Relief for tech firms as govt sheathes tax sword

Infosys, Wipro and many other software export firms claimed tax benefits for software export income under Section 10A of the Income Tax Act. This section provides for a five-year tax holiday to industrial undertakings which manufacture or produce any article or thing and are set up in notified Free Trade Zones (FTZs). The tax holiday under section 10A to industrial units in approved Electronic Hardware Technology Parks (EHTP) or Software Technology Parks (STP). Similarly, section 10B of the Income-tax Act allows a five-year tax holiday to approved 100% export-oriented undertakings (EOUs) which manufacture or produce any article or thing.

The government circular further clarifies that the tax holiday should not be denied on grounds of physical relocation of an eligible SEZ unit from one to another in accordance of instruction by Department of Commerce and conditions prescribed by Income- tax act. The circular says, the unit relocated will be eligible to avail tax benefit for the unexpired period at the applicable rates.