Today, mobile phones especially smartphones are an indispensable part of most businesses and they qualify as fixed assets as they usually last for more than a year. Being a fixed asset, the depreciation on mobile phones is to be provided. The rate of depreciation to be charged on mobile phones is 15Read more
Today, mobile phones especially smartphones are an indispensable part of most businesses and they qualify as fixed assets as they usually last for more than a year. Being a fixed asset, the depreciation on mobile phones is to be provided.
The rate of depreciation to be charged on mobile phones is 15% WDV* as per the Income Tax Act. The rates as per the companies act, 2013 are 4.75% SLM** and 13.91% WDV*.
*Written Down Value **Straight Line Method
A company has to charge depreciation on mobiles in their books as per the rates of Companies Act, 2013.
Any business or entity other than a company can choose the rate as per the Income Tax Act, 1961 which is 15% WDV. It is a general practice for non-corporates to charge depreciation in their books as per the rates of the Income Tax Act.
An important thing to know is that as per the Income Tax Act, 1961, mobile phones are treated as plants and machinery and the general rate of 15% is applied to it.
One may consider mobile phones as computers and charge depreciation at the rate of 40%. However, such a practice is not correct. Mobile phones are not considered equivalent to computers and there is case judgment given by Madras High Court which backs this consideration. The case is of Federal Bank Ltd. vs. ACIT (supra).
Therefore we are bound to this case judgment and should treat mobile phones as part of plant and machinery and charge depreciation on it accordingly for the time being.
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The profits earned by a company are distributed to its shareholders monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly in the form of dividends. The dividend payable by the company is transferred to the Dividend Account and is then claimed by the shareholders. If the dividend is not claimed by the members aRead more
The profits earned by a company are distributed to its shareholders monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly in the form of dividends. The dividend payable by the company is transferred to the Dividend Account and is then claimed by the shareholders.
If the dividend is not claimed by the members after transferring it to the Dividend Account, it is called Unclaimed Dividend. Such a dividend is a liability for the company and it is shown under the head Current Liabilities.
The dividend is transferred from the Dividend Account to the Unclaimed Dividend Account if it is not claimed by the shareholders within 37 days of declaration of dividend.
For the Cash Flow Statement, unclaimed dividend comes under the head Financing Activities.
Items shown under the head Financing Activities are those that are used to finance the operations of the company. Since, money raised through the issue of shares finances the company, any item related to shareholding or dividend is shown under the head Financing Activities.
However, there are two approaches to deal with the treatment of Unclaimed Dividend:
First, since there is no inflow or outflow of cash, there is no need to show it in the cash flow statement.
Second, the unclaimed dividend is deducted from the Appropriations, that is, when Net Profit before Tax and Extraordinary Activities is calculated.
Then, it is added under the head Financing Activities because the amount of dividend that has to flow out of the company (that is Dividend Paid amount which has already been deducted from Financing Activities) remained in the company only since it has not been claimed by the members.
The second approach to the treatment of an Unclaimed Dividend is used when the company has not transferred the unclaimed dividend amount from the Dividend Account to a separate account.