Skip to main content
Income-tax Act, 2025 | Section 61

Section 61 - Special provision for computation of income on presumptive basis in respect of certain business activities of certain non-residents

Specified non-resident activities such as shipping, oilfield services, aircraft operation and turnkey power projects use deemed-profit percentages, subject to the precise activity and option rules.

Reviewed by CA Nikhil Gupta · Updated 9 October 2026

Section 61: operativeEffective 1 April 2026Tax Year 2026-27 onwardReviewed 8 October 2026
Current-law control

Section 61 is presented using the consolidated Income-tax Act, 2025 as amended by the Finance Act, 2026. The general commencement date is 1 April 2026. Earlier years and saved proceedings may remain governed by the Income-tax Act, 1961 and the repeal/savings framework.

2-minute professional decode

Specified non-resident activities such as shipping, oilfield services, aircraft operation and turnkey power projects use deemed-profit percentages, subject to the precise activity and option rules.

Professional checkpoint: Apply the provision only after checking the defined person, tax year, evidence, thresholds and any connected Rule or Schedule.

Who should test this section?

Section 61 should be tested by businesses, professionals, non-residents and advisers whenever the computation touches special provision for computation of income on presumptive basis in respect of certain business activities of certain non-residents; the special rule must be checked before the ordinary business-profit machinery is applied.

Evidence to retain

For section 61, retain the contracts, ledgers, invoices, banking evidence, prescribed reports and computation papers that specifically prove the factual trigger and quantum for special provision for computation of income on presumptive basis in respect of certain business activities of certain non-residents.

1961 Act bridge

Legacy provisionLegacy headingMapping
44BSpecial provision for computing profits and gains of shipping business in the case of non- residents.Consolidated in 2025 provision
44BBSpecial provision for computing profits and gains in connection with the business of exploration, etc. Of mineral oils.Consolidated in 2025 provision
44BBASpecialprovisionforcomputingprofitsandgainsofthebusinessofoperationofaircraftinthe case of non-residents.Consolidated in 2025 provision
44BBBSpecialprovisionforcomputingprofitsandgainsofforeigncompaniesengagedin thebusiness of civil constructions, etc. In certain turnkey power projects.Consolidated in 2025 provision
44BBCSpecialprovisionforcomputingprofitsandgainsofthebusinessofoperationofcruiseshipsin the case of non-residents.Consolidated in 2025 provision
44BBDSpecial provision for computing profits and gains of non-residents engaged in business of providing services or technology for setting up an electronics manufacturing facility or in connection with manufacturing or producing electronic goods, article or thing in India.Consolidated in 2025 provision

The bridge is a research aid. Legacy case law carries over only after the current wording and transition rules are matched.

Rules and forms linked to this section

RuleOperational roleMapped form(s)
Rule 44Conditions to be fulfilled by a non-resident, engaged in the business of operation of cruise ships underNo standalone form mapped
Rule 45Conditions to be fulfilled by a resident company for purposes of section 61(2) [Table: SlNo standalone form mapped
Rule 46Maintenance of books of account under section 62 (connected where lower actual profit is claimed)Form 25
Rule 47Report of audit of accounts to be furnished under section 63 (connected where lower actual profit is claimed)Form 26

Worked application

A non-resident shipping operator and a foreign turnkey contractor earn Indian-source receipts. Apply only the presumptive percentage attached to the relevant activity and test whether the lower-income books/audit route is legally available.

Common mistake

A recurring section 61 error is to carry the book or ordinary tax treatment into special provision for computation of income on presumptive basis in respect of certain business activities of certain non-residents without first testing the provision-specific override, eligibility conditions and linked Rule/Form requirements.

Compliance approach

Identify the statutory trigger for section 61, lock the relevant tax year, reconcile the facts to the operative sub-section, preserve the evidence trail and separately test every linked Rule, Form, Schedule and exception before finalising the return position.

Numeric / timing checkpoints in the operative text

Related provisions

Current statutory text

61. (1) The provisions of sections 26 to 54, to the extent contrary to this section, shall not apply to the manner of computation of profits and gains of the specified business in sub-section (2). (2) The profits and gains of any specified business as mentioned in column B of the Table below, carried on by a specified assessee as mentioned in column C of the said Table during a tax year, shall be computed in the manner specified in column D thereof, and shall be deemed to be the profits and gains of such business of such assessee chargeable to tax for the said tax year under the head “Profits and gains of business or profession”. TABLE Sl Specified business Specified Profits and gains of business or No. assessee profession A B C D 1. Business of opera- Non- 7.5% of (A+B), tion of ships, other resident. where,— than cruise ships referred to in Serial A = sum on account of carriage of number 2. passengers, livestock, mail or goods shipped at any port in India, whether paid or payable, in or outside India, to the assessee or any other person on his behalf (including demurrage, handling or other similar charges); B = sum on account of carriage of passengers, livestock, mail or goods shipped at any port outside India, whether received or deemed to be received in India, by the assessee or any other person on his behalf (including demurrage, handling or other similar charges). Sl Specified business Specified Profits and gains of business or No. assessee profession A B C D 2. Business of opera- Non- 20% of (A+B), tion of cruise ships resident. where,— (subject to the con- ditions as may be A = sum on account of carriage of prescribed). passengers, paid or payable to the assessee or any other person on his behalf; B = sum on account of carriage of passengers received or deemed to be received by the assessee or any other person on his behalf. 3. Business of opera- Non- 5% of (A+B), tion of aircraft. resident. where,— A = sum on account of carriage of passengers, livestock, mail or goods from any place in India, paid or payable (in or outside India) to the assessee or any other person on his behalf; B = sum on account of carriage of passengers, livestock, mail or goods from any place outside India, received or deemed to be received in India, by the assessee or any other person on his behalf. 4. Business of civil Foreign 10% of the amount towards such civil construction or erec- company. construction, erection, testing, or tion or testing or commissioning, paid or payable, to the commissioning, of assessee or to any other person on his plant or machinery, behalf, whether in or outside India. in connection with a turnkey power proj- ect, approved by the Central Government. 5. Business of pro- Non- 10% of (A+B), viding services or resident. where,— facilities (includ- ing supply of plant A = sum on account of business of and machinery on providing services and facilities in hire) for prospect- connection with, or supply of plant and ing, extraction or machinery on hire used, or to be used, Sl Specified business Specified Profits and gains of business or No. assessee profession A B C D production of min- in the prospecting for, or extraction eral oils. or production of mineral oils in India, paid or payable (in or outside India), to the assessee or any other person on his behalf; B = sum on account of business of providing services and facilities in connection with, or supply of plant and machinery on hire used, or to be used, in the prospecting for, or extraction or production of mineral oils outside India, received or deemed to be received in India, by the assessee or any other person on his behalf. 6. Business of pro- Non- 25% of (A + B), viding services or resident. where,— technology in India, for the purposes of A = the amount paid or payable to the setting up an elec- non-resident assessee or to any person tronics manufac- on his behalf on account of providing turing facility or services or technology; in connection with B = the amount received or deemed to manufacturing or be received by the non-resident assessee producing electron- or on behalf of non-resident assessee ic goods, article or on account of providing services or thing in India to a technology. resident company. (3) For the purposes of sub-section (2) (Table: Sl. Nos. 4 and 5) the specified assessee may claim that the profits actually earned from the specified business are lower than the business profits computed under sub-section (2), if,— (a) he keeps and maintains such books of account and other documents as required under section 62; and (b) gets his accounts audited and furnish a report of such audit as required under section 63. (4) Any loss, allowance or deduction allowable under the provisions of this Act shall not be allowed against the income computed in the manner specified in sub-section (2). (5) The written down value of any asset used for the purposes of specified business or profession shall be computed, as if the assessee mentioned in column C of the Table in sub-section (2) had claimed and was actually allowed depreciation thereon for each of the relevant tax years. (6) For the purposes of sub-section (2) (Table: Sl. No. 5) the provisions of this sec- tion shall not apply where the provisions of section 54 or 59 or 207 or 527 apply for the purposes of computing profits and gains or any other income referred to in the said sections. (7) For the purposes of sub-section (2) (Table: Sl. No. 5), “plant” includes ships, aircrafts, vehicles, drilling units, scientific apparatuses and equipments used for the purposes of the specified business. (8) For the purposes of sub-section (2) (Table: Sl. No. 6), resident company shall satisfy the following:— (a) it is establishing or operating electronics manufacturing facility or a con- nected facility for manufacturing or producing electronic goods, article or thing in India, under a scheme notified by the Central Government in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; and (b) it satisfies the conditions as may be prescribed in this behalf. (9) The provisions of sections 59 and 207 shall not apply to amounts referred to in sub-section (2) (Table: Sl. No. 6).

Primary-source trail

Source status: full Section 61 statutory text in the local source corpus; reconciled to the current consolidated Act control on 8 October 2026.

Related Finin2min guides