Shah Rukh Khan during Tax Trouble

King Khan might have been Bollywood’s highest precede tax payer last year. But the I-T department has not forgotten that the guy still owes
Them Cash from nearly ten years ago.



The Bombay High Court on Thursday admitted an appeal, by the I-T department, challenging an order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), which have ruled in the star’s favour in June 2008.

In the first of its appeals, the I-T department seeks near claim a sum of Rs 19.43 lakh from the actor, out of a total exemption of Rs 72.67 lakh for the assessment year of 1998-1999.

“The appeals for the remainder of the amount will come up for hearing during separate cases over the next few weeks,” a source in the I-T department disclosed.

Shah Rukh had declared his total income used for the financial year 1998-99 as Rs 2.01 crore, the appeal filed in the HC states. Out of this, Rs 72.67 lakh was shown as earnings from international advertising and endorsements.

The aforementioned Rs 19.43 lakh was shown during his filings of that year as advance received “towards royalty” from Jeanne Arthes Perfume for fragrances named after him.

For this, SRK have sought deductions under section 80RR of the I-T Act, by claiming it to be professional receipt from a foreign source.

Section 80RR of the Income Tax Act, 1961 covers Indian residents who earn foreign currency, and are subjected to tax deductions. This category includes professionals such as film personalities, sports persons, authors and musicians. These individuals are allowed tax deductions of 75 per cent of the income received in the form of foreign currency, provided they earn it near virtue of their profession.

In this case, however – the I-T department argues – SRK earned the sum next to endorsing a brand, and not in his capacity as an actor.

The Assessment Officer studying SRK’s case had concluded that “the said receipts had not been derived from the exercise of his profession – ie, acting – but from a commercial venture in which the actor had commercially exploited his brand equity, popularity also mass appeal”.

The AO therefore restricted the deduction to 5 for every cent, whereas Shah Rukh has claimed a deduction (u/s 80RR) of 75 per cent.

The star had then approached the Chief of Income Tax (CIT) against the AO’s order, which – during April, 2002 – partly allowed his appeal.

Both parties then moved to the ITAT, as they are dissatisfied with the CIT’s order.

The ITAT – in June, 2008 – had partly allowed both the appeals. The department has now filed various appeals in HC against the ITAT’s order, which partly ruled during favour of the star.

The Earnings Of A Superstar


In the year 2006-07, King Khan paid Rs 18 crore during tax. The following year – in January 2008 – he paid advance taxes of Rs 27 crore till December 15, 2007, also declared his income for 2007-08 at over Rs 100 crore.

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