¹⁶[Deduction in respect of profits and gains from newly established small-scale industrial undertakings in certain areas.

¹⁷80HHA. (1) Where the gross total income of an assessee includes any profits and gains derived from a small-scale industrial undertaking to which this section applies, there shall, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of this section, be allowed, in computing the total income of the assessee, a deduction from such profits and gains of an amount equal to twenty per cent thereof.

(2) This section applies to any small-scale industrial undertaking which fulfils all the following conditions, namely :—

(i) it begins to manufacture or produce articles after the 30th day of September, 1977 ¹⁸[but before the 1st day of April, 1990], in any rural area ;

(ii) it is not formed by the splitting up, or the reconstruction, of a business already in existence :

Provided that this condition shall not apply in respect of any small-scale industrial undertaking which is formed as a result of the re-establishment, reconstruction or revival by the assessee of the business of any such industrial undertaking as is referred to in section 33B, in the circumstances and within the period specified in that section ;

(iii) it is not formed by the transfer to a new business of machinery or plant previously used for any purpose ;

(iv) it employs ten or more workers in a manufacturing process carried on with the aid of power, or employs twenty or more workers in a manufacturing process carried on without the aid of power.

Explanation.—Where in the case of a small-scale industrial undertaking, any machinery or plant or any part thereof previously used for any purpose is transferred to a new business and the total value of the machinery or plant or part so transferred does not exceed twenty per cent of the total value of the machinery or plant used in the business, then, for the purposes of clause (iii) of this sub-section, the condition specified therein shall be deemed to have been fulfilled.

(3) The deduction specified in sub-section (1) shall be allowed in computing the total income ¹⁹[of each of the ten previous years beginning with the previous year in which the industrial undertaking] begins to manufacture or produce articles :

²⁰[Provided that such deduction shall not be allowed in computing the total income of any of the ten previous years aforesaid in respect of which the industrial undertaking is not a small-scale industrial undertaking within the meaning of clause (b) of the Explanation below sub-section (8).]

(4) Where the assessee is a person, other than a company or a co-operative society, the deduction under sub-section (1) shall not be admissible unless the accounts of the small-scale industrial undertaking for the previous year relevant to the assessment year for which the deduction is claimed have been audited by an accountant as defined in the Explanation below sub-section (2) of section 288 and the assessee furnishes, along with his return of income, the report of such audit in the prescribed form²¹ duly signed and verified by such accountant.

(5) The provisions of sub-sections (6) and (7) of section 80HH shall, so far as may be, apply in relation to the computation of the profits and gains of a small-scale industrial undertaking for the purposes of the deduction under this section as they apply in relation to the computation of the profits and gains of an industrial undertaking for the purposes of the deduction under that section.

(6) In a case where the assessee is entitled also to the deduction under ²²[section 80-I or] section 80J in relation to the profits and gains of a small-scale industrial undertaking to which this section applies, effect shall first be given to the provisions of this section.

(7) Where a deduction in relation to the profits and gains of a small-scale industrial undertaking to which section 80HH applies is claimed and allowed under that section for any assessment year, deduction in relation to such profits and gains shall not be allowed under this section for the same or any other assessment year.

(8) Nothing contained in this section shall apply in relation to any small-scale industrial undertaking engaged in mining.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—

²³[(a) “rural area” means any area other than—

(i) an area which is comprised within the jurisdiction of a municipa-lity (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 according to the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published before the first day of the previous year ; or

(ii) an area within such distance, not being more than fifteen kilo-metres from the local limits of any municipality or cantonment board referred to in sub-clause (i), as the Central Government may, having regard to the stage of development of such area (including the extent of, and scope for, urbanisation of such area) and other relevant considerations specify in this behalf by notification²⁴ in the Official Gazette ;]

²⁵[(b) an industrial undertaking shall be deemed to be a small-scale industrial undertaking which is, on the last day of the previous year, regarded as a small-scale industrial undertaking under section 11B²⁶ of the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951 (65 of 1951)].