Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1956

Meaning of “basis period”.

18.—(1) In this Part of this Act, “basis period” has the meaning assigned to it by the following provisions of this section.

(2) In the case of a person to whom an allowance falls to be made under this Part of this Act, his basis period for any year of assessment shall be the period on the profits or gains of which income tax for that year falls to be finally computed under Case I of Schedule D of the Income Tax Act, 1918, in respect of the trade in question or, where, by virtue of any Act, the profits or gains of any other period are to be taken to be the profits or gains of the said period, that other period:

Provided that, in the case of any trade—

(a) where two basis periods overlap, the period common to both shall be deemed for the purposes of this subsection to fall in the first basis period only;

(b) where there is an interval between the end of the basis period for one year of assessment and the basis period for the next year of assessment, then, unless the second-mentioned year of assessment is the year of the permanent discontinuance of the trade, the interval shall be deemed to be part of the second basis period; and

(c) where there is an interval between the end of the basis period for the year of assessment preceding that in which the trade is permanently discontinued and the basis period for the year in which it is permanently discontinued, the interval shall be deemed to form part of the first basis period.

(3) (a) Any reference in the proviso to subsection (2) of this section to the permanent discontinuance of a trade shall be construed as including a reference to the occurring of any event which, under any of the provisions of the Income Tax Acts, is to be treated as equivalent to the permanent discontinuance of a trade.

(b) Any reference in the said proviso to the overlapping of two periods shall be construed as including a reference to the coincidence of two periods or to the inclusion of one period in another, and references to the period common to both of two periods shall be construed accordingly.