Section-43B(h) Payment to Micro or Small Enterprises

The new section 43B(h) will be applicable from April 1, 2024 (AY 2024-25), Section 43B(h) of the Income Tax Act introduces significant changes concerning expenses related to purchases or services from Micro and Small Enterprises. Please note this section is not applicable on Medium Enterprises.

43B(h) has been inserted as a Socio-Economic Welfare Measure to ensure timely payments to micro and small enterprises.

We all know that section Section 43B of the Act provides for certain deductions to be allowed only on Actual Payment basis.

Finance Bill 2023 has newly inserted a clause to this section which is as under:

Section 43B (h) of Income Tax Act says:

“any sum payable by the assessee to a MICRO or SMALL enterprise beyond the time limit specified in 15 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006,”

The above clause indicated that, in order to be eligible to claim deduction of the sum payable to micro and small enterprises, the payment shall be actually made within the time limit specified in 15 of the MSME Act, 2006.

Section 15 of MSME Development Act, 2006 says:

“Where any supplier supplies any goods or renders any services to any buyer, the buyer shall make payment therefor on or before the date agreed upon between him and the supplier in writing or, where there is no agreement in this behalf, before the appointed day*:

Provided that in no case the period agreed upon between the supplier and the buyer in writing shall not exceed forty-five days from the day of acceptance or the day of deemed acceptance”

It is very clear that, the buyer shall make the payment to the supplier as agreed between them, however the same cannot exceed beyond 45 days from date of acceptance or the day of deemed acceptance i.e., from the day of acceptance of the goods/service.

Section 2(b) of the MSME Development Act, 2006 says:

“Appointed Day” means the day following immediately after the expiry of the period of fifteen (15) days from the day of acceptance or the day of deemed acceptance of any goods or any services by a buyer from a supplier.

Explanation—For the purposes of this clause-

(i) “the day of acceptance” means-

(a) the day of the actual delivery of goods or the rendering of services; or

(b) where any objection is made in writing by the buyer regarding acceptance of goods or services within fifteen days from the day of the delivery of goods or the rendering of services, the day on which such objection is removed by the supplier;

(ii) “the day of deemed acceptance” means, where no objection is made in writing by the buyer regarding acceptance of goods or services within fifteen days from the day of the delivery of goods or the rendering of services, the day of the actual delivery of goods or the rendering of services;

Section 16 of MSME Development Act, 2006 says:

“Where any buyer fails to make payment of the amount to the supplier, as required under section 15, the buyer shall, notwithstanding anything contained in any agreement between the buyer and the supplier or in any law for the time being in force, be liable to pay compound interest with monthly rests to the supplier on that amount from the appointed day or, as the case may be, from the date immediately following the date agreed upon, at three times of the bank rate notified by the Reserve Bank”

Consequences upon Failure to make payment to Micro and Small Enterprises under Section 43B(h)

If the payment is made after 45 days or 15 days as specified – then expenses disallowed in the year and deduction will be available in the year in which the payment is made.

If the payment is due for more than 45 days or 15 days as specified but the payment is made before the end of the Financial Year – then in such case, the deduction of the expense will be available in the same year itself.

The classification of the enterprise as Micro, Small & Medium as defined in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 is hereby produced for your reference: