Once the CIT is vested with the power of condonation of delay, then it is incumbent upon the CIT to take into consideration the reasons mentioned by the assessee seeking condonation of delay. In matters of this kind, wherein a benefit is sought to be given to an assessee that too with retrospective effect, a highly technical and pedantic approach is required to be eschewed and approach which furthers the intent and purport of the legislation is required to be adopted

It is well settled that in matters of condonation of delay a highly pedantic approach should be eschewed and a justice oriented approach should be adopted and a party should not be made to suffer on account of technicalities

Power u/s 263 cannot be exercised unless both conditions are satisfied i.e. the order is (i) erroneous and (ii) prejudicial to the interest of the revenue. There is a fine though subtle distinction between “lack of inquiry” and “inadequate inquiry”. It is only in cases of “lack of inquiry” that revisional powers u/s 263 can be exercised. Further, while lack of enquiry by the AO may render the assessment order “erroneous” it is not necessarily “prejudicial to the interests of the revenue”. The CIT must deal with the submissions of the assessee and give reasons as to how the order is erroneous and prejudicial to the interests of the revenue. A bare assertion is not sufficient. S. 263 proceedings cannot be initiated with a view to starting fishing and roving inquiries

The argument that there is a “sale” of a Sim Card is not acceptable because a Sim Card has no value or use for the subscriber other than to get connection to the mobile network. The supply of the Sim Card is only for the purpose of rendering continued services by the assessee to the subscriber of the mobile phone. Consequently, the charges collected by the assessee at the time of delivery of Sim Cards or Recharge coupons is for rendering services to ultimate subscribers

On facts, the argument that the transaction involved merely a sale of a share of a foreign company by one non-resident to another is not acceptable. It would be simplistic to assume that the entire transaction between the non-residents was fulfilled merely upon the transfer of a single share of the Cayman Islands company. The commercial and business understanding between the parties postulated that what was being transferred from one non-resident to the other was the controlling interest in Hutchison Essar, an Indian company. The object and intent of the parties was to achieve the transfer of control over the Indian company and the transfer of the solitary share of the Cayman Islands company was put into place as a mode of effectuating the goal

However, while software is “goods”, all transactions are not necessarily a “sale”. The transaction may be one which is either an ‘exclusive sale’ or ‘an exclusive service’ or one which has the elements of a sale and service. A perusal of a sample ‘End User Licence Agreement’ (EULA) shows that the dominant intention of the parties is that the developer keeps the copyright of each software is only the right to use with copyright protection. By the agreement, the developer does not sell the software as such. The Petitioner in turn enters into a EULA for marketing the software to the end-user. Accordingly, when a transaction takes place between the Petitioner and its customers, it is not the sale of the software as such, but only the contents of the data stored in the software which would amount to only service. To bring the deemed sale under Article 366(29A)(d) of the Constitution, there must be a transfer of right to use any goods and when the goods as such is not transferred, the question of deeming sale of goods does not arise and in that sense, the transaction would be only a service and not a sale

The assessee had claimed deduction u/s 80HHC after a full disclosure of the material facts. As four years had elapsed from the end of the assessment year, the assessment could not be reopened in the absence of failure to disclose the material facts. The judgment of the Supreme Court is an expression of opinion on the interpretation of statute. Merely because a judgment has been rendered, the same cannot be a ground for reopening the assessment u/s 147 as it amounts to a change of opinion. Austin Engineering 312 ITR 70 (Guj) followed)

There is a distinction between the subject matter of a tax and the standard by which the amount of tax is measured. The subject matter of tax is capital gains and the manner in which it should be computed is provided by s. 50C. S. 50C is only a measure of tax and not the subject matter of tax. The valuation rule of the Stamp Act is for the purpose of computation of income. It is only a standard of measure for imposing tax. (Principle laid down in A. Sanyasi Rao 219 ITR 330 (SC) followed)

Rule 8D r.w. S. 14A (2) is not arbitrary or unreasonable but can be applied only if assessee’s method not satisfactory. Rule 8D is not retrospective and applies from AY 2008-09. For earlier years, disallowance has to be worked out on “reasonable basis” u/s 14A (1)

Deduction of interest u/s 36(1)(iii) on borrowed funds utilized for the acquisition of shares is admissible only if shares are held as stock in trade and the assessee is engaged in trading in shares. So far as acquisition of shares in the form of investment is concerned and where the only benefit derived is dividend income which is not assessable under the Act, disallowance u/s 14A is squarely attracted