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It has been noticed that some companies are charging certain expenses, which are otherwise required to be charged to the profit and loss account, directly against reserves and/or Securities Premium Account pursuant to the court orders. In such a case, while the expenses are charged to reserves and/or Securities Premium Account, the tax benefit arising from admissibility of such expenses for tax purposes is not recognised in the reserves and/or Securities Premium Account. Such a situation may also arise where an enterprise adjusts its reserves to give effect to a change, if any, in accounting policy consequent upon adoption of an Accounting Standard, in accordance with the transitional provisions contained in the standard. Further, a company may adjust an expense against the Securities Premium Account as allowed under the provisions of section 78 of the Companies Act, 1956. A similar situation may arise where, pursuant to a court order or under transitional provisions prescribed in an accounting standard, an income, which should have otherwise been credited to the profit and loss account in accordance with the requirements of generally accepted accounting principles, may have been directly credited to a reserve account or a similar account and the tax effect thereof is not recognised in the reserve account or a similar account. |
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Not recognising the tax benefit, arising from admissibility of expense charged to the reserves and/or Securities Premium Account, in the reserves and/or Securities Premium Account is contrary to the generally accepted accounting principles because it results in recognition and presentation of tax effect of an expense in a manner which is different from the manner in which the expense itself has been recognised and presented. Similarly, recognising and presenting the tax effect of an income in a manner which is different from the manner in which income itself has been recognised and presented is contrary to the generally accepted accounting principles. Accordingly, any expense charged directly to reserves and/or Securities Premium Account should be net of tax benefits expected to arise from the admissibility of such expenses for tax purposes. Similarly, any income credited directly to a reserve account or a similar account should be net of its tax effect. |
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In view of the above, any item of income or expense adjusted directly to reserves and/or Securities Premium Account should be net of its tax effect. | | |
