Special provision relating to incomes of political parties.

Section 13A. Any income of a political party which is chargeable under the head 59[***] "Income from house property" or "Income from other sources" or 60["Capital gains" or] any income by way of voluntary contributions received by a political party from any person shall not be included in the total income of the previous year of such political party:

Provided that—                                                                     

             (a)   such political party keeps and maintains such books of account and other documents as would enable the 61[Assessing] Officer to properly deduce its income therefrom;

             (b)   in respect of each such voluntary contribution in excess of 62[twenty] thousand rupees, such political party keeps and maintains a record of such contribution and the name and address of the person who has made such contribution; and

              (c)   the accounts of such political party are audited by an accountant as defined in the Explanation below sub-section (2) of section 288 :

63[Provided further that if the treasurer of such political party or any other person authorised by that political party in this behalf fails to submit a report under sub-section (3) of section 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) for a financial year, no exemption under this section shall be available for that political party for such financial year.]

64[Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, "political party" means a political party registered under section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951).]

 Section 29B. Political parties entitled to accept contribution.- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), every political party may accept any amount of contribution voluntarily offered to it by any person or company other than a Government company:

Provided that no political party shall be eligible to accept any contribution from any foreign source defined under clause (e) of section 2 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 (49 of1976).

Explanation. - For the purposes of this section and section 29C,-

(a) "Company" means a company as defined in section 3;

(b) "Government company" means a company within the meaning of section 617; and

(c) "Contribution" has the meaning assigned to it under section 293A of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) and includes any donation or subscripttion offered by any person to a political party; and

(d) "person" has the meaning assigned to it under clause (31) of section 2 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), but does not include Government company, local authority and every artificial juridical person wholly or partially funded by the Government.

Section 29C. Declaration of donation received by the political parties.- (1) The treasurer of a political party or any other person authorised by the political party in this behalf shall, in each financial year, prepare a report in respect of the following, namely:

(a) the contribution in excess of twenty thousand rupees received by such political party from any person in that financial year;

(b) the contribution in excess of twenty thousand rupees received by such political party from companies other than Government companies in that financial year.

(2) The report under sub-section (1) shall be in such form as may be prescribed.

(3) The report for a financial year under sub-section (1) shall be submitted by the treasurer of a political party or any other person authorised by the political party in this behalf before the due date for furnishing a return of its income of that financial year under section 139 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961) to the Election Commission.

(4) Where the treasurer of any political party or any other person authorised by the political party in this behalf fails to submit a report under sub-section (3), then, notwithstanding anything contained in the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), such political party shall not be entitled to any tax relief under that Act.`

Insertion of new sections 80GGB and 80GGC. - After section 80GGA of the Income-tax Act, the following sections shall be inserted, namely:

`80GGB. Deduction in respect of contributions given by companies to political parties.- In computing the total income of an assessee, being an Indian company, there shall be deducted any sum contributed by it, in the previous year to any political party.

Explanation. - For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that for the purposes of this section, the word "contribute", with its grammatical variation, has the meaning assigned to it under section 293A of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1951).

80GGC. Deduction in respect of contributions given by any person to political parties. - In computing the total income of an assessee, being any person, except local authority and every artificial juridical person wholly or partly funded by the Government, there shall be deducted any amount of contribution made by him, in the previous year, to a political party.

Explanation. - For the purposes of sections 80GGB and 80GGC, "political party" means a political party registered under section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951).

 Section 293A - Prohibitions and restrictions regarding political contributions.

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act,

(a) no Government company; and

(b) no other company which has been in existence for less than three financial years, shall contribute any amount or amounts, directly or indirectly,

(i) to any political party; or

(ii) for any political purpose to any person.

(2) A company, not being a company referred to in clause (a) or clause (b) of sub-section (1), may contribute any amount or amounts, directly or indirectly,

(a) to any political party; or

(b) for any political purpose to any person:

Provided that the amount or, as the case may be, the aggregate of the amounts which may be so contributed by a company in any financial year shall not exceed five per cent of its average net profits determined in accordance with the provisions of sections 349 and 350 during the three immediately preceding financial years. Provided further that no such contribution shall be made by a company unless a resolution authorising the making of such contribution is passed at a meeting of the Board of Directors and such resolution shall, subject to the other provisions of this section, be deemed to be justification in law for the making and the acceptance of the contribution authorised by it.

Explanation: Where a portion of a financial year of the company falls before the commencement of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1985, and a portion falls after such commencement, the latter portion shall be deemed to be a financial year within the meaning, and for the purposes, of this sub-section:

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-sections (1) and (2),

(a) a donation or subscription or payment caused to be given by a company on its behalf or on its account to a person who, to its knowledge, is carrying on any activity which, at the time at which such donation or subscription or payment was given or made, can reasonably be regarded as likely to effect public support for a political party shall also be deemed to be contribution of the amount of such donation, subscription or payment to such person for a political purpose;

(b) the amount of expenditure incurred, directly or indirectly, by a company on advertisement in any publication (being a publication in the nature of a souvenir, brochure, tract, pamphlet or the like) by or on behalf of a political party or for its advantage shall also be deemed,

(i) where such publication is by or on behalf of a political party, to be a contribution of such amount to such political party, and

(ii) where such publication is not by or on behalf of but for the advantage of a political party, to be a contribution for a political purpose to the person publishing it.

(4) Every company shall disclose in its profit and loss account any amount or amounts contributed by it to any political party or for any political purpose to any person during the financial year to which that account relates, giving particulars of the total amount contributed and the name of the party or person to which or to whom such amount has been contributed.

(5) If a company makes any contribution in contravention of the provisions of this section,

(a) the company shall be punishable with fine which may extend to three times the amount so contributed; and

(b) every officer of the company who is in default shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.