ITO WARD-3(1), JAMSHEDPUR vs. M/S. SAMPURNA METALS PRIVATE LIMITED,, JAMSHEDPUR

This appeal filed by the Revenue pertaining to the Assessment Year (in short 'AY') 2015-16 is directed against the order passed u/s 250 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (in short the 'Act') by ld. Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) - Jamshedpur [in short 'ld. CIT(A)'] dated 09/09/2020.

Admittedly the tax effect in this revenue’s appeal, is less than Rs.50,00,000/-. In Circular No. 17/2019, dt. 08/08/2019 vide F. No. 279/ Misc. 142/2007-ITJ(Pt.), the CBDT has modified Circular No. 3 of 2018 dt. 11/07/2018. Further, the CBDT in its circular F. No. 279/Misc./M-93/2018- ITJ, dt. 20/08/2019, has clarified that the revised monetary limits, so 2 Assessment Year: 2015-16 M/s. Sampurna Metals Private Limited mentioned in Circular No. 17/2019 is applicable to all pending appeals. As per these circulars all the revenue appeals filed before the ITAT, having tax effect of less than Rs.50,00,000/- have to treated as withdrawn.

The Ahmedabad Bench of the ITAT in the case of ITO vs. Dinesh Madhavlal Patel in ITA No. 1398/Ahd/2004, Assessment Year 1998-99, order dt. 14/08/2019, while disposing off the appeal along with 627 others appeals, held as follows:- “5. Having considered the rival submissions and having perused the material on record, we do not have slightest of hesitation in holding that the concession extended by the CBDT not only applies to the appeals to be filed in future but it is also equally applicable to the appeals pending for disposal as on now. Our line of reasoning is this. The circular dated 8th August 2019 is not a standalone circular. It is to be read in conjunction with the CBDT circular no 3 of 2018 (and subsequent amendment thereto), and all it does is to replace paragraph nos. 3 and 5 of the said circular. This is evident from the following extracts from the circular dated 8th August 2019: 2. As a step towards further management of litigation. it has been decided by the Board that monetary limits for filing of appeals in income- tax cases be enhanced further through amendment in Para 3 of the Circular mentioned above and accordingly. the table for monetary limits specified in Para 3 of the Circular shall read as follows: S.No. Appeals/SLPs in Income-tax matters Monetary Limit (Rs.) 1 Before Appellate Tribunal 50,00,000 2 Before High Court 1,00,00,000 3 Before Supreme Court 2,00,00,000 3. Further, with a view to provide parity in filing of appeals in scenarios where separate order is passed by higher appellate authorities for each assessment year vis-a-vis where composite order for more than one assessment years is passed. para 5 of the circular is substituted by the following para: “5. The Assessing Officer shall calculate the tax effect separately for every assessment year in respect of the disputed issues in the case of every assessee. If in the case of an assessee, the disputed issues arise in more than one assessment year, appeal can be filed 3 Assessment Year: 2015-16 M/s. Sampurna Metals Private Limited in respect of such assessment year or years in which the tax effect in respect of the disputed issues exceeds the monetary limit specified in para 3. No appeal shall be filed in respect of an assessment year or years in which the tax effect is less than the monetary limit specified in para 3. Further, even in the case of composite order of any High Court or appellate authority which involves more than one assessment year and common issues in more than one assessment year no appeal shall be filed in respect of an assessment year or years in which the tax effect is less than the monetary limit specified in para 3. In case where a composite order/ judgement involves more than one assessee, each assessee shall be dealt with separately”

The said modifications shall come into effect from the date of issue of this Circular.

Clearly, all other portions of the circular no. 3 of 2018 (supra) have remained intact. The portion which has remained intact includes paragraph 13 of the aforesaid circular which is as follows: 13. This Circular will apply to SLPs/ appeals/ cross objections/references to be filed henceforth in SC/HCs/Tribunal and it shall also apply retrospectively to pending SLPs/ appeals/ cross objections/references. Pending appeals below the specified tax limits in pare 3 above may be withdrawn/ not pressed.

In view of the above discussions, we hereby hold that the relaxation in monetary limits for departmental appeals, vide CBDT circular dated 8th August 2019 (supra) shall be applicable to the pending appeals in addition to the appeals to be filed henceforth.

Learned Commissioner (DR) then submits liberty may kindly be given to point out, upon necessary further verifications, and to seek recall the dismissal of appeals and restoration of the appeals in the cases (i) in which it can be demonstrated that the appeals are covered by the exceptions, and (ii) which are inadvertently included in this bunch of appeals, wherein the tax effect, in terms of the CBDT circular (supra), exceeds Rs 50,00,000. None opposes this prayer; we accept the same. We make it clear that the appellants shall be at liberty to point out the cases which are wrongly included in the appeals so summarily dismissed, either owing to wrong computation of tax effect or owning to such cases