Industry body urges FM Sitharaman to continue 45-day MSME payment rule

Industry body SME Chamber of India has urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to continue the 45-day MSME payment rule for corporates and other buyers.

According to Section 43B(h) of the Income Tax Act, introduced through the Finance Act 2023, if a larger company does not pay an MSME on time -- within 45 days in case of written agreements -- it cannot deduct that expense from its taxable income, leading to potentially higher taxes.

The government in last year's Budget added a new clause under Section 43B of the Income Tax Act to address the challenge of delayed payments faced by MSMEs in the country.

"We are pursuing not to change the 45-day MSME payment rules imposed by the Department under the pressure of corporates or multinational companies to save the life span of the MSME sector. Section 43B(h) of the Income Tax Act reinforces the importance of timely payments by mandating that companies settle payments to MSME vendors within 45 days to qualify for deductions," SME Chamber