the 1st day of April, 2017 or the 1st day of April, 2018 or the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021,

(iii) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2016, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2017 or the 1st day of April, 2018 or the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021,

(iv) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2017, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2018 or the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021,

(v) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2018, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021,

(vi) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2019, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021,

(vii) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2020, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2021,

(viii) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2021,

shall be set off against the agricultural income of the assessee for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2022.

(2) Where the assessee has, in the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2023, or, if by virtue of any provision of the Income-tax Act, income-tax is to be charged in respect of the income of a period other than the previous year, in such other period, any agricultural income and the net result of the computation of the agricultural income of the assessee for any one or more of the previous years relevant to the assessment years commencing on the 1st day of April, 2015 or the 1st day of April, 2016 or the 1st day of April, 2017 or the 1st day of April, 2018 or the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021 or the 1st day of April, 2022, is a loss, then, for the purposes of sub-section (10) of section 2 of this Act,-

(i) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2015, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2016 or the 1st day of April, 2017 or the 1st day of April, 2018 or the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021 or the 1st day of April, 2022,

(ii) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2016, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2017 or the 1st day of April, 2018 or the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021 or the 1st day of April, 2022,

(iii) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2017, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2018 or the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021 or the 1st day of April, 2022,

(iv) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2018, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2019 or the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021 or the 1st day of April, 2022,

(v) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2019, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2020 or the 1st day of April, 2021 or the 1st day of April, 2022,

(vi) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2020, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the or the 1st day of April, 2021 or the 1st day of April, 2022,

(vii) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2021, to the extent, if any, such loss has not been set off against the agricultural income for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2022,

(viii) the loss so computed for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2022,

shall be set off against the agricultural income of the assessee for the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2023.

(3) Where any person deriving any agricultural income from any source has been succeeded in such capacity by another person, otherwise than by inheritance, nothing in sub-rule (1) or sub-rule (2) shall entitle any person, other than the person incurring the loss, to have it set off under sub-rule (1) or, as the case may be, sub-rule (2).

(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in this rule, no loss which has not been determined by the Assessing Officer under the provisions of these rules or the rules contained in the First Schedule to the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2014 (25 of 2014) or the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 2015 (20 of 2015) or the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 2016 (28 of 2016) or the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 2017 (7 of 2017) or the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 2018 ( 13 of 2018) or the First Schedule of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2019 (23 of 2019) or the First Schedule of the Finance Act, 2020 (12 of 2020) or the First Schedule of the Finance Act, 2021 (13 of 2021) shall be set off under sub-rule (1) or, as the case may be, sub-rule (2).

Rule 9.- Where the net result of the computation made in accordance with these rules is a loss, the loss so computed shall be ignored and the net agricultural income shall be deemed to be nil.

Rule 10.- The provisions of the Income-tax Act relating to procedure for assessment (including the provisions of section 288A relating to rounding off of income) shall, with the necessary modifications, apply in relation to the computation of the net agricultural income of the assessee as they apply in relation to the assessment of the total income.

Rule 11.- For the purposes of computing the net agricultural income of the assessee, the Assessing Officer shall have the same powers as he has under the Income-tax Act for the purposes of assessment of the total income.