Text of ITO Section 59

Carry forward of capital losses.

(1) Where a person sustains a loss for a tax year under the head “Capital Gains” (hereinafter referred to as a “capital loss”), the loss shall not be set off against the person’s income, if any, chargeable under any other head of income for the year, but shall be carried forward to the next tax year and set off against the capital gain, if any, chargeable under the head “Capital Gains” for that year.

(2) If a capital loss sustained by a person for a tax year under the head “Capital Gains” is not wholly set off under sub-section (1), then the amount of the loss not set off shall be carried forward to the following tax year, and so on, but no loss shall be carried forward to more than six tax years immediately succeeding the tax year for which the loss was first computed.

(3) Where a person has a loss carried forward under this section for more than one tax year, the loss of the earliest tax year shall be set off first.