Year: 2015

Archive for 2015


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DATE: October 13, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: November 16, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2005-06
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CITATION:
S. 275(1)(c): For penalty proceedings initiated on issues unrelated to assessment of income (such as for s. 269SS/ 269T & TDS defaults), time limit runs from date of initiation of penalty proceedings and not from date of CIT(A)'s order

Considering that the subject matter of the quantum proceedings was the non-compliance with Section 269T of the Act, there was no need for the appeal against the said order in the quantum proceedings to be disposed of before the penalty proceedings could be initiated. In other words, the initiation of penalty proceedings did not hinge on the completion of the appellate quantum proceedings. This position has been made explicit in the decision in CIT v. Worldwide Township Projects Limited (2014) 269 CTR 444 in which the Court concurred with the view expressed in Commissioner of Income-Tax v. Hissaria Bros. (2007) 291 ITR 244(Raj)

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DATE: July 3, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: November 16, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2004-05
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CITATION:
S. 154: Even if assessee offers interest income as "Other Sources" and claims set-off of brought forward business loss against it u/s 72, AO is not permitted to rectify as issue is debatable

The Assessing Officer sought to rectify the original assessment order on the ground that carried forward business loss was to the tune of Rs. 24,23,760/- and same had been set off against the total income which was inclusive of the income earned by the assessee under the head “Income from Other Sources” and “Income from House Property” as declared by him in the return of income and carried forward loss could have been set off against “Business Income” only. As already observed by us herein above the issue as to whether the said income earned by way of interest on Fixed Deposits, NSCs, would be available to the assessee to seek for set off as business loss or not under section 72 of the Act is a debatable issue and as such we are of the considered view that said issue could not have been gone into in a proceeding under section 154 of the Act

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DATE: October 12, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: November 5, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2002-03
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CITATION:
S. 147/ 148: Dept warned not to harass taxpayers by reopening assessments in a mechanical and casual manner. Pr CIT directed to issue instructions to AOs to strictly adhere to the law explained in various decisions and make it mandatory for them to ensure that an order for reopening of an assessment clearly records compliance with each of the legal requirements. AOs also directed to strictly comply with the law laid down in GKN Driveshafts 259 ITR 19 (SC) as regards disposal of objections to reopening assessment

The Court is of the view that notwithstanding several decisions of the Supreme Court as well as this Court clearly enunciating the legal position under Section 147/148 of the Act, the reopening of assessment in cases like the one on hand give the impression that reopening of assessment is being done mechanically and casually resulting in unnecessary harassment of the Assessee

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DATE: October 28, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: November 5, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2009-10
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CITATION:
S. 80-IA: Interest on TDS refund, interest from lessees, interest on FDRs and Tender fees are all “derived” from the undertaking and are eligible for deduction. If items of income are not eligible, it should be netted off against expenditure and only balance can be disallowed

The TDS deduction from lease rental income was beyond the control of the assessee and also due to the delay in getting no-deduction certificate from the AO. In view of the same, the assessee was deprived of funds to the extent of TDS amount, which would have otherwise used for the purpose of business purposes including repayment of loan taken for construction of IT parks and SEZ. The Income tax department was required to pay interest only due to the delay in granting refund of TDS. In the case of Liberty India Ltd, relied upon by the AO, the assessee therein received DEPB credits as per the scheme framed by the Government of India. Hence the Hon’ble Supreme Court held that the primary source of the DEPB receipt is the scheme framed by the Government. However, in the instant case, TDS deduction is integral part connected with the receipt of lease income and the same cannot be separted from the activity carried on by the assessee

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DATE: October 28, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: November 5, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2008-09
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CITATION:
S. 37(1): A business is “set up” the moment employees are recruited for the purpose of the business. All expenditure incurred thereafter is allowable as a deduction even if the business has not commenced

Setting up of business is different from commencement of business and the expenditures are allowable on setting up of business. The assessee has recruited employees for the purpose of its business and about 16 employees are for the job of quality assurance. In our considered opinion, upon recruitment of employees, the factum that expenditure under the different heads was incurred is indicative that business was set up

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DATE: October 30, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: November 4, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2009-10
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CITATION:
Scope of Explanation 5A to S. 271(1)(c) on deemed concealment despite income having been offered in the search return explained

The deeming provisions of Explanation 5A under section 271(1)(c) of the Act are applicable to all the searches initiated under section 132 of the Act on or after first day of June, 2007. Reading the said provisions of the Explanation 5A to section 271(1)(c) of the Act, it is noted that the person is deemed to have concealed particulars of his income or furnished inaccurate particulars of such income, which is equivalent to the value of money, bullion, jewellery, valuable articles or things from the possession of the assessee during the course of search conducted on or after first day of June, 2007

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DATE: November 3, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: November 4, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2010-11
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S. 263: CIT’s action of stepping into shoes of AO and virtually redoing assessment by issuing specific directions to AO is unlawful. Remand to AO with direction to give opportunity of hearing to assessee is meaningless

It is trite law that it is not permissible for the CIT being a revisional authority to step into the shoes of the Assessing officer and to redo the assessment and pass fresh assessment order. In the instant case, the Commissioner has set aside the order of the Assessing officer on the aforesaid issues with a direction to the Assessing officer to pass a fresh assessment order. At the same time, the Commissioner has directed the Assessing officer to make specific additions. Remanding the matter to the Assessing officer is of no consequence, particularly when the CIT himself has reframed the assessment. The CIT has not left any scope for the Assessing officer to redo the assessment or pass a fresh assessment order

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DATE: August 14, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: November 4, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2006-07
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CITATION:
S. 147/ 148: Non-furnishing of reasons for reopening to assessee renders reassessment void

The question of non-furnishing the reasons for re-opening an already concluded assessment goes to the very root of the matter. Since such reasons had not been furnished to the appellant, even though a request for the same had been made, we are of the opinion that proceedings for the re-assessment could not have been taken further on this ground alone

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DATE: October 14, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: October 30, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2008-09
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CITATION:
S. 143(2)/ 292BB: Failure to issue a s. 143(2) notice renders the reassessment order void. S. 292BB saves a case of "non service" of the notice but not a case of "non issue"

The failure of the AO, in re-assessment proceedings, to issue notice under Section 143(2) of the Act, prior to finalising the re-assessment order, cannot be condoned by referring to Section 292BB of the Act. Section 292BB applies insofar as failure of “service” of notice is concerned and not with regard to failure to “issue” notice. The non-issue of the said notice is fatal to the order of re-assessment

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DATE: October 14, 2015 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: October 30, 2015 (Date of publication)
AY: 2009-10
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CITATION:
Correctness of law laid down by Bombay High Court in Ace Builder 281 ITR 210 that deduction u/s 54EC is available to short-term capital gains computed u/s 50 doubted by Tribunal

By virtue of the deeming provision of section 50, cost of a long-term capital asset (LTCA), i.e., as per section 2(29A), where depreciable, forming part of a block assets on which depreciation stands claimed, the capital gain on its transfer would have to be computed in terms thereof, i.e. by treating the WDV of the relevant block of assets (or, as the case may be, the relevant asset) as its cost of acquisition. The second deeming per the provision of section 50 is qua the nature of such capital gains, i.e., as capital gains arising from the transfer of a STCA. Section 54EC is available on capital gain arising on the transfer of a LTCA, i.e., which is not a STCA by definition. The same shall, therefore, not apply to capital gains computed u/s.50