Chapter XVI - Procedure for Assessment
Section 293
Section 293: computation of total undisclosed income of block period
Section 293 defines exactly how the "total undisclosed income of the block period" - the figure taxed under Section 292 - is worked out: what gets added in, what is carved out because it was already disclosed or assessed, and how brought-forward losses interact with it.
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This article is for general information. Refer to the Income-tax Act, 2025 as amended by the Finance Act, 2026 and the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2026 for the official provisions. If you need professional advice for your situation, contact Bizeneed.
Statutory text
Bare law
(1) The total undisclosed income of the block period referred to in section 292(1) shall be the aggregate of the following:— (a) undisclosed income declared in the return furnished under section 294; (b) undisclosed income determined by the Assessing Officer under sub-section (4).
(2) The following income shall not be included in the total undisclosed income of the block period:–– (a) the total income determined or assessed, as the case may be, under section 270(1) or (10) or section 271 or 279 or 294(1)(c) of this Act or section 143 or 144 or 147 or 153A or 153C or 158BC or 245D(4) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 prior to the date of initiation of the search or the date of requisition, in respect of any of the tax year falling within the block period; (b) the total income declared in the return of income filed under section 263 of this Act or section 139 of Income-tax Act, 1961, or in response to a notice under section 268(1) of this Act or section 142(1) of Income-tax Act, 1961 prior to the date of initiation of the search or the date of requisition, in respect of any of the tax year falling within the block period, and not covered under clause (a); (c) the income computed by the assessee, in respect of–– (i) a tax year, where such tax year has ended and the due date for furnishing the return for such year has not expired prior to the date of initiation of the search or the date of requisition, on the basis of entries relating to such income or transactions as recorded in the books of account and other documents maintained in the normal course before the date of initiation of search or the date of requisition; (ii) the period commencing from the 1st April of the tax year in which the search is initiated or requisition is made and ending on the day immediately preceding the date of initiation of search or requisition, on the basis of entries relating to such income or transactions as recorded in the books of account and other documents maintained in the normal course for such period on or before the day immediately preceding the date of initiation of search or the date of requisition; (iii) the period commencing from the date of initiation of the search or the date of requisition and ending on the date of the execution of the last of the authorisations for search or requisition, on the basis of entries relating to such income or transactions as recorded in the books of account and other documents maintained in the normal course for such period on or before the date of the execution of the last of the authorisations; (d) the total income referred to in section 207(8) or section 216 or section 393(1) [ Table: Sl. No. 8(iii)] of this Act, or section 115A(5) or section 115G or 194P(1) of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
(3) For the purposes of sub-section (2)(c), where the Assessing Officer is of the opinion that any part of the income as computed by the assessee under the said sub-section is undisclosed, he may recompute such income.
(4) The undisclosed income falling within the block period, shall be computed on the basis of following:–– (a) evidence found as a result of search or survey or requisition; (b) any other material or information as are either available with the Assessing Officer or comes to his notice during the course of proceedings under Part B.
(5) Where any income required to be determined — (a) as a result of search or requisition of books of account or other documents, or based on any other material or information as are either available with the Assessing Officer or comes to his notice during the course of proceedings under this Part; or (b) based on entries relating to income or transactions as recorded in books of account and other documents maintained in the normal course on or before the date of the execution of the last of the authorisations, relates to any international transaction or specified domestic transaction referred to in section 166, and pertains to the period beginning from the 1st April of the tax year in which last of the authorisations was executed and ending with the date of execution of the last of the authorisations, then irrespective of provisions of section 292(6)— (i) such income shall not be considered for the purposes of determining the total undisclosed income of the block period; and (ii) such income shall be considered in the assessment made under other provisions of this Act.
(6) For the purposes of determination of undisclosed income,–– (a) of a firm, such income assessed for each of the tax years falling within the block period shall be the income determined before allowing deduction of salary, interest, commission, bonus or remuneration, by whatever name called, to any partner not being a working partner; (b) the provisions of sections 102, 103, 104 and 105 shall, so far as may be, apply and reference to tax year in those sections shall be construed as references to the relevant tax year falling in the block period; (c) the provisions of section 166 shall, so far as may be, apply and reference to tax year in that section shall be construed as reference to the relevant tax year falling in the block period excluding the period referred to in sub-section (5).
(7) The tax referred to in section 292(7) shall be charged on the total undisclosed income pertaining to the block period determined in the manner specified in sub-sections (1), (2) and (3).
(8) For the purposes of assessment, losses brought forward from the tax year (prior to the first tax year comprising the block period) under Chapter VII or unabsorbed depreciation under section 33(11) shall not be set off against the undisclosed income determined in the block assessment under this part.
(9) Losses or unabsorbed depreciation as referred to in sub-section (8) may be carried forward for being set off in the tax year subsequent to the tax year in which the block period ends, for the remaining period, taking into account the block period and such tax year, and as per the provisions of this Act.
Introduction
Section 293 explains how total undisclosed income of the block period is computed from the search material and other statutory evidence. It also identifies excluded amounts and specific treatments for firms, losses and certain cross-border transactions.
Key takeaways
Aggregate basis
Block-period undisclosed income includes the amount declared in the special return and the amount the Assessing Officer determines.
Previously disclosed income is excluded
The section identifies income already assessed or disclosed before the search or requisition that must not enter the block total.
No prior-loss set-off
Earlier brought-forward losses and unabsorbed depreciation are not set off against block-period undisclosed income.
What makes up total undisclosed income
The total undisclosed income of the block period is the aggregate of: (a) undisclosed income declared in the return furnished under section 294; and (b) undisclosed income determined by the Assessing Officer under sub-section (4).
What is excluded
The following are NOT included in total undisclosed income of the block period:
- Total income already determined/assessed under specified sections of this Act (section 270(1)/(10), 271, 279, 294(1)(c)) or the corresponding provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961, before the date of the search/requisition, for any tax year in the block period.
- Total income already declared in a return filed under section 263 of this Act (or section 139 of the 1961 Act), or in response to a notice under section 268(1) (or section 142(1) of the 1961 Act), before the search/requisition date, for a tax year in the block period, and not already covered above.
- Income computed by the assessee based on entries recorded in the ordinary books of account and other documents maintained in the normal course, for (i) a completed tax year whose return due date has not yet expired, (ii) the period from 1 April of the search year up to the day before the search/requisition, and (iii) the period from the search/requisition date to the date the last search authorisation is executed - each based on entries recorded on or before the relevant cut-off date.
- Total income referred to in section 207(8), section 216, section 393(1) (Table Sl. No. 8(iii)) of this Act, or the corresponding 1961 Act provisions.
Recomputing income the assessee claims was already disclosed
Where the Assessing Officer believes any part of the income the assessee computed under sub-section (2)(c) is actually undisclosed, he may recompute that income.
Basis for computing undisclosed income
Undisclosed income within the block period is computed based on: (a) evidence found as a result of the search, survey or requisition; and (b) any other material or information available to, or coming to the notice of, the Assessing Officer during the block-assessment proceedings.
International / specified domestic transactions carved out
Where income determined as above relates to an international transaction or specified domestic transaction under section 166, and pertains to the period from 1 April of the year of the last search authorisation up to that execution date, that income is excluded from the total undisclosed income of the block period and is instead considered in the assessment made under the Act's other provisions.
Firm income, and applying sections 102-105 and 166
For a firm's undisclosed income, the amount assessed for each tax year in the block period is computed before allowing deduction of salary, interest, commission, bonus or remuneration to a non-working partner.
Sections 102, 103, 104 and 105 apply, with references to "tax year" read as references to the relevant tax year within the block period.
Section 166 (transfer pricing) applies similarly, excluding the carved-out period referred to above.
Losses and unabsorbed depreciation
Losses brought forward from before the block period under Chapter VII, or unabsorbed depreciation under section 33(11), cannot be set off against undisclosed income determined in the block assessment.
Such losses or unabsorbed depreciation may instead be carried forward for set-off in the tax year after the block period ends, for the remaining permitted period (taking the block period into account), as per the Act's normal rules.
Step-by-step flow for computing total undisclosed income under Section 293
- 1
Start with the two parts in Section 293(1)
(a) Undisclosed income declared in the return under Section 294; (b) undisclosed income determined by the Assessing Officer under Section 293(4).
- 2
Remove income excluded by Section 293(2)
Examples: income already assessed or declared in a return before the search; income computed by the assessee from books maintained in the normal course for the periods in clause (c); and income referred to in clause (d).
- 3
Does the Assessing Officer think any of the assessee's clause (c) income is undisclosed?
- Yes: He may recompute it (Section 293(3)).
- No: Go to the next step.
- 4
Apply the special rules
Section 293(4): basis is evidence from the search, survey or requisition and other material. Section 293(5): some transfer pricing income for the current-year part is left out and assessed separately. Section 293(6): rules for firms, and Sections 102 to 105 and 166 apply to block years.
- 5
Treat brought-forward losses correctly
Losses or unabsorbed depreciation from before the block period are not set off (Section 293(8)). They may be carried forward to the year after the block period ends (Section 293(9)).
Practical checklist
Do
- Reconcile seized material, recorded income and any previously disclosed amounts year by year.
- Separate excluded items and identify the evidence supporting each claimed disclosure.
Avoid
- Treat every receipt discovered during a search as automatically undisclosed income.
Illustrative example
Worked example: totalling undisclosed income for the block period
Hypothetical facts (illustration only, not a real taxpayer): After a search, a trader declares undisclosed income of ₹40 lakh in the Section 294 return. From seized papers, the Assessing Officer determines further undisclosed income of ₹15 lakh. Separately, the trader's books maintained in the normal course show ₹22 lakh of income for the period from 1 April of the search year up to the day before the search. A business loss of ₹8 lakh is brought forward from a year before the block period. All amounts are assumed.
Aggregate
Total undisclosed income = ₹40 lakh + ₹15 lakh = ₹55 lakh.
Exclusion
The ₹22 lakh recorded in the normal books is excluded under Section 293(2)(c)(ii), unless the Assessing Officer recomputes part of it as undisclosed under Section 293(3).
Brought-forward loss
The ₹8 lakh loss cannot be set off against the ₹55 lakh (Section 293(8)). The tax is charged on ₹55 lakh.
Carry forward
The ₹8 lakh may be carried forward to the year after the block period ends, under Section 293(9) and the other provisions of the Act.
Outcome
- Total undisclosed income of the block period is ₹55 lakh. It is taxed at the rate in Section 192.
- The ₹22 lakh is assessed under the other provisions of the Act, not in the block.
Frequently asked questions
Is all my income for the block period taxed as "undisclosed income"?
No. Section 293(2) specifically excludes income already assessed, already disclosed in a return filed before the search, or properly recorded in the ordinary books of account before the relevant cut-off dates.
Can the Assessing Officer treat my already-recorded income as undisclosed anyway?
Yes, in a limited way - Section 293(3) lets the Assessing Officer recompute income under sub-section (2)(c) if he believes part of it is actually undisclosed, despite being recorded in the ordinary books.
Can I set off old carried-forward losses against undisclosed income found in a search?
No - Section 293(8) blocks setting off losses brought forward from before the block period, or unabsorbed depreciation under section 33(11), against undisclosed income determined in the block assessment.
Need help applying this provision to your situation?
Get help computing undisclosed income for a block assessmentLast updated 10 October 2026