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 controlSection 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 provision | Legacy heading | Mapping |
|---|
| 44B | Special provision for computing profits and gains of shipping business in the case of non- residents. | Consolidated in 2025 provision |
| 44BB | Special provision for computing profits and gains in connection with the business of exploration, etc. Of mineral oils. | Consolidated in 2025 provision |
| 44BBA | Specialprovisionforcomputingprofitsandgainsofthebusinessofoperationofaircraftinthe case of non-residents. | Consolidated in 2025 provision |
| 44BBB | Specialprovisionforcomputingprofitsandgainsofforeigncompaniesengagedin thebusiness of civil constructions, etc. In certain turnkey power projects. | Consolidated in 2025 provision |
| 44BBC | Specialprovisionforcomputingprofitsandgainsofthebusinessofoperationofcruiseshipsin the case of non-residents. | Consolidated in 2025 provision |
| 44BBD | Special 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
| Rule | Operational role | Mapped form(s) |
|---|
| Rule 44 | Conditions to be fulfilled by a non-resident, engaged in the business of operation of cruise ships under | No standalone form mapped |
| Rule 45 | Conditions to be fulfilled by a resident company for purposes of section 61(2) [Table: Sl | No standalone form mapped |
| Rule 46 | Maintenance of books of account under section 62 (connected where lower actual profit is claimed) | Form 25 |
| Rule 47 | Report 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
- Non-resident shipping other than cruise ships: 7.5% presumptive rate on the specified receipt base.
- Non-resident cruise-ship business: 20% presumptive rate, subject to prescribed conditions.
- Non-resident aircraft operation: 5% presumptive rate on the specified receipt base.
- Approved turnkey power-project civil construction/erection/testing/commissioning by a foreign company: 10%.
- Mineral-oil services/facilities or plant hire for a non-resident: 10%.
- Specified electronics-manufacturing services/technology to a resident company: 25%.
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.