The CBDT has issued Circular No. 25/2015 dated 31.12.2015 pointing out that pursuant to the judgement of the Delhi High Court in Nalwa Sons Investment Ltd 327 ITR 543 (Delhi) and the substitution of Explanation 4 of section 271 of the Act with prospective effect, it is now a settled position that prior to 1/4/2016, where the income tax payable on the total income as computed under the normal provisions of the Act is less than the tax payable on the book profits u/s 115JB of the Act, then penalty under 271(1)(c) of the Act is not attracted with reference to additions /disallowances made under normal provisions. The CBDT has clarified that in cases prior to 1.4.2016, if any adjustment is made in the income computed for the purpose of MAT, then the levy of penalty u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act, will depend on the nature of adjustment. The above settled position is to be followed in respect of section 115JC of the Act also. The CBDT has accordingly directed that no appeals may henceforth be filed on this ground and appeals already filed, if any, on this issue before various Courts/Tribunals may be withdrawn/not pressed upon.
CIRCULAR NO. 25/2015
F.No.279/Misc./140/2015/ITJ
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Central Board of Direct TaxesNew Delhi, 31st December, 2015
Subject: Penalty u/s 271(1)(c) wherein additions/disallowances made under normal provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961 but tax levied under MAT provisions u/s 115JB/115JC, for cases prior to A.Y. 2016-17-reg.-
Section 115JB of the Act is a special provision for levy of Minimum Alternate Tax on Companies, inserted by Finance Act 2000 with effect from 1-4-2001.
2. Under clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 271 of the Act, penalty for concealment of income or furnishing inaccurate particulars of income is determined based on the “amount of tax sought to be evaded” which has been defined inter-alia, as the difference between the tax due on the income assessed and the tax which would have been chargeable had such total income been reduced by the amount of concealed income or income in respect of which inaccurate particulars had been filed.
3. In this context, Hon’ble Delhi High Court in its judgment dated 26.8.2010 in ITA No.1420 of 2009 in the case of Nalwa Sons Investment Ltd. (available in NJRS as 2010-LL-0826-2), held that when the tax payable on income computed under normal procedure is less than the tax payable under the deeming provisions of Section 115JB of the Act, then penalty under section 271(1)(c) of the Act could not be imposed with reference to additions /disallowances made under normal provisions. The judgment has attained finality.
4. Subsequently, the provisions of Explanation 4 to sub-section (1) of section 271 of the Act have been substituted by Finance Act, 2015, which provide for the method of calculating the amount of tax sought to be evaded for situations even where the income determined under the general provisions is less than the income declared for the purpose of MAT u/s 115JB of the Act. The substituted Explanation 4 is applicable prospectively w.e.f. 01.04.2016.
5. Accordingly, in view of the Delhi High Court judgment and substitution of Explanation 4 of section 271 of the Act with prospective effect, it is now a settled position that prior to 1/4/2016, where the income tax payable on the total income as computed under the normal provisions of the Act is less than the tax payable on the book profits u/s 115JB of the Act, then penalty under 271(1)(c) of the Act, is not attracted with reference to additions /disallowances made under normal provisions. It is further clarified that in cases prior to 1.4.2016, if any adjustment is made in the income computed for the purpose of MAT, then the levy of penalty u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act, will depend on the nature of adjustment.
6. The above settled position is to be followed in respect of section 115JC of the Act also.
7. Accordingly, the Board hereby directs that no appeals may henceforth be filed on this ground and appeals already filed, if any, on this issue before various Courts/Tribunals may be withdrawn/not pressed upon. This may be brought to the notice of all concerned.
(Ramanjit Kaur Sethi)
DCIT (OSD) (ITJ), CBDT, New Delhi
A law or a statute ought to be clear, if not that statute could never be called a statute but some direction under sub delegation to an administrator.
CBDT shd learn to understand what is a statute? so also what is a clarification?
Clarification could be given by the legal draftsman only not even the ministry secretary or the minister why even parliamentarian.
i think it is better these worthies learn basic law appreciation.
otherwise every time some so called clarification surface, courts need to discard these kinds of clarifications, is my considered view.
Else there will be plethora of clarifications.
administrator need to be clear what he does. if not he is no longer an administrator at all.