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Microlesson · 5-min read

Section 52 - Securities Premium Account (SPA)

# Section 52 — Securities Premium Account

## (1) Creation

When a company issues shares at a premium, it must transfer the premium amount to a separate account called the Securities Premium Account (SPA).

## (2) Permitted Uses of SPA (Mnemonic: B-PER-B)

UseDescription
B — BonusIssue of fully paid-up bonus shares
P — PreliminaryWrite off preliminary expenses of the company
E — ExpenseWrite off expenses or commission on issue of shares or debentures
R — RedemptionProvide for premium on redemption of preference shares or debentures
B — BuybackPurchase its own shares (buyback) under Section 68

## (3) Restricted Use for Certain Companies

For a prescribed class of companies that comply with Accounting Standards under Section 133 (Ind AS), SPA can be used only for:

  • (a) Bonus shares
  • (b) Preliminary expenses (write-off)
  • (c) Expense/commission on issue (write-off)
  • (d) Premium on redemption
  • (e) Buyback

(For Ind AS companies — the same list applies but the section restricts free use.)

Worked example

### Example 1

Example: XYZ Ltd issued 10,000 equity shares of ₹10 FV at ₹50 each. The premium per share is ₹40. Total premium = ₹4,00,000 to be transferred to SPA.

The company can use this SPA to:

  • Issue bonus shares to existing shareholders.
  • Write off preliminary expenses of ₹1,00,000.
  • Pay premium on redemption of preference shares.
  • Buy back its own shares under Section 68.

⚠️ Common exam mistakes

  • Using SPA to pay dividend — this is NOT permitted.
  • Using SPA to write off operational losses — not permitted.
  • Missing buyback (Section 68) as a permitted use.
  • Confusing SPA with Capital Redemption Reserve.
Bare-Act text Section 52 · Companies Act, 2013 · click to expand
Section 52 of the Companies Act, 2013 — Application of premiums received on issue of shares.
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