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Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, COCHIN BENCH, COCHIN
Before: Shri Chandra Poojari, AM & Shri George George K, JM
This appeal at the instance of the assessee is directed against the order of the CIT(A), dated 03.09.2019 passed u/s 154 r.w.s. 250 of the Income-tax Act. The assessee has also preferred stay application seeking to stay the recovery of outstanding tax arrears. The relevant assessment year is 2011-2012.
The brief facts of the case are as follow: The assessee is a co-operative society registered under the Kerala Co-operative Societies Act, 1969. For the assessment year 2011-2012, the return of income was filed, declaring income of Rs.Nil, after claiming deduction u/s 80P of the I.T.Act. The Assessing Officer passed order u/s 143(3)
. 2 SA No.55/Coch/2019. M/s.The Karakulam Service Co-op Bank Ltd. of the I.T.Act, disallowing the claim of deduction u/s 80P of the I.T.Act. The reasoning of the Assessing Officer to disallow the claim of deduction u/s 80P(2) of the I.T.Act was that the assessee was doing the business of banking, and therefore, in view of insertion of section 80P(4) of the I.T.Act with effect from 01.04.2007, the assessee will not be entitled to the deduction u/s 80P(2) of the I.T.Act. The Assessing Officer also disallowed the claim of deduction with regard to interest income received by the assessee on investments made with District Co-operative Banks.
Aggrieved by the order of assessment denying the claim of deduction u/s 80P(2) of the I.T.Act, the assessee preferred appeal to the first appellate authority. The CIT(A) allowed the appeal by holding that the assessee was eligible for deduction u/s 80P of the I.T.Act. The interest income received from other banks and treasury also was allowed as deduction u/s 80P(2)(a)(i) of the I.T.Act. In allowing the appeal of the assessee, the CIT(A) followed the judgment of the Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of Chirakkal Service Co- operative Co-operative Bank Ltd. v. CIT [(2016) 384 ITR 490 (Ker.).
Subsequently, the CIT(A) issued notice u/s 154 of the I.T.Act proposing to rectify his order passed, in view of the subsequent judgment of the Full Bench of the Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of The Mavilayi Service Co-operative Bank Ltd. v. CIT [ITA No.97/2016 order dated 19th March, 2019]. The assessee objected to the issuance of . 3 SA No.55/Coch/2019. M/s.The Karakulam Service Co-op Bank Ltd. notices. However, the CIT(A) rejected the objections raised by the assessee and passed order u/s 154 of the I.T.Act, disallowing the claim of the assessee u/s 80P(2) of the I.T.Act.
Aggrieved by the order of the CIT(A), the assessee has filed this appeal before the Tribunal raising the following grounds:-
“A) The appellant respectfully submits that the rectification order passed by the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), Thiruvananthapuram dated 3.9.2019 for the asst. year 2011-12 is erroneous in law and unsustainable.
B) It is further respectfully submitted that the exercise of jurisdiction u/s 154 is erroneous and unsustainable in the facts and circumstances of the case. As such, the assumption of jurisdiction for passing the impugned order is clearly illegal.
C) It is respectfully submitted that the judgment of the Hon'ble High Court Full Bench in the case of Mavalayi Service Co-operative Bank Ltd did not confer jurisdiction to the CIT(A) to initiate proceedings u/s. 154.
D) It is further respectfully submitted that para 35 of the judgment of the Full Bench in the case of Mavalayi Service Co-operative Bank Ltd concludes with "since each assessment year is a separate unit, the intention of the legislature is in no manner defeated by not allowing deduction u/s. 80 P of the IT Act by reason of sub-section (4) thereof, if the assessee society ceases to be the specified class of societies for which the deduction is provided, even if it was eligible in the initial years".
. 4 SA No.55/Coch/2019. M/s.The Karakulam Service Co-op Bank Ltd. E) The passage quoted above did not confer jurisdiction to the statutory authority including the CIT(Appeals), to negative the findings in the first round of litigation, which has acquired finality so far as the assessment year 2011-12 is concerned.
F) In this connection, the appellant respectfully submits that so far as the assessment year 2011-12 is concerned, the findings of the Hon'ble High Court of Kerala following the judgment in the case of Chirakkal Service Co-operative Bank Ltd are conclusive and final, where the appellant was also a party to the judgment of the Hon'ble High Court.
G) It is further respectfully submitted that the Full Bench judgment in the case of Mavilayi Service Co- operative Bank Ltd Vs. Commissioner of Income Tax, Calicut is appealed against before the Hon'ble Apex Court in SLP(Civil) NO.27628/2019. The SLP is admitted and leave granted. The Hon'ble Apex Court also ordered notice on the prayer for stay. So much as, the Department at this stage cannot pass any further order based on the Full Bench judgment.
H) It is also respectfully submitted that the Revenue's appeal before the Apex Court against the judgment in for 2008-09 in the appellant's own case was upheld and the Revenue's appeal dismissed. In the above circumstances, the statutory authority cannot alter the decision which has become final as a result of the dismissal of the Revenue's appeal by the Hon'ble Apex Court.
I) So far as the impugned proceedings u/s.154 are concerned, the judgments referred to therein would not alter the finality of the proceedings, so far as the assessment year 2011-12, is concerned.
. 5 SA No.55/Coch/2019. M/s.The Karakulam Service Co-op Bank Ltd. J) The appellant humbly prays that the Hon'ble Income Tax Appellate Tribunal may kindly be pleased to consider the grounds raised by the appellant before CIT(Appeals) in reply to the show cause notice as part of these grounds. For these and other grounds that may be urged at the time of hearing, the appellant humbly prays that the Hon'ble Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Cochin Bench, may kindly be pleased to set aside the impugned order, allow this appeal and render justice.”
The learned AR relied on the grounds raised. The learned Departmental Representative, on the other hand, strongly supported the orders of the Income-tax authorities.
We have heard the rival submissions and perused the material on record. The Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of Chirakkal Service Co-operative Co-operative Bank Ltd. v. CIT [(2016) 384 ITR 490 (Ker.)] had held that when a certificate has been issued to an assessee by the Registrar of Co-operative Societies characterizing it as primary agricultural credit society, necessarily, the deduction u/s 80P(2) of the I.T.Act has to be granted to the assessee. However, the Full Bench of the Hon’ble Kerala High Court in the case of The Mavilayi Service Co-operative Bank Ltd. v. CIT (supra) had reversed the above findings of the Hon’ble Kerala High Court in the case of Chirakkal Service Co-operative Co- operative Bank Ltd. v. CIT (supra). The Larger Bench of the Hon’ble Kerala High Court in the case of The Mavilayi Service Co-operative Bank Ltd. v. CIT (supra) held that the Assessing
. 6 SA No.55/Coch/2019. M/s.The Karakulam Service Co-op Bank Ltd.
Officer has to conduct an inquiry into the factual situation as to the activities of the assessee society to determine the eligibility of deduction u/s 80P of the I.T.Act. It was held by the Hon’ble High Court that the Assessing Officer is not bound by the registration certificate issued by the Registrar of Kerala Co-operative Society classifying the assessee-society as a co-operative society. The Hon’ble High Court held that each assessment year is separate and eligibility shall be verified by the Assessing Officer for each of the assessment years. The finding of the Larger Bench of the Hon’ble High Court reads as follows:-
“33. In view of the law laid down by the Apex Court in Citizen Co-operative Society [397 ITR 1] it cannot be contended that, while considering the claim made by an assessee society for deduction under Section 80P of the IT Act, after the introduction of sub-section (4) thereof, the Assessing Officer has to extend the benefits available, merely looking at the class of the society as per the certificate of registration issued under the Central or State Co-operative Societies Act and the Rules made thereunder. On such a claim for deduction under Section 80P of the IT Act, the Assessing Officer has to conduct an enquiry into the factual situation as to the activities of the assessee society and arrive at a conclusion whether benefits can be extended or not in the light of the provisions under sub-section (4) of Section 80P.
In Chirakkal [384 ITR 490] the Division Bench held that the appellant societies having been classified as Primary Agricultural Credit Societies by the competent authority under the KCS Act, it has necessarily to be held that the principal object of such societies is to undertake agricultural credit activities and to provide loans and advances for agricultural purposes, the rate of interest on such loans and advances to be at the rate to be fixed by the Registrar of Co-operative Societies under the KCS Act and having its area of operation confined to a Village, Panchayat or a Municipality and as such, they are entitled for the benefit of sub-section (4) of Section 80P of the IT Act to ease
. 7 SA No.55/Coch/2019. M/s.The Karakulam Service Co-op Bank Ltd. themselves out from the coverage of Section 80P and that, the authorities under the IT Act cannot probe into any issues or such matters relating to such societies and that, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies registered as such under the KCS Act and classified so, under the Act, including the appellants are entitled to such exemption.
In Chirakkal [384 ITR 490] the Division Bench expressed a divergent opinion, without noticing the law laid down in Antony Pattukulangara [2012 (3) KHC 726] and Perinthalmanna [363 ITR 268]. Moreover, the law laid down by the Division Bench in Chirakkal [384 ITR 490] is not good law, since, in view of the law laid down by the Apex Court in Citizen Co-operative Society [397 ITR 1], on a claim for deduction under Section 80P of the Income Tax Act, by reason of sub-section (4) thereof, the Assessing Officer has to conduct an enquiry into the factual situation as to the activities of the assessee society and arrive at a conclusion whether benefits can be extended or not in the light of the provisions under sub-section (4) of Section 80P of the IT Act. In view of the law laid down by the Apex Court in Citizen Co- operative Society [397 ITR 1] the law laid down by the Division Bench Perinthalmanna [363 ITR 268] has to be affirmed and we do so.
In view of the law laid down by the Apex Court in Ace Multi Axes Systems’ case (supra), since each assessment year is a separate unit, the intention of the legislature is in no manner defeated by not allowing deduction under Section 80P of the IT Act, by reason of sub-section (4) thereof, if the assessee society ceases to be the specified class of societies for which the deduction is provided, even if it was eligible in the initial years.”
7.1 The CIT(A) had initially allowed the appeal of the assessee and granted deduction u/s 80P(2) of the I.T.Act. Subsequently, the CIT(A) passed order u/s 154 of the I.T.Act, wherein the claim of deduction u/s 80P of the I.T.Act was denied, by relying on the judgment of the Larger Bench of the Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of The Mavilayi Service Co-operative Bank Ltd. v. CIT (supra). The CIT(A) ought not to have rejected the claim of deduction u/s 80P(2) of the . 8 SA No.55/Coch/2019. M/s.The Karakulam Service Co-op Bank Ltd. I.T.Act without examining the activities of the assessee- society. The Full Bench of the Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of The Mavilayi Service Co-operative Bank Ltd. V. CIT (supra) had held that the A.O. has to conduct an inquiry into the factual situation as to the activities of the assessee society to determine the eligibility of deduction u/s 80P of the I.T.Act. In view of the dictum laid down by the Full Bench of the Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court (supra), we restore the issue of deduction u/s 80P(2) to the files of the Assessing Officer. The Assessing Officer shall examine the activities of the assessee and determine whether the activities are in compliance with the activities of a co-operative society functioning under the Kerala Co-operative Societies Act, 1969 and accordingly grant deduction u/s 80P(2) of the I.T.Act.
7.2 As regards the interest on the investments with Co- operative Banks and other Banks, the co-ordinate Bench order of the Tribunal in the case of Kizhathadiyoor Service Co- operative Bank Limited in (order dated 20.07.2016), had held that interest income earned from investments with treasuries and banks is part of banking activity of the assessee, and therefore, the said interest income was eligible to be assessed as `income from business’ instead of `income from other sources’. However, as regards the grant of deduction u/s 80P of the I.T.Act on such interest income, the Assessing Officer shall follow the law laid down by the Larger Bench of the Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of The Mavilayi Service Co-operative Bank Ltd. V.
. 9 SA No.55/Coch/2019. M/s.The Karakulam Service Co-op Bank Ltd. CIT (supra) and examine the activities of the assessee-society before granting deduction u/s 80P of the I.T.Act on such interest income. It is ordered accordingly.
Since we have disposed of the appeal filed by the assessee, the Stay Application filed by the assessee becomes infructuous and the same is dismissed as such.
In the result, the appeal filed by the assessee is allowed for statistical purposes and the Stay Application is dismissed.
Order pronounced on this 14th day of January, 2020.