On the question as to whether for the purpose of availing deduction under Ch VI-A of the Act, the gross total income is required to be computed by deducting allowable depreciation even though the assessee had disclaimed the same for the purpose of regular assessment, there is a conflict of views between two Division Benches of the Court in Grasim Industries Ltd 245 ITR 677 and Scoop Industries 289 ITR 195. Accordingly, the issue has to be referred to the Full Bench.

The judgement of the Division Bench in CIT v. Ram Commercial Enterprises Ltd. (2000) 246 ITR 568 (Delhi) holding that penalty under Section 271(1)(c) of the Act cannot be levied where the authority initiating the penalty proceedings had not recorded its satisfaction regarding concealment of income or furnishing of inaccurate particulars thereof by the assessee is approved.

Where the assessee, Vodafone, a Dutch company, purchased shares of a Cayman Company (which in turn held shares of an Indian company ‘Hutch Essar’) from another foreign company (HTIL) and the AO issued a notice asking the assessee why it should not be treated as an assessee in default for failure to deduct tax at source on the capital gains and the assessee filed a writ petition to challenge the same on the ground that a transaction between two foreign companies did not attract the provisions of the Act, HELD dismissing the writ petition that:

Though Instruction No. 1914 dated 2nd Dec 1993 supercedes Instruction No. 96 dated 21st August 1969, it clearly provides that demand should be stayed in “exceptional circumstances e.g., where the assessment order appears to be unreasonably high-pitched or where genuine hardship is likely to be caused to the assessee”. A case where the assessed income is several times the returned income falls within the expression “unreasonably high pitched” and stay on recovery of demand must therefore be granted to the assessee.

It is incumbent upon the Tribunal, being the final authority of facts, to appreciate the evidence, consider the reasons of the authorities below and assign its own reasons as to why it disagrees with the reasons and findings of the lower authorities. The Tribunal cannot brush aside the reasons or findings recorded by the lower authorities. It must give reasons and its failure to do so renders its’ order unsustainable.