Section 3

"Previous year" defined.

3. (1) For the purposes of this Act, "previous year" means—

(a) the financial year immediately preceding the assessment year; or

(b) if the accounts of the assessee have been made up to a date within the said financial year, then, at the option of the assessee, the twelve months ending on such date; or

(c) in the case of any person or business or class of persons or business not falling within clause (a) or clause (b), such period as may be determined by the Board or by any authority authorised by the Board in this behalf; or

(d) in the case of a business or profession newly set up in the said financial year, the period beginning with the date of the setting up of the business or profession and—

(i) ending with the said financial year, or

(ii) if the accounts of the assessee have been made up to a date within the said financial year, then, at the option of the assessee, ending on that date, or

(iii) ending with the period, if any, determined under clause (c),

as the case may be; or

(e) in the case of a business or profession newly set up in the twelve months immediately preceding the said financial year-—

(i) if the accounts of the assessee have been made up to a date within the said financial year and the period from the date of the setting up of the business or profession to such date does not exceed twelve months, then, at the option of the assessee, such period, or

(ii) if any period has been determined under clause (c), then the period beginning with the date of the setting up of the business or profession and ending with that period,

as the case may be; or

(f) where the assessee is a partner in a firm and the firm has been assessed as such, then, in respect of the assessee's share in the income of the firm, the period determined as the previous year for the assessment of the income of the firm; or

(g) in respect of profits and gains from life insurance business, the year immediately preceding the assessment year for which annual accounts are required to be prepared under the Insurance Act, 1938 (4 of 1938), or under that Act read with section 43 of the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956 (31 of 1956).

(2) Where an assessee has newly set up a business or profession in the said financial year and his accounts are made up to a date in the assessment year in respect of a period not exceeding twelve months from the date of such setting up, then, notwithstanding anything contained in sub-clause (iii) of clause (d) of sub-section (1), the assessee shall, in respect of that business or profession, at his option, be deemed to have no previous year for the said assessment year under that clause and such option shall, in relation to the immediately succeeding assessment year, have effect as an option exercised under sub-clause (i) of clause (e) of sub-section (1).

(3) Subject to the other provisions of this section, an assessee may have different previous years in respect of separate sources of his income.

(4) Where in respect of a particular source of income or in respect of a business or profession newly set up, an assessee has once exercised the option under clause (b) or sub-clause (ii) of clause (d) or sub-clause (i) of clause (e) of sub-section (1) or has once been assessed, then, he shall not, in respect of that source, or, as the case may be, business or profession, be entitled to vary the meaning of the expression "previous year" as then applicable to him, except with the consent of the ^74b[Assessing] Officer and upon such conditions as the ^74b[Assessing] Officer may think fit to impose.

The following new section 3 shall be substituted for the existing section by the Direct Tax Laws (Amendment) Act, 1987, w.e.f. 1-4-1989:

"Previous year" defined.

3. (1) Save as otherwise provided in this section, "previous year" for the purposes of this Act, means the financial year immediately preceding the assessment year:

Provided that, in the case of a business or profession newly set up, or a source of income newly coming into existence, in the said financial year, the previous year shall be the period beginning with the date of setting up of the business or profession or, as the case may be, the date on which the source of income newly comes into existence and ending with the said financial year.

(2) "Previous year", in relation to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1989, means the period which begins with the date immediately following the last day of the previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1988 and ends on the 31st day of March, 1989:

Provided that where the assessee has adopted more than one period as the "previous year" in relation to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1988 for different sources of his income, the previous year in relation to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1989 shall be reckoned separately in the manner aforesaid in respect of each such source of income, and the longer or the longest of the periods so reckoned shall be the previous year for the said assessment year.

(3) Where the previous year in relation to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 1989, referred to in sub-section (2) exceeds a period of twelve months, the provisions of this Act shall apply subject to the modifications specified in the rules in the Tenth Schedule.

[AS AMENDED BY THE FINANCE ACT, 1988]