Treatment of Related Party Transactions in India: A Critical Analysis
Treatment of Related Party Transactions in India: A Critical Analysis
Treatment of Related Party Transactions in India: A Critical Analysis
• Objectives
The objective of this research paper is to review
the regulations and treatment of Related Party
Transactions in India.
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
• The Companies Act, 1956
– The Companies Act 1956 imposes certain conditions
when a company is entering into any transaction in
which directors have an interest.
– Section 297
– Section 299
– Section 300
• The Companies Act, 2013
– Section 2 (76)
“Related party”, with reference to a company, means
a director or his relative;
a key managerial personnel or his relative;
a firm, in which a director, manager or his relative is a partner;
a private company in which a director or manager is a member or
director;
a public company in which a director or manager is a director or
holds along with his relatives, more than two per cent. of its paid-up
share capital;
anybody corporate whose Board of Directors, managing director or
manager is accustomed to act in accordance with the advice,
directions or instructions of a director or manager;
any person on whose advice, directions or instructions a director or
manager is accustomed to act:
“Provided that nothing in sub-clauses (vi) and (vii) shall apply to the advice, directions
or instructions given in a professional capacity;
viii. any company which is:
(a) a holding, subsidiary or an associate company of such company; or
(b) a subsidiary of a holding company to which it is also a subsidiary;
ix. such other person as may be prescribed.”
• Accounting Standards
To enhance disclosure of related party transactions, the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) introduced
Accounting Standard 18- Related-Party Disclosures, which
requires companies to disclose RPTs in their financial
statements.
Under Accounting Standard 18-Related Party Disclosures (AS
18), “parties are considered to be related if at any time during
the reporting period one party has the ability to control the
other party or exercise significant influence over the other
party in making financial and/or operating decisions.”
A related party transaction means “a transfer of resources or
obligations between related parties, regardless of whether or
not a price is charged.”
• IAS 24, which deals with related party
transactions, has a wider definition and coverage
of related party transactions. The definition of
related party under IAS 24 is: “A related party is a
person or entity that is related to the entity that is
preparing its financial statements.”
• The term “related” has further been defined to
include persons having the ability to exercise
control/joint control or significant influence over
the reporting entity. Further, members of the
family and entities under common control are
covered under this definition.
• The Income Tax Act, 1961
– Section 40A (2)
• SEBI Circular