§ 160
Chapter IX — Rebates And Reliefs

Countries with which no agreement exists

Income-tax Act, 2025

Business owners who have paid income tax in a country with which India has no double taxation agreement may be eligible for a deduction from their Indian income tax. This deduction is calculated on the doubly taxed income at the lower rate of tax between India and the other country.

  • The deduction applies to residents and non-residents who have paid income tax in the other country.
The relief aims to avoid double taxation on the same income.

📜 Official text of the section +
160. (1) If any person who is resident in India in any tax year proves that, in respect of his income which accrued or arose during that tax year outside India (and which is not deemed to accrue or arise in India), he has paid in any coun- try with which there is no agreement under section 159 for the relief or avoidance of double taxation, income-tax, by deduction or otherwise, under the law in force in that country, he shall be entitled to the deduction from the Indian income-tax payable by him of a sum calculated on such doubly taxed income,— ( a) at the Indian rate of tax or the rate of tax of the said country, whichever is the lower; or ( b) at the Indian rate of tax if both the rates are equal. (2) If any non-resident person is assessed on his share in the income of a registered firm assessed as resident in India in any tax year and such share includes any income accruing or arising outside India during that tax year (and which is not deemed to accrue or arise in India) in a country with which there is no agreement under section 159 for the relief or avoidance of double taxation and he proves that he has paid income-tax by deduction or otherwise under the law in force in that country in respect of the income so included he shall be entitled to a deduction from the Indian income-tax payable by him of a sum calculated on such doubly taxed income so included,— ( a) at the Indian rate of tax or the rate of tax of the said country, whichever is the lower; or ( b) at the Indian rate of tax if both the rates are equal. (3) For the purposes of this section,— ( a) “income-tax” in relation to any country includes any excess profits tax or business profits tax charged on the profits by the Government of any part of that country or a local authority in that country; ( b) “Indian income-tax” means income-tax charged as per this Act; ( c) “Indian rate of tax” means the rate determined by dividing Indian income-tax after deduction of any relief due under the provisions of this Act but before deduction of any relief due under this Part, by the total income; and ( d) “rate of tax of the said country” means income-tax and super-tax actually paid in the said country as per the corresponding laws in force in the said country after deduction of all relief due, but before deduction of any relief due in the said country in respect of double taxation, divided by the whole amount of the income as assessed in the said country. CHAPTER X SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO A VOIDANCE OF TAX Computation of income from international transaction and specified domestic transaction having regard to arm’s length price.

Plain-language summary — not the official text. Refer to the bare Act and confirm with a professional for your specific case.