COURT: |
Bombay High Court |
CORAM: |
M. S. Sanklecha J, Sandeep K. Shinde J |
SECTION(S): |
220(6), 246, 254 |
GENRE: |
Domestic Tax |
CATCH WORDS: |
coercive recovery, Recovery of tax, stay of demand, strictures |
COUNSEL: |
S. Ganesh |
DATE: |
March 27, 2018 (Date of pronouncement) |
DATE: |
April 5, 2018 (Date of publication) |
AY: |
2015-16 |
FILE: |
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CITATION: |
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Tax Recovery: CBDT should investigate arm twisting measures, dehors application of the law, adopted by the Revenue for recovery of tax and take corrective measures to ensure AOs are not overzealous in recovering maximum revenue before 31st March. Once the CIT(A) concludes hearing the appeal, the stay application becomes infructuous. The exercise by CIT(A) of taking up the stay application, after the appeal was heard, was only done so as to collect some revenue before 31st March, 2018. This is certainly not expected of an Appellate Authority who adjudicates disputes between the Revenue and the Assessee on a regular basis. The CIT(A) must not only be fair but appear to be so, in a country governed by Rule of law. |
It would be best if the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) carry out the necessary investigation on the above allegations and if there is truth in it, it would take corrective action on the same. This is particularly because this conduct alleged on the part of the CIT(A) and the office of the CIT[E] appears to us to be an aberration, as normally we have noted that the officers Revenue do administer the Act with fairness and with loyalty to the Act. Therefore if the allegation in the petition are correct, then such failures on the part of its Officers needs to be corrected by the CBDT before it becomes the norm. Failing corrective measures by the CBDT, would only result in our entertaining petitions from orders under the Act as the alternative remedy would cease to be an efficacious remedy, if such arm twisting measures dehors application of the law, are adopted by the Revenue. We therefore direct the CBDT to carry out necessary investigation on the allegations made in the petition and if found correct, to take corrective measures to ensure that its Officers shall not be overzealous in seeking to recover maximum revenue before 31st March of any financial year, in total disregard of the law
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