• RBI 50-50 test rule

Hi, 
 I ,Had a company dealing with Principal Business of sale / purchase / construction of Real estate, In our Companies "MOA" we also mentioned in our Business object as " Hire purchase", So I want to know weather we can do "Hire purchase "Business " In same company with out obtaining NBFC permission from "RBI" , As long as i come under " RBI" 50-50 test Rule.

FROM RBI WEB SITE:
What does conducting financial activity as “principal business” mean?

Financial activity as principal business is when a company’s financial assets constitute more than 50 per cent of the total assets and income from financial assets constitute more than 50 per cent of the gross income. A company which fulfils both these criteria will be registered as NBFC by RBI. The term 'principal business' is not defined by the Reserve Bank of India Act. The Reserve Bank has defined it so as to ensure that only companies predominantly engaged in financial activity get registered with it and are regulated and supervised by it. Hence if there are companies engaged in agricultural operations, industrial activity, purchase and sale of goods, providing services or purchase, sale or construction of immovable property as their principal business and are doing some financial business in a small way, they will not be regulated by the Reserve Bank. Interestingly, this test is popularly known as 50-50 test and is applied to determine whether or not a company is into financial business.
Asked 2 days ago in Business Law

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7 Answers

The Reserve Bank of India has clarified that for a company to be classified as an NBFC, to decide on its principal business, it will have to satisfy the two tests of assets and income. The financial assets should be more than 50% of the total assets (netted off by intangible assets), and the income from financial assets should be more than 50% of the gross income. These tests need to be satisfied for a company to be regarded as an NBFC.

 

2) you don’t need RBI permission as NBFC 

Ajay Sethi
Advocate, Mumbai
97515 Answers
7882 Consultations

The conditions described by are enabling restrictions. Only a company doing financial activity of more than 50% of assets and income as per the  conditions stated is entitled to be registered as NFBC.

  1. As your business is not predominantly financial you are not entitled to registered as NBFC.
  2. By the above interpretation you are not entitled to hire purchase business.

Ravi Shinde
Advocate, Hyderabad
4424 Answers
42 Consultations

A hire purchase business is a business activity of a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). NBFCs are companies that are registered under the Companies Act, 1956 and are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

A real estate business can be involved in hire purchase agreements for assets other than real estate. Hire purchase agreements are a way to finance assets without transferring ownership.

A real estate business can consider hire purchase as a financing option, but it should evaluate the financial viability of the proposal. The option with the lower present value of cash outflows is usually the better choice.

The 50-50 rule, or 50-50 test, is a test used by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to determine if a company is a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). The test is based on whether a company's financial assets and income from financial assets make up more than half of its total assets and income.

If a company's financial assets are more than 50% of its total assets, it passes the first part of the test

If the income from those financial assets is more than 50% of its gross income, it passes the second part of the test

If a company passes both parts of the test, it is registered as an NBFC by the RBI.

T Kalaiselvan
Advocate, Vellore
87716 Answers
2355 Consultations

Yes you can if your memorandum permits you to do the same 

Prashant Nayak
Advocate, Mumbai
32874 Answers
209 Consultations

Yes

Yogendra Singh Rajawat
Advocate, Jaipur
23012 Answers
31 Consultations

You can conduct a hire-purchase business under the same company without obtaining NBFC registration from RBI if you do not breach the 50-50 test, meaning:


  1. Financial Assets: Income or assets from hire-purchase must not exceed 50% of your company’s total assets.

  2. Financial Income: Revenue from hire-purchase must not exceed 50% of your total income.

If your real estate activities remain the principal business, you can legally operate without NBFC registration. However, closely monitor the financial contribution of hire-purchase activities to ensure compliance with the 50-50 test.

For detailed, personalized advice, consider a phone consultancy. Hope you find the information helpful. You are free to contact me for further discussion. If you could spare two minutes to write a review, it would bring immense happiness to read it. Thank you. Shubham Goyal.

 

Shubham Goyal
Advocate, Delhi
527 Answers
1 Consultation

Dear Client,   

Under RBI guidelines, based on the inputs provided and what is known as the 50-50 test, your company is free to engage in hire purchase action, provided certain other conditions are satisfied. The Reserve Bank of India only requires NBFC registration if the financial activity constitutes the principal business of the company. Principal business means that the financial assets should comprise more than 50% of total assets and income from financial assets is more than 50% of gross income. If your main business is real estate (sale, purchase, construction) and the hire purchase activity is very small compared to your overall business (not crossing the 50-50 threshold), then it does not call for NBFC registration under RBI regulations.   

   

That said, ensure that your Memorandum of Association permits hire purchase activity under its business objects. You should also keep proper books of accounts that reflect the percentage of income and assets from non-financial activities to prove that hire purchase is secondary, not a principal business.   

To ensure compliance, you may consult a financial expert or legal professional who can look at a detailed picture of your company’s financials per the 50-50 rule and ensure that there have been no breaches of regulations.   

I hope this reply has assisted you; please feel free to ask any further legal questions.    

 

Anik Miu
Advocate, Bangalore
10389 Answers
121 Consultations

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