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DATE: June 14, 2018 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 21, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: 2012-13
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CITATION:
S. 263 Revision (show-cause notice): A Writ Petition to challenge a s. 263 notice is maintainable if the authority issuing the show-cause notice lacks jurisdiction and if the notice is clearly barred by law. As per Alagendran Finance 162 Taxman 465 (SC), the two year limitation period stipulated u/s 263(2) runs from the date of the original assessment and not from the date of reassessment when the s. 263 notice deals with issues which are not subject matter of reassessment proceedings (MAK Data 358 ITR 593 (SC) & Malabar Industrial Co 243 ITR 83 (SC) distinguished)

When a notice under Section 263 raises new issues, which are not subject matter of the re-assessment proceedings, then the two year period contemplated under Sub-section (2) of Section 263 would begin to run from the date of assessment and not from the date of re-assessment. In other words, the ratio laid down in Alagendran Finance 162 Taxman 465 (SC), particularly as elucidated in Paragraph 15 of the Alagendran Finance case, is to the effect that the two year limitation period stipulated under Section 263(2) will run from the date of assessment only and not from the date of reassessment when the Section 263 notice does not deal with the same subject as in assessment and when it deals with other issues which are not subject matter of reassessment proceedings

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DATE: May 25, 2018 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 21, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: 2012-13
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CITATION:
'On Money': The fact that the assessee has sold flats at an undervaluation does not mean that he has understated the consideration and earned undisclosed 'on money'. The mere presumption that excess price could have been charged is not a ground for coming to the conclusion that the assessee did charge a higher price. The burden of proving such understatement or concealment is on the Revenue (All important judgements considered)

The case law relied by Assessing Officer in ITO Vs Diamond Investment and Properties ITA No. 5537/M/2009 is not applicable on the facts of the present case. In case of Diamond Investment and Properties (supra), the flats were sold to the related parties was much lower than the price charged from the other parties. However, there is no allegation of related parties’ transaction in the present case. The coordinate bench of Tribunal Neelkamal Realtor & Erectors India (P0 Ltd (2013) 38 taxmann.com 195 held that when the assessee offered an explanation for charging lower price in respect of some of flats sold by it and Assessing Officer without controverting such explanation made addition to income of assessee by applying rate of another flat sold by it, Assessing Officer was not justified in his action. Similar view was taken by another bench of Tribunal in ACIT Vs Rustom Soil Sethna

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DATE: June 12, 2018 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 20, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: 2011-12
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CITATION:
S. 68: Addition of undisclosed income cannot be made on the basis of (a) entries in dairy found during survey & (b) admission of director in s. 133A survey if assessee has filed a retraction and alleged that the entries/ statement were recorded under pressure. A s. 133A statement is merely information simplicitor and not evidence per se. Addition cannot be sustained if the Dept has not investigated the matter and find material to support the addition

The Tribunal in its detailed order noted that the directors during the course of survey, had retracted the statements by filing affidavits. They also claimed that the diaries were created under the pressure of the survey party. The Tribunal noted decision of the Supreme Court in case of Paul Mathews & Sons v Commissioner Of Income Tax reported in [2003] 263 ITR 101 (Ker) and of Supreme Court in case of The Commissioner Of Income Tax vs M/S.S.Khader Khan Son reported in (2012) 25 taxmann.com 413 (Supreme Court), in which, it was highlighted that the statement under section 133A of the Act was not on oath and would have at best a coroborative value

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DATE: June 19, 2018 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 20, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: 2012-13
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CITATION:
S. 159/ 163/ 176: While a notice/ order on a dead person/ wound-up company is a nullity, this is subject to the condition that the department is made aware of the death/ winding-up. If the legal representative, either voluntarily or in response to a notice issued against the deceased but served upon his agent, allows the assessment proceedings to continue against the deceased/ wound-up company without any objection and lets the AO make an assessment order, it would not be open for him to take a plea at the appellate stage, as a last resort or as an afterthought, that the proceedings taken and the assessment order made against the deceased/ wound-up company are nullity. In such cases, the assessment is liable to be set-aside for a fresh assessment in accordance with law instead of its annulment

In the instant case before us, we have observed that compliance of the assessment proceeding before the Assessing Officer has been made from time to time by the persons authorized in this behalf and proceedings have not been challenged due to lack of jurisdiction. According to the available records, the validity of the jurisdiction has been challenged for first time before the Ld. DRP. In view of the above circumstances, following the finding of the Hon’ble Gujarat High Court in the case of CIT Vs. Sumantbhai C Munshaw (1981) 128 ITR 142 the assessment order should not be nullified

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DATE: November 13, 2017 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 15, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: -
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CITATION:
S. 254: While deciding an application for stay of demand, the Appellate Tribunal can only consider the prima facie case of merits. It cannot give a final finding on the merits and decide the appeal itself

The approach of the Appellate Tribunal is completely erroneous. What was heard before the Appellate Tribunal was the application for stay. There was no occasion for the Appellate Tribunal to go into the merits and decide the appeal itself by holding that it was devoid of any merits

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DATE: June 14, 2018 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 15, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: 2012-13
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CITATION:
S. 68 Bogus share premium: Addition cannot be made on the ground that the directors of the share subscribers did not turn up before the AO. The assessee can be required to prove only such facts which are in his knowledge. Creditworthiness of the subscriber cannot be disputed by the AO of the assessee but by the AO of the subscriber. If the assessee has discharged its onus to prove identity, creditworthiness & genuineness of the share applicants, the onus shifts to AO to disprove the documents furnished by assessee. In absence of any investigation, much less gathering of evidence by the AO, an addition cannot be sustained merely based on inferences drawn by circumstance (all judgements considered)

To sum up section 68 of the Act provides that if any sum found credited in the year in respect of which the assessee fails to explain the nature and source shall be assessed as its undisclosed income. In the facts of the present case, both the nature & source of the share application received was fully explained by the assessee. The assessee had discharged its onus to prove the identity, creditworthiness and genuineness of the share applicants. The PAN details, bank account statements, audited financial statements and Income Tax acknowledgments were placed on AO’s record. Accordingly all the three conditions as required u/s. 68 of the Act i.e. the identity, creditworthiness and genuineness of the transaction was placed before the AO and the onus shifted to AO to disprove the materials placed before him. Without doing so, the addition made by the AO is based on conjectures and surmises cannot be justified

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DATE: March 13, 2018 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 13, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: 2011-12
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CITATION:
S. 147: Law on reopening of assessments within four years and beyond four years explained with reference to all important case laws. Strictures passed against the AO for making comments which are highly objectionable and bordering on contempt and for being oblivious to law. As the very same ACIT had passed series of orders reopening assessments in ignorance of legal position, a compilation of judgments on reassessment proceedings should be furnished to the Commissioner to study the same. The position of law regarding the writ remedy is so settled, that it is understood even by the law students

The above observations made by the Assistant Commissioner of Income-Tax are highly objectionable and are bordering on contempt. We however, give him the benefit of doubt of being oblivious to law. We had, in fact, in an earlier Writ Petition No. 1000 of 2017, after noticing that the very same Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax had passed series of order reopening assessments in ignorance of legal position, had requested the learned Standing Counsel to furnish the compilation of judgments of reassessment proceedings to the learned Commissioner to study the same. The position of law regarding the writ remedy is so settled, that it is understood even by the law students

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DATE: May 31, 2018 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 13, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: 1995-96
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CITATION:
S. 282/ 292B: Entire law on "service of notice" and difference between "issue" and "service" of notice explained. S. 147 proceedings are initiated when the notice is "issued". Though "service" of notice u/s 147/148 is not a mere procedural requirement, but a condition precedent for initiation of proceedings, the service upon a person who was not authorized to receive notice does not render the proceedings null and void if the assessee complied and entered appearance

A company being a juristic and a legal person, service cannot be in person on the Company, and has to be affected by sending the notice to the registered office or at the place of business. In the context of the present case, we would only observe that the object and purpose of service of notice was to inform and make the company aware that proceedings under Section 147/148 of the Act had been initiated. Initiation of proceedings under Section 147/148 of the Act was upon recording of reasons to believe and upon necessary approvals. Initiation to this extent was valid and not disputed and challenged.

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DATE: January 19, 2018 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 13, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: 2012-13
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CITATION:
S. 263 Revision: Explanation 2 to s. 263 inserted by the FA 2015 (which confers power upon the CIT to revise assessments where inadequate inquiries have been conducted by the AO) is prospective in nature and does not apply even to a case where the CIT passed the order after Explanation 2 came on the statute. The CIT should show that the view taken by the AO is unsustainable in law. The action of the CIT in directing the AO to conduct enquiry in a particular manner is contrary to the law interpreted by the Delhi High Court in CIT v. Goetze (India) Ltd 361 ITR 505. If such course of action is permitted, the CIT can find fault with each and every assessment order without making any enquiry or verification in order to establish that the assessment order is not sustainable in law

Ld. DR also submitted that in light of the introduction of the Explanation 2 to s.263 by the Finance Act, 2015, the Ld. CIT had power to conduct further enquiry even in a case where inadequate enquiries have been conducted by the Assessing Officer. (a) Crompton Greaves Ltd v. CIT [ITA No. 1994/Mum/2013] dated 01.02.2016, (b) Madhurima International Pvt Ltd v. Pr. CIT [ITA No. 421/Mum/2017] dated 28.04.2017. 23. In this regard, we observe that the aforesaid judgments have been later considered by Hon’ble Mumbai Tribunal in several other cases. Further, in the recent judgments, the Hon’ble Tribunal has taken a view that the provisions to Explanation 2 to s. 263 of the Act introduced by the Finance Act, 2015 is prospective in nature and would not apply to the year under consideration

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DATE: June 4, 2018 (Date of pronouncement)
DATE: June 11, 2018 (Date of publication)
AY: 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98
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CITATION:
S. 271(1)(c) Penalty: Merely using the words that there is concealment of income and / or furnishing inaccurate particulars of income is not sufficient. The same should be particularized by the AO with a finding as to what particulars of income has been concealed or what particulars of income are inaccurate. The words 'concealment' or giving 'inaccurate particulars of income' have to be read strictly before penalty provisions u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act can be invoked. Zoom Communication 371 ITR 570 (Del) distinguished

Mere using the words that there is concealment of income and / or furnishing inaccurate particulars of income would not in the absence of same being particularized, lead to imposition of penalty. It is only when the specified officer of the Revenue is satisfied that there has been concealment of particulars of income or furnishing inaccurate particulars of income that the occasion to explain the conduct in terms of Explanation I to Section 271(1)(c) of the Act would arise

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