Income Tax Act, 2025  ·  Chapter X — Special Provisions  ·  Section 181

Section 181
Consequences of impermissible avoidance

IT Act 2025 Chapter X Effective 1 April 2026 Old: 98
New Provision
Section 181, IT Act 2025
Replaces (IT Act 1961)
98
Chapter
Chapter X — Special Provisions
Effective From
1 April 2026
Statutory Text — Section 181

(1) If an arrangement is declared to be an impermissible avoidance arrangement, then, the consequences, in relation to tax, of the arrangement, including denial of tax benefit or a benefit under a tax treaty, shall be determined, in the manner as deemed appropriate in the circumstances of the case. (2) The consequences of an arrangement declared to be an impermissible avoidance arrangement as referred to in sub-section (1) shall include but shall not be limited to the following:— (a) disregarding, combining or recharacterising any step in, or a part or whole of, the impermissible avoidance arrangement; (b) treating the impermissible avoidance arrangement as if it had not been entered into or carried out; (c) disregarding any accommodating party or treating any accommodating party and any other party as one and the same person; (d) deeming persons who are connected persons in relation to each other to be one and the same person for the purposes of determining tax treatment of any amount; (e) reallocating amongst the parties to the arrangement— (i) any accrual, or receipt, of a capital nature or revenue nature; or (ii) any expenditure, deduction, relief or rebate; (f) treating— (i) the place of residence of any party to the arrangement; or (ii) the situs of an asset or of a transaction, at a place other than the place of residence, location of the asset or location of the transaction as provided under the arrangement; or (g) considering or looking through any arrangement by disregarding any corporate structure. (3) In this section,— (a) any equity may be treated as debt or vice versa;

(b) any accrual, or receipt, of a capital nature may be treated as of revenue nature or vice versa; or (c) any expenditure, deduction, relief or rebate may be recharacterised.

Shahi & Co. — Our Understanding
This section is part of Chapter X of the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective from 1 April 2026. It carries forward the corresponding provision from the Income Tax Act, 1961 with simplified language and restructured drafting.
Practical Note: For specific guidance on how this provision applies to your situation, consult a qualified Chartered Accountant. The Income Tax Act, 2025 retains the substance of the old law while making it more accessible.
Shahi & Co., Chartered Accountants
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Disclaimer: This is a reproduction of Section 181 of the Income Tax Act, 2025 (No. 30 of 2025) as published in the Official Gazette of India (CG-DL-E-22082025-265620) for informational and reference purposes only. Shahi & Co., Chartered Accountants makes no warranty as to completeness or accuracy. For the official authenticated text refer to egazette.gov.in or incometaxindia.gov.in. This does not constitute legal or tax advice.