76. Foreign tax credit.—

(1) An assessee, being a resident shall be allowed a credit for the amount of any foreign tax

paid by him in a country or specified territory outside India, by way of deduction or otherwise, in the tax year in which the income corresponding to such tax has been offered to tax or assessed to tax in India, in the manner and to the extent as specified in this rule.

(2) In a case, where income on which foreign tax has been paid or deducted, is offered to tax in more than one tax year, credit of foreign tax shall be allowed across those tax years in the same proportion in which the income is offered to tax or assessed to tax in India.

(3) The foreign tax referred to in sub-rule (1) shall mean, —

(a) in respect of a country or specified territory outside India with which India has entered into an

agreement for the relief or avoidance of double taxation of income in terms of section 159, the tax covered under the said agreement;

(b) in respect of any other country or specified territory outside India, the tax payable under the law in force in that country or specified territory in the nature of income-tax referred to in section 160(3)(a).

(4) The credit under sub-rule (1) shall be available against the amount of tax, surcharge and cess payable under the Act, but not in respect of any sum payable by way of interest, fee or penalty.

(5) No credit under sub-rule (1) shall be available in respect of any amount of foreign tax or part thereof, which is disputed in any manner by the assessee, subject to the provisions of sub-rule (6).

(6) If the assessee, within six months from the end of the month in which the dispute is finally settled, furnishes evidence of settlement of dispute and an evidence to the effect that the liability for payment of such foreign tax has been discharged by him and furnishes an undertaking that no refund in respect of such amount has directly or indirectly been claimed or shall be claimed, the credit of such disputed tax shall be allowed for the year in which such income is offered to tax or assessed to tax in India.

(7) The credit of foreign tax shall be the aggregate of the amounts of credit computed separately for each source of income arising from a particular country or specified territory outside India and shall be given effect to in the following manner: —

(a) the credit shall be the lower of the tax payable under the Act on such income and the foreign tax

paid on such income, so, however, that where the foreign tax paid exceeds the amount of tax payable in accordance with the provisions of the agreement for relief or avoidance of double taxation, such excess shall be ignored;

(b) the credit shall be determined by conversion of the currency of payment of foreign tax at the

telegraphic transfer buying rate on the last day of the month immediately preceding the month in which such tax has been paid or deducted.

(8) In a case where any tax is payable under the provisions of section 206, the credit of foreign tax shall be allowed against such tax in the same manner as is allowable against any tax payable under the provisions of the Act other than the provisions of the said sections (herein referred to as the normal provisions).

(9) Where the amount of foreign tax credit available against the tax payable under the provisions of section 206 exceeds the amount of tax credit available against the normal provisions, then, while computing the amount of credit under section 206(1)(m) to (p) and section 206(2)(e) to (h), in respect of the taxes paid under section 206(1) and (2), as the case may be, such excess shall be ignored.

(10) Credit of any foreign tax shall be allowed on furnishing the following documents by the assessee: —

(a) a statement of income from the country or specified territory outside India offered for tax for the tax year and of foreign tax deducted or paid on such income in Form No. 44 and verified in the manner specified therein; and

(b) certificate or statement specifying the nature of income and the amount of tax deducted therefrom or paid by the assessee, —

(i) from the tax authority of the country or specified territory outside India; or

(ii) from the person responsible for deduction of such tax; or

(iii) signed by the assessee.

(11) The certificate or statement furnished by the assessee in sub-rule (10)(b) shall be valid, if it is accompanied by —

(a) an acknowledgement of online payment or bank counter foil or challan for payment of tax where

the payment has been made by the assessee; or

(b) proof of deduction, where the tax has been deducted.

(12) The statement in Form No. 44 referred to in sub-rule (10)(a) and the certificate or the statement referred to in sub-rule (10)(b) shall be furnished within twelve months from the end of the relevant tax year in which the income referred to in sub-rule (1) has been offered to tax or assessed to tax in India and the return for such tax year has been furnished within the time specified under section 263(1) or (4), subject to the provisions of sub-rule (13).

(13) Where the return has been furnished under section 263(6)(a), the statement in Form No. 44 referred to in sub-rule (10)(a) and the certificate or the statement referred to in sub-rule (10)(b), to the extent it relates to the income included in the updated return, shall be furnished on or before the date on which such return is furnished.

(14) Form No. 44 shall also be furnished in a case, where the carry backward of loss of the current year or revision of return or similar statement, the case may be, of any year or any other reason results in refund of foreign tax for which credit has been claimed in any tax year or tax years.

(15) For the purposes of sub-rule (6), the assessee shall furnish an intimation in Form No. 45 and evidence of settlement of dispute including evidence of payment of tax.

(16) Form No. 44 shall be verified by an accountant defined in section 515(3)(b), —

(a) where the assessee is a company; or

(b) in all other cases, where the amount of foreign tax paid outside India for a tax year equals or exceeds ? 100000.

(17) Form No. 45 shall be verified by an accountant defined in section 515(3)(b) in a case, where Form No. 44 filed for the relevant tax year was required to be verified by an accountant under sub-rule (16).

(18) For the purposes of this rule, the expression ?telegraphic transfer buying rate? shall have the meaning assigned to it in rule 207.