This Digest of case laws is prepared by KSA Legal and AIFTP from judgements reported in BCAJ, CTR, DTR, ITD, ITR, ITR (Trib), Chamber's Journal, SOT, Taxman, TTJ, BCAJ, ACAJ, www.itatonline.org and other journals
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S.45: Capital gains —Sale of agricultural Land — Land should be agricultural at the time of sale — Purchase of agricultural land for building factory and subsequent sale as residential plots — Profits is not exempt from capital gains tax [ S. 2(14)(iii) ]

Synthite Industries Ltd. v. CIT (2018) 404 ITR 605 (Ker) (HC)

S. 37(1) : Business expenditure -Club expenses – Payment made for acquiring membership in a social club is not allowable as business expenditure, in the absence of any evidence to effect that membership was acquired for entertaining customer .

L. Jairam Parwani v. Dy. CIT ( 2018) 225 Taxman 362 ( Mad) (HC)

S. 36(1)(vii) :Bad debt -Business loss- Finance company -Advances in form of equity participation to derive income Investment written off is allowable as bad debts . [ S.28(i)]

CIT v. Industrial Finance Corporation Of India Ltd. (2018) 404 ITR 629 (Delhi) (HC) Editorial: SLP of revenue is dismissed , CIT v. Industrial Finance Corporation Of India Ltd. (2018) 401 ITR 171 (St.)(SC)

S. 12AA : Procedure for registration –Trust or institution- Failure to dispose of application before expiry of 6 Months does not result in deemed grant of registration.

CIT v. Shri Awadh Bihari Shri Ram Lok Vikas Sansthan. (2018) 404 ITR 640 (All) (HC)

S. 9(1)(1) : Income deemed to accrue or arise in India – Permanent Establishment – Payment received by the applicant from the Indian hotel owner for provision of global reservation services ( “CRS”) would be chargeable to tax in India under S.9(1)(1) read with articles 5 and 7 of the India -Luxemburg DTAA as business income and is attributable to the applicant’s permanent establishment in India. Duty of Authority to look at all aspects of questions set forth to enable it to pronounce ruling on substance of questions posed . Giving Ruling on stream of income without regard to other business operations and streams of income leaving other provisions open for regular assessment – DTAA-India – Luxembourg [ Art , 5,7 12, R.12 ]

Frs Hotel Group (LUX) S.A.R.L., IN RE (2018) 404 ITR 676/ 167 DTR 57/ 256 Taxman 361/ 303 CTR 652 (AAR)

S. 260A: Appeal – High Court -Limitation-The time limit for filing an appeal to the High Court begins from the date of receipt of the order by the officer entitled to file the appeal. The fact that the ITAT may have dispatched the order earlier is not relevant. The fact that the officer may be aware of the ITAT’s order owing to collateral proceedings is also not relevant. The appeal was not barred by limitation .[ S.2(16), 254(1),260A(2)(a) ]

DIT (IT) v. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd( 2018) 407 ITR 129/ 167 DTR 481 /256 Taxman 147 / 303 CTR 420 (Uttrakhand)(HC), www.itatonline.org Edtoral: SLP of assessee is dismissed, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd ( 2019) 263 Taxman 119 (SC)

S. 260A : Appeal – High Court -Transfer pricing – Substantial questions of law-Comparables- Arm’s length price- ‘Transfer Pricing Adjustments’ should become final with a quietus at the hands of the final fact finding body, i.e. the Tribunal. The ITAT’s findings of fact cannot be challenged in the High Court unless it is shown that the findings are ex-facie perverse and unsustainable and exhibit total non-application of mind by the Tribunal to the relevant facts of the case and evidence before it[ S.92C ]

PCIT v. Softbrands India P. Ltd ( 2018) 406 ITR 513 /168 DTR 185/ 303 CTR 695 (Karn)(HC), www.itatonline.org

S. 254(1) : Appellate Tribunal – Condonation of delay- Delay of 92 days – The AO was negligent in filing the remand report before the CIT(A). The same attitude has continued at the stage of filing appeal to the ITAT. The excuse that the appeal was not filed due to the AO being busy with time barring assessment is not acceptable. The AO deliberately overlooked the impugned order and did not file appeal before the Tribunal within the period of limitation. Even the authorization by PCIT to file the appeal has been granted after the period of limitation. Hence sufficient cause is not shown [ S.253(1) ]

ITO v. Gisil Designs Pvt. Ltd (2018) 65 ITR 38 (SN)/ 195 TTJ 100 (UO) (Delhi)(Trib) www.itatonline.org

S. 90 :Double taxation relief -The failure to submit a ‘Tax Residency Certificate’ (TRC) as required by S.90(4) is not a bar to the grant of benefits under the DTAA. However, the assessee is required to produce reasonable evidence of the entitlement of the foreign entity to benefits under the DTAA-DTAA-India –USA. [ S.90(4),art. 12(4)(b) ]

Skaps Industries India Pvt.Ltd. v. ITO( 2018) 167 DTR 321/ 171 ITD 723/ 194 TTJ 730 (Ahd)(Trib), www.itatonline.org

S. 68: Cash credits- Bogus share capital- If the AO has remained silent with folded hands and has not made any independent inquiry from the concerned AO of share holder company and has not controverted the evidence produced by the assessee, that itself is sufficient to knock off the addition made. The fact that there is no personal appearance from director of said cash creditor (share holder) does not mean that an adverse inference u/s 68 can be drawn by the AO without the AO discharging the secondary burden lying upon him .

Moti Adhesives Pvt. Ltd. v. ITO (Delhi)(Trib), www.itatonline.org