Sanjay Agrawal v. PCIT (2021) 199 DTR 533 / 319 CTR 684 (Chhattisgarh) (HC)

S.147: Reassessment – After the expiry of four years – Income escaped assessment – Not barred by limitation – Reassessment notice was held to be valid [ S.40A(3), 147,151 Art, 226 ]

Dismissing the petition the Court held that the phrase reasons to believe does not mean that the Assessing Officer should have ascertained the facts by legal evidence. All that is required is that, the Assessing Officer should prima facie have some material on the basis of which there should be reasons to believe of certain incomes chargeable to tax escaping assessment. There need not be any concrete evidence or proof available for coming to a final conclusion. It is only an initiation of proceedings of reassessment where the assessee gets a chance to put forth their defence, explanation and justification which would further be scrutinized by the Assessing Officer while reaching to the final conclusion. One should not loose sight of the fact that the final assessment on the conclusion of a proceedings under Section 147 of the Act is also an appealable order wherein also the assessee has a right to agitate or challenge the order passed by the Assessing Officer on a proceeding under Section 147 of the Act. On the facts the Assessing Officer has reason to believe  that  an income of more than Rs.2.53 Crores, which are chargeable to tax has escaped assessment and which has come to the notice of Department at a later stage in the course of  scrutiny assessment .  The documents having been submitted to the Assessing Officer at the first instance and the Assessing Officer having skipped/missed the said transaction from being assessed or having been overlooked, the same would not bar the department from initiating proceedings under Section 147 of the Act in case if the department finds at a later stage certain transaction which have escaped assessment. (AY. 2013 -14 )