What is Method of accounting? What is Method of Accounting in certain cases? Section 145 and 145A of Income Tax Act 1961

Method of accounting and Method of Accounting in Certain cases are defined under section 145 and 145A of Income Tax Act 1961. Provisions under these Sections are :

Section 145 of Income Tax Act "Method of accounting"

145. (1) Income chargeable under the head "Profits and gains of business or profession" or "Income from other sources" shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), be computed in accordance with either cash or mercantile system of accounting regularly employed by the assessee.

(2) The Central Government may notify in the Official Gazette from time to time income computation and disclosure standards to be followed by any class of assessees or in respect of any class of income.

(3) Where the Assessing Officer is not satisfied about the correctness or completeness of the accounts of the assessee, or where the method of accounting provided in sub-section (1) has not been regularly followed by the assessee, or income has not been computed in accordance with the standards notified under sub-section (2), the Assessing Officer may make an assessment in the manner provided in section 144.

Section 145A of Income Tax Act "Method of accounting in certain cases"

145A. For the purpose of determining the income chargeable under the head "Profits and gains of business or profession",-

(i) the valuation of inventory shall be made at lower of actual cost or net realisable value computed in accordance with the income computation and disclosure standards notified under sub-section (2) of section 145;

(ii) the valuation of purchase and sale of goods or services and of inventory shall be adjusted to include the amount of any tax, duty, cess or fee (by whatever name called) actually paid or incurred by the assessee to bring the goods or services to the place of its location and condition as on the date of valuation;

(iii) the inventory being securities not listed on a recognised stock exchange, or listed but not quoted on a recognised stock exchange with regularity from time to time, shall be valued at actual cost initially recognised in accordance with the income computation and disclosure standards notified under sub-section (2) of section 145;

(iv) the inventory being securities other than those referred to in clause (iii), shall be valued at lower of actual cost or net realisable value in accordance with the income computation and disclosure standards notified under sub-section (2) of section 145:

Provided that the inventory being securities held by a scheduled bank or public financial institution shall be valued in accordance with the income computation and disclosure standards notified under sub-section (2) of section 145 after taking into account the extant guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India in this regard:

Provided further that the comparison of actual cost and net realisable value of securities shall be made category-wise.

Explanation 1.-For the purposes of this section, any tax, duty, cess or fee (by whatever name called) under any law for the time being in force, shall include all such payment notwithstanding any right arising as a consequence to such payment.

Explanation 2.-For the purposes of this section,-

(a) "public financial institution" shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (72) of section 2 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013);

(b) "recognised stock exchange" shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (ii) of Explanation 1 to clause (5) of section 43;

(c) "scheduled bank" shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (ii) of the Explanation to clause (viia) of sub-section (1) of section 36.