DIT vs. Credit Agricole Indosuez (Bombay High Court) (No. 2)

The High Court had to consider whether the interest received u/s 244A is chargeable to tax at the rate prescribed in Article 12 of DTAA between India and France. The Tribunal restored the issue of the rate at which interest is to be charged to tax on income-tax refund received under Section 244A of the Act to the Assessing Officer to be decided in the light of the Indo France DTAA and the decision of the Special Bench of the Tribunal in the matter of Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax vs. Clough Engineering Ltd. [130 ITD 137]. On appeal by the department HELD dismissing the appeal:

The decision of the Special Bench in Clough Engineering 130 ITD 137 had been followed by the Tribunal in M/s DHL Operations B.V., The Netherlands Vs. Dy. Director of Income Tax]. The issue before the Tribunal was the rate of tax on which Income tax refund is to be taxed i.e. on the basis of the Articles of DTAA or under the Act. The Tribunal on examination of the DTAA in the above case concluded that interest on income tax refund is not effectively connected with the PE (Permanent Establishment) either on asset test or activity test. Therefore, taxable under the Article 11(2) of Indo Netherlands tax treaty. The Revenue carried the aforesaid decision of M/s DHL Operations B.V.(supra) in appeal to this Court, being Income Tax Appeal No.431 of 2012. This Court by order dated 17 July 2014 refused to entertain the appeal. In the circumstances no fault can be found with the impugned order of the Tribunal in restoring the issue to the Assessing officer to determine / adopt the rate of tax on refund in the light of the relevant clauses of Indo France DTAA and the decision of Special Bench in Clough Engineering.