Sale of Goods Act, 1930 · Chapter II: Formation of the Contract · Contract of Sale
Section 4: Sale and agreement to sell
(1) A contract of sale of goods is a contract whereby the seller transfers or agrees to transfer the property in goods to the buyer for a price. There may be a contract of sale between one part-owner and another.
(2) A contract of sale may be absolute or conditional.
(3) Where under a contract of sale the property in the goods is transferred from the seller to the buyer, the contract is called a sale, but where the transfer of the property in the goods is to take place at a future time or subject to some condition thereafter to be fulfilled, the contract is called an agreement to sell.
(4) An agreement to, sell becomes a sale when the time elapses or the conditions are fulfilled subject to which the property in the goods is to be transferred.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 4
- M/S Vellanki Frame Works v. The Commercial Tax Officer, Visakhapatnam
- Commissioner of Central Excise, Nagpur v. M/S Universal Ferro & Allied Chemicals Ltd. & Anr.Ce F G H
- Commissioner of Central Excise and Customs, Bangalore v. M/S Jsw Steel Ltd. (Formerly Known As Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd.)
- M/S. Tata Motors Ltd. v. The Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (Spl) & Anr.
- Mis Arihant Udhyog v. State of Rajasthan & Ors.
- Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala v. Mis K.T.C. Automobiles
- M/S. Larsen & Toubro Limited & Anr. v. State of Karnataka & Anr.
- Mahadeo S/O Kerba Maske v. State of Maharashtra and Anr.
- State of Uttaranchal v. M/S. Khurana Brothers
- M/S. Binani Industries Limited v. Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, Vi Circle, Bangalore and Ors.
- Federal Bank Ltd. and Ors. v. State of Kerala and Ors.
- M/S. Sunrise Associates v. Govt. of NCT of Delhi and Ors.
- Canbank Financial Services Ltd. v. The Custodian and Ors.
- U.P. Cooperative Cane Union Federation v. West U.P. Sugar Mill Association and Ors.
- Ferro Alloys Corporation Ltd. Etc. v. Union of India and Ors.
- The State of Maharashtra v. M/S. Embee Corporation, Bombay
- Mafatlal Industries Ltd. Etc. Etc. v. Union of India Etc. Etc.
- State of Tamil Nadu v. Sri Srinivasa Sales Circulation
- Coffee Board, Karnataka, Bangalore v. Commissioner of Commercial Taxes
- State of Orissa & Others v. The Titaghur Paper Mills Company Ltd. & Anr.
- Consolidated Coffee Ltd. and Anr. Etc. v. Coffee Board, Bangalore Etc. Etc.
- Balabhagas Hulaschand v. State of Orissa
- Instalment Supply Ltd. v. The Sales Tax Officer, Ahmedabad-I & Ors.
- Commissioner of Income Tax, Hyderabad v. M/S. Motor and General Stores (P.) Ltd.
- Government of Andhra Pradesh v. Guntur Tobaccos Ltd.
- M/S New India Sugar Mills Ltd. v. Commissioner of Sales Tax, Bihar
- Commissioner of Sales-Tax, Eastern Division, Nagpur v. Husen Ali Adamji and Co.