No AI summary yet for this case.
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, COCHIN BENCH, COCHIN
Per CHANDRA POOJARI, AM:
This appeal by the Revenue and the Cross Objection by the assessee are directed
order of the CIT(A), Trivandrum dated 22/02/2018 and pertains to the assessment
year 2009-10.
1.1 At the time of hearing, the Ld. AR made an endorsement that the assessee is
not interested in pursuing the Cross Objection in C.O. No.47/Coch/2019. Hence,
the Cross Objection filed by the assessee is dismissed as withdrawn.
At the outset, there was a delay of 496 days in filing the appeal before the
Tribunal. The Ld. DR has filed a condonation petition accompanied by an affidavit
stating that the order of the CIT(A), Trivandrum dated 22/02/2018 in the case of
the assessee herein for the assessment year 2009-10 was received in the O/o
Principal Commissioner of Income-tax on 23/02/2018. The Ld. DR submitted that
as such, an appeal against the said order should have been filed on or before
24.04.2018. According to the Ld. DR , as per the said order, it was noticed that
CIT(A) erred in holding that the assessee is eligible for alternate claim of deduction
u/s. 10A of the Act.
2.1 It was submitted that the CIT(A) ought to have noted that section 10A(5) of
the Income-tax Act stipulates that the deduction u/s. 10A shall not be admissible 2
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unless the assessee furnished Form No. 56F alongwith the return of income, by
which the tax effect is Rs.14,56,56,499/-. Hence, vide this order in C. No.
404/J/8/2018 dated 17/04/2018, the Principal Commissioner of Income-tax,
Thiruvananthapuram had directed the Deputy Commissioner to file an appeal
against the impugned order. It was submitted that as directed by the Principal
Commissioner of Income-tax, Thiruvananthapuram, all the required documents
were sent to the office of the Commissioner of Income-tax(DR) on 20/04/2018. It
was submitted that inadvertently, both the tapals were delivered to the office of the
Commissioner of Income-tax(DR) and both copies were retained there on the
impression that it pertains to that office. Later on, it was learnt that this case had
not been filed before the ITAT and subsequently, vide letter dated 31/07/2019,
Commissioner of Income-tax(DR), ITAT, Kochi directed this office to file the appeal
afresh with necessary condonation petition after completing the formalities from the
higher authorities. According to the Ld. DR, on that basis this office had once
again obtained an order u/s. 253(2) from the Principal Commissioner of Income-tax,
Thiruvananthapuram on 26/08/2019. Thus, there was delay of 49 day.
Accordingly, it was prayed that it is only just and reasonable that the delay was
condoned, and the appeal was heard on merits.
2.2 We have gone through the condonation petition filed by the Department. As
seen from the records, both the copies of required documents relating to the filing
of the appeal were inadvertently sent to the office of the Commissioner of Income-
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tax(DR), ITAT, Kochi instead of the Commissioner of Income-tax(Appeals),
Trivandrum. We find that reasons advanced by the Department is bona fide and
there is good and sufficient cause for belatedly filing the appeal before the Tribunal.
Accordingly, the delay of 496 days in filing the appeal is condoned and the appeal is
admitted for adjudication.
The Revenue has raised the following grounds of appeal:
The order of the learned Commissioner of Income-tax(Appeals), Thiruvananthapuram, in so far as on the points mentioned below are con concerned, is opposed to law on the facts and circumstances of the case.
The Ld. Commissioner of Income-tax(Appeals) erred in holding that the appellant is eligible for alternate claim of deduction u/s. 10A of the Act. the CIT(A) ought to have noted that section 10A(5) of the Income Tax Act stipulates that the deduction u/s. 10A shall not be admissible unless the assessee furnishes Form No. 56F along with the return of income and the report of an accountant as specified. No such claim was made by the appellant in the return of income filed and this was not raised as an additional ground/claim but as an alternative claim before the appellate authority, where as a claim for deduction u/s. 10B was already mad ein the return of income.
The Ld. Commissioner of Income-tax(Appeals) ought to have followed the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the case of Goetze(India) Ltd. (284 ITR 323) wherein it was held that an additional claim for deduction not made in the return of income cannot be entertained otherwise than by filing a valid revised return.
The appeal filed by the Department, involving similar question is pending before the Hon’ble High Court of Kerala in the case of appellant for AY 2007- 08 and also in the following cases:
(i) Q Burst Technologies Pvt. Ltd. – AYs 2008-09 and 2010-11 (ii) Paragon Biomedical India Pvt. Ltd. – AYs 2010-11 and 2011-12
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The Ld. Commissioner of Income-tax(Appeals) has erred in deleting the disallowance of proportionate amount of interest relatable to the amounts diverted to the associate concerns based on the decision of Hon’ble ITAT in ITA No.02/Coch/2013 dated 20/03/2013 in the appellant’s case for AY 2008- 09, stating that the issue involved for the year under consideration is also same and identical to each other. The CIT(A) ought to have noticed that the relief for AY 2008-09 was granted by ITAT on the specific finding that the appellant had not advanced fund to sister concerns during the previous year 2007-08. During the previous year 2008-09, relevant to the AY under consideration, the appellant had advanced an amount of Rs.50,00,000/- to Toonz Animation India (P) Ltd. on 27.02.2009 and Rs.16,18,441/- to UST Global Information Technology Parks (P) Ltd. on 12/03/2009 which can’t be considered as identical to the decision relied upon.
For these and other grounds that may be advanced at the time of hearing the order of the learned Commissioner of appeals, Trivandrum on the above points may be set aside and that of the Assessing Officer restored.
The first ground is too general in nature which does not require adjudication.
4.1 The second ground is with regard to allowance of deduction u/s. 10A of the I.T. Act.
The facts of the case are that having found that its claim of deduction made
u/s. 10B has not been entertained during the course of assessment proceedings,
the assessee made an alternative claim of deduction u/s. 10A of the Act by filing a
revised return but the same has not been entertained by the Assessing Officer as
there was no consistency in the claim of deduction and not supported by recognized
certification. The assessee filed Form No. 56F dt.17.02.2016 making a claim of
deduction u/s 10A of a sum of Rs.34,76,09,469/-. The assessee has also filed
another Form No.56F dt. 17.04.2017 claiming a different amount of
Rs.36,08,47,424/- to be allowed as deduction u/s 10A. By virtue of the provisions of 5
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section 10A(5) deduction u/s 10A is allowable only if the prescribed form i.e. Form
No. 56F along with the report of the accountant certifying that the deduction has
correctly been claimed in accordance with the provisions of the section, is filed
along with the return of income. Since the assessee neither had filed the return
claiming the deduction u/s 10A nor filed Form No.56F along with the return,
ordinarily the claim of deduction cannot be allowed in accordance with the decision
of the Supreme Court in the case of Goetze (India) Ltd Vs CIT (284 ITR 323) as
claim of deduction not been made in the original return filed cannot be entertained
unless a valid revised return is filed. Thus, filing a return along with Form No.56F is
the must for claiming fresh deduction u/s 10A but in the absence of such return
been filed before the CIT(A), whether the fresh claim made now could be
entertained or not is the question to be answered first. To answer this question, the
CIT(A) relied on the decision of the Hon'ble ITAT, Cochin Bench in the case of CWP
Taylor Vs DCIT for the Asst. Year 2004-05 in ITA No.695/Coch/2008 dated
28.07.2009 wherein it was held as follows:
"We have heard rival submissions. No doubt, in the case of Goetze (India) Ltd. 284 ITR 323 the Apex Court held that an assessee could not make a claim for deduction before the Assessing Officer otherwise than by fling a revised return. Hon'ble Apex Court distinguished its own decision in the case of National Thermal Power Corporation Vs. CIT (Supra) by mentioning that the question there was regarding the power of the Tribunal u/s 254 of the Act to entertain, for the first time, a point of law, provided the facts on the basis of which the issue could be raised were there before the Tribunal. Their Lordships specifically held that its decision did not impinge the power of the Tribunal to entertain first time a point of law provided the facts on the basis of which the issue is raised is there on record. This decision of Hon'ble Apex Court is limited to the power of assessing authorities for considering a claim made by the assessee which was originally not there in the return".
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"In our opinion, though the assessing officer could not entertain the claim made by the assessee otherwise than through a revised return, nothing prevented the learned Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) from considering the claim of the assessee, which the assessee had specifically, raised in its ground of appeal in view of the decision of the Hon'ble Apex Court in NTPC's case referred supra."
5.1 In the background of forgoing, according to the CIT(A), it was clarified
beyond doubt that the first appellate authority can entertain the fresh claim of
deduction made u/s 10A subject to raising the issue in the grounds of appeal and
the facts on the basis of which the issue could be raised are readily available before
the first appellate authority. Further, various Courts have held that powers of the
CIT(A) is co-terminus with that of the Assessing Officer. Thus, the CIT(A) went
ahead with verifying the claim of deduction made u/s 10A as the assessee had
already raised this issue in the grounds of appeal and facts are more or less same
for the claim of deduction either u/s 10B or u/s 10A of the Act.
5.2 With regard to the eligibility to claim deduction, the CIT(A) observed that
Section 10A(2) of the Act assumes significance, which reads as follows,
This section applies to any undertaking which fulfills all the following
conditions, namely,
(i) It has begun or begins to manufacture or produce articles or things or computer software during the previous year relevant to the assessment year. (a) commencing on or after the 1st day of April, 1981, in any free trade zone; or
I.T(TP).A. No. 514Coch/2019 & C.O. No.47/Coch/2019 (b) commencing on or after the 1st day of April, 1994, in any electronic hardware technology park, or, as the case may be, software technology park; (c) commencing on or after the 1st day of April, 2001 in any special economic zone;
(ii) it is not formed by the splitting up, or the reconstruction, of a business already in existence:
Provided that this condition shall not apply in respect of any undertaking which is formed as a result of the re-establishment, reconstruction or revival by the assessee of the business of any such undertakings as is referred to in Section 33B, in the circumstances and within the period specified in that section;
(iii) it is not formed by the transfer to a new business of machinery or plant previously used for any purpose.
5.3 Thus, according to the CIT(A), the case of the assessee was covered by the
provisions of section 10A(2)((b) since they got registered on 28.09.1999 and started
business on 13.03.2000 at the Software Technology Park. Trivandrum and had been
in the business of exporting computer software since then. According to the CIT(A)
the Assessing Officer's observation in the remand report dated 17.11.2017 stating
that “the assessee had commenced manufacturing or production on 13.10.2010 as
per Form No.56F submitted but as per section 10A, the assessee can claim
deduction u/s 10A for a period of 10 consecutive assessment years beginning with
the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which the undertaking begins
to manufacture or produce. So, the assessee is eligible for 10A deduction only from
AY 2010-11 and not for AY 2009-10, the year under consideration ", is factually
incorrect since the same was an outcome of typographical error inadvertently
committed by the assessee in Form No.56F filed on 17.02.2016, a copy of which 8
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was forwarded to the Assessing Officer while calling for remand report and no
further action in this regard need be taken as the manufacture or production had
rightly been started only on 13.03.2000 based on which not only the assessment
orders for the earlier assessment years were passed but also the appellate
proceedings were also completed.
5.4 For the alternative claim of deduction made u/s 10A of the Act, the CIT(A)
called for remand report from the incumbent Assessing Officer. The assessing
authority on verification of details furnished by the assessee brought out the
following issues as identified and for further consideration:
“(a) The assesses has commenced manufacturing or production on 13.03.2010 as per form 56F submitted, but as per section 10A the assesses can claim the deduction u/s 10A for a period of 10 consecutive assessment years beginning with the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which the undertaking begins to manufacture or produce. So assessee is eligible for 10A deduction only from AY 2010-11, and not for AY 2009-10.
(b) As per section 80A(5) of the Income Tax Act 1961 deduction u/s 10A can be allowed only if the claim is made in the return of income filed. The assessee has claimed deduction u/s 10A only in the return of income filed against notice u/s 147. Hence assessee is not eligible for claiming deduction u/s IDA of the Act
(c) From the submission of the assessee it was seen that the assessee did not e-file form 56F along with the return of income, however, the assessee has furnished Form 56F on 17.02.2016. However as per the provisions of section 10A, deduction u/s 10A is not admissible if the assessee fails to furnish form 56F aiong with the return of income.
(d) It is also brought to your kind attention that revision u/s 263 was completed on 29.06.2017 in this case and there is a change in total turnover and hence, deduction u/s 10A and hence, the computation submitted by assessee will have to be modified accordingly.
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In view of the points (a) to (c) above, it appears that assessee is not eligible for deduction u/s. 10A.”
5.5 From the above, it could be made out that the first appellate authority had
power to entertain a fresh claim of deduction not been made before the Assessing
Officer. According to the CIT(A), the Assessing Officer had not commented
adversely on the allowability of deduction u/s 10A claimed by the assessee except
pointing out that the deduction can be allowed only if the claim was made in the
original return filed but not in the return which was filed subsequent to the notice
issued u/s 148 of the Act. Further, the CIT(A) observed that provisions regarding
filing of audit report etc. had been declared directory but not mandatory and
thereby, audit report etc. could be filed even during the course of assessment
proceedings and appellate proceedings as well. The CIT(A) relied on the decision
of the ITAT, Cochin Bench in the case of CWP Taylor vs. CIT supra, the decision of
the Supreme Court in the case of Goetze India Ltd. supra is limited to the power of
Assessing Officer only and does not affect the powers of the first appellate authority
in entertaining the claim not been made before the Assessing officer by filing a valid
return.
5.6 The CIT(A) referred to the letter of the representative dated 22.02.2016
explaining how the assessee had fulfilled all the conditions contemplated u/s 10A of
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the Act and satisfied that the assessee is eligible for deduction. The conditions
contemplated u/s 10A were complied with as follows:
Sub-section 1 100% deduction is allowed for a ten (10) Yes consecutive assessment years on profits earned from export of computer software from the year in which the unit begins to manufacture computer software, subject to conditions mentioned in the sub-sections to 10A Sub-section 1A Conditions for deduction under section available Not applicable Sub-section 1B to erstwhile units in SEZ Sub-section 1C Sub-section 2 The unit should begin development of software Yes – In the (i) in a Software Technology park Limited on or year of after 01 April, 1994. (The Company had formation for all obtained approval as a 100% export oriented three eligible unit from STPI on 28 September 1999) units. Sub-section 2(ii) The unit should not be formed by splitting up or reconstruction of a business already in existence. (The eligible unit of the company were newly formed in AY 1999-2000) Sub-section The unit should not be formed by transfer of 2(iii) plant and machinery previously used. Sub-section 3 Sales and proceeds of computer software Yes should be received within a period of 6 months or such other extended time prescribed by Reserve Bank of India. Sub-section 4 The profits eligible for section 10A of the Act, Yes shall be the amount which bears to the profits of the business of the undertaking, the same proportion as the export turnover in respect of such computer software bears to the total turnover of the business carried on by the undertaking. Sub-section 5 For availing benefit under section 10A of the Yes Act, Form 56F should be furnished
Sub-section 6(i) (Applicable only till A.Y. 2000-01 Not applicable Sub-section 6(ii) (Applicable only till AY 2000-01) Not applicable. Sub-section No deduction under section 80HH or 80HHA or Yes 6(iii) section 80-I or setion 80-IA or section 80-IB is allowable on profits of the undertaking Sub-section In computing the depreciation allowance under Yes 6(iv) section 32, the written down value of any asset used for the purposes of the business of the undertaking shall be computed as if the assessee had claimed deduction in respect of depreciation for each of the relevant
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assessment year Sub-section 7 Transfer of goods and services must be at fair Not applicable market value of goods in case of availing deduction under section 10a of the Act Sub-section 7A Tax holiday benefits in case of transfer of Not applicable undertaking pursuant to amalgamation or demerger is subject to certain restrictions.
5.7 In view of the above, the CIT(A) held that the assessee is eligible for
deduction u/s. 10A of the Act and he relied on the judgment of the Delhi High Court
in the case of CIT vs Technovate E Solutions P Ltd reported in 354 ITR 110 wherein
it was held as follows:
" That the Central Board of Direct Taxes in Instruction No.l of 2006, dated March 31, 2006, clarified that the claim of deduction under section 10A should not be denied to the software technology park units only on the ground that the approval / registration to such units had been granted by the Directors of the Software Technology Parks of India. In the instruction, the Board also made a reference to the Inter-Ministerial communication dated March 23, 2006, issued by the Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Technologies to the effect that the approvals issued by the directors of the Software Technology Parks of India had the authority of the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee and that all approvals granted by the directors of the Software Technology Parks of India were, therefore, deemed to be valid. The position was also clear from a letter dated May 6, 2009, issued by the Board to the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry wherein a distinction had been drawn between the provisions of sections 10A and 10B and in which it had been clarified that a unit approved by a director under the Software Technology Parks Scheme would be allowed exemption only u/s 10A as a software technology park unit and not u/s 10B as a 100 percent export oriented unit. Therefore, approvals granted by the directors of the Software Technology Parks of India would be deemed to be valid in as much as the directors were functioning under the delegated authority of the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee. Thus, the Tribunal was right in coming to the conclusion that the approval granted by the directors of the Software Technology Parks of India was sufficient approval so as to satisfy the conditions relating to approvals u/s 10A".
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5.8 The CIT(A) placed reliance on the decision of the ITAT, Cochin Bench, Cochin
passed in the assessee's own case for the AY 2007-08 in ITA No.153/Coch/2015 dt.
26.09.2016 confirming the order of the CIT(A) while allowing the assessee to be
entitled for deduction u/s 10A.
5.9 In the backdrop, considering the fact that the assessee itself had claimed two
different amounts for the deduction to be allowed u/s 10A and the Assessing Officer
also had mentioned in the remand report submitted about change in the turnover
subsequent to the order passed u/s 263, the Assessing Officer was directed to work
out the claim of deduction to be allowed u/s 10A afresh in accordance with the Act.
Accordingly, the CIT(A) allowed the appeal of the assessee.
6 Against this, the Revenue is in appeal before us.
The Ld. AR relied on the order of the CIT(A).
We have heard the rival submissions and perused the record. A similar issue
was considered by the Jurisdictional High Court in the case of CIT vs. Flytxt
Technology (P) Ltd. 87 taxmann.com 77 where it was held as follows:
“6. We have considered the submissions made. Admittedly, the assessee initially claimed the benefit of Section 10B which was allowed by the Assessing Officer. Only when the Commissioner was seized of the proceedings under Section 263, the assessee raised an alternative claim for the benefit of Section 10A. The Commissioner did not examine that plea and on the other hand, directed the Assessing Officer to withdraw the exemption under Section 10B. It 13
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was this order which was challenged by the assessees in the appeals filed by them before the Tribunal. Such an appeal filed by the assessee is liable to be considered by the Tribunal exercising its power under Section 254 of the Act which obliged the Tribunal to consider appeal and pass such orders thereon as it thinks fit. It was this power of the Tribunal which considered by the Apex Court in National Thermal Power Co. Ltd.'s case (supra) which held that the Tribunal is only required to consider the questions of law arising from the facts which are on record, there is no reason why such a question should not be allowed to be raised when it is necessary to consider that question in order to correctly assess the tax liability of an assessee. Even if the contention raised by the learned Senior Counsel for the revenue that the power conferred on the appellants under Section 263 only authorised him to examine whether the order passed by the Assessing Officer is erroneous and prejudicial to the interests of the revenue, that restriction of power cannot affect the powers of the Tribunal which is bound to exercise under Section 254 of the Act. In such a situation, having regard to the language of Section 254 and as interpreted by the Apex Court in National Thermal Power Co. Ltd.'s case (supra), we do not see any reason to think that the Tribunal has committed an illegality by directing the Assessing Officer to decide the matter afresh duly adverting to the claim of the assessee for the benefit of Section 10A.
Though the learned Senior Counsel for the revenue relied on the judgment of a Delhi High Court in Regency Creations Ltd.’s case (supra), a reading of the judgment shows that the Delhi High Court set aside the order of the Tribunal granting the benefit of Section 10B to the assessee therein. However, the subsequent order passed by the Delhi High Court, a copy of which has been made available by the learned senior counsel appearing for the assessee, shows that the High Court itself directed that when the matter is reconsidered by the Tribunal as directed in the judgment above, the Tribunal shall examine the claim of the assessee for the benefit of Section 10A. Therefore, in fact, this order of the Delhi High Court supports the claim of the assessee.
In the aforesaid circumstances, we do not find any illegality in the order passed by the Tribunal. Therefore, the questions of law framed have to be answered in favour of the assessee and against revenue. Accordingly, the appeals are dismissed.”
8.1 In view of the above judgment of the Jurisdictional High Court in the case of
CIT vs. Flytxt Technology (P) Ltd. supra, the second ground of appeal of the
Revenue is dismissed.
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Regarding the third ground relating to entertaining a new claim of deduction
u/s. 10A of the Act by the CIT(A), in our opinion, there is no bar to entertain such
claim by the CIT(A) otherwise than by filing a revised return as held by the Supreme
Court of India in the case of Goetze (India) Ltd. (284 ITR 323). Being so, Ground
No. 3 of the Revenue is dismissed.
The fourth ground is with regard to not awaiting the decision of the
Jurisdictional High Court in assessee’s own case for the assessment year 2007-08, Q
Burst Technologies Pvt. Ltd. for AYs 2008-09 and 2010-11 and Paragon Biomedical
India Pvt. Ltd. for AYs 2010-11 and 2011-12 which is pending before the
Jurisdictional High Court on similar issue.
10.1 Since we have followed the decision of the Jurisdictional High Court in the
case of CIT vs. Flytxt Technology (P) Ltd. 87 taxmann.com 77, there is no question
of awaiting for further decision of the Jurisdictional High Court on this issue.
Accordingly, the fourth ground of appeal of the Revenue is dismissed.
The fifth ground is with regard to disallowance of interest on diverted fund.
The facts of the case are that the during the course of assessment proceedings,
the Assessing Officer had noticed that the assesses had given interest free advances
to its associate concerns namely Toons Animation India (,P) Ltd and UST Global
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Information Technology Parks (P) Ltd without charging interest thereon. The
Assessing Officer further noticed that the assessee had availed interest bearing
loans to the tune of Rs.60.51 cr and paid interest of Rs.7.40 cr thereon during the
year under consideration. He took the view that the assessee had diverted interest
bearing funds to its associate concerns for non business purposes that too without
charging interest. The assessee objected to the inference drawn by the assessing
authority and also submitted that it is eligible for deduction u/s 10B of the Act.
However, the Assessing Officer by placing reliance on the decision of the
jurisdictional High Court of Kerala in the case of CIT vs. V I Baby & Co (254 ITR
248) disallowed proportionate amount of interest relatable to the amounts diverted
to the associate concerns. The disallowance worked out is Rs.1,18,408/-.
On appeal, the CIT(A) observed that an identical issue in the assessee's own
case for the AY 2008-09 in ITA No.02/Coch/2013 dt.23.08.2013, the ITAT, Cochin
Bench had decided the issue in favour of the assessee and deleted the interest
which was proportionately disallowed. Since the issue involved for the year under
consideration is also same and identical to each other, respectfully following the
said decision of the ITAT, the CIT(A) deleted the interest of Rs.1,18,408/-
proportionately disallowed and accordingly, the appeal filed on this ground was
allowed.
Against this, the Revenue is in appeal before us.
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The Ld. AR relied on the order of the CIT(A).
We have heard the rival submissions and perused the material on record. A
similar issue was considered by this Tribunal in assessee’s own case in IT(TP)A
No.02/Coch/2013 dated 23/08/2018, wherein it was held as follows:
“6. We have heard the rival contention and carefully perused the record. From the assessment order, we notice that the AO has disallowed a part of interest expenditure claim on the reasoning that
(a) that assessee has given interest free advances to sister concerns as per the Balance Sheet as at 31.3.2008 and
(b) the decision rendered by Jurisdictional Hon'ble Kerala High Court in the case of V.I. Baby (supra) supports disallowance of interest attributable to the funds diverted. In the written submissions, the assessee has tabulated the year wise details of funds given to the sister concerns as well as the reserves and surplus funds available with it in those years. For the sake of convenience, we extract below the said details:
Financial Amt disbursed Amt disbursed to Total advances Reserves and Year to TeN Toonz surplus
2002-03 2,551,812 - 2,551,812 51,459,144
2003-04 5,959,312 - 5,959,312 93,539,478
2004-05 961,388 - 961,388 139,593,897
2005-06 325,049 - 325,049 209,274,643
2006-07 - 700,000 700,000 467,452,244
2007-08 - - - 717,455,603
Total 9,797,561 700,000 10,497,561
Thus, it is seen that the assessee has advanced the amounts to its sister concerns in the earlier years and not during the year under consideration, as presumed by the
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assessing officer. Thus, the presumption entertained by the AO is against the facts available on record.
Further, the AO has placed reliance on the decision rendered by the Hon'ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of V.I. Baby and Co., referred supra. The Ld D.R also placed heavy reliance on the above said decision rendered by the Hon'ble jurisdictional High Court. We have carefully gone through the said decision and notice that the assessee therein was a partnership firm and the withdrawals made by its partners resulted in converting the Capital balances into "debit balances". There should not be any doubt that the debit balance in the capital account indicates drawing of funds from out of loan and other creditors account. Under that set of facts, the withdrawals made by the partners of the firm were considered as diversion of funds in the case of V.I. Baby (supra). However, in the instant case, the assessee has shown that it was having "Reserves and Surplus", more than the amount advanced to the sister concerns. Accordingly, in our view, the facts prevailing in the case of V.I Baby & Co (supra) is totally different from the facts prevailing in the instant case and accordingly, in our view, the decision rendered in the case of V.I. Baby (referred supra) by the jurisdictional High Court shall not apply to the facts of the instant case.
Thus, both the grounds on which the impugned disallowance was made the assessing officer fails and consequently, in our view, the impugned disallowance of Rs.8,24,600/- is liable to be deleted. We order accordingly.
In the result, the appeal filed by the assessee is partly allowed.”
16.1 Further, we rely on the judgment of the Bombay High Court in the case of
CIT vs. Gem Plus Jewellery India Ltd. 330 ITR 177 wherein it was held as follows:
“iv) That it was an admitted position that the assessee had deposited both the employer’s and the employees’ contribution towards provident fund and ESIC, though beyond the due date including the grace period. the Assessing Officer added these payments to the total income of the assessee. The disallowance which was effected by the Assessing Officer had not been challenged by the assessee. The plain consequence of the disallowance and the add back that had been made by the Assessing Officer was an increase in the business profits of the assessee. The contention of the Revenue that in computing the deduction under section 10A, the addition made on account of the disallowance of the provident fund/ESIC payments ought to be ignored 18
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could not be accepted. No statutory provisions to that effect having been made, the plain consequence of the disallowance made by the Assessing Officer must follow. The Tribunal was justified in directing the Assessing Officer to grant the exemption under section 10A of the Act on the assessed income, which was enhanced due to disallowance of the employer’s as well as employees’ contribution towards PF/ESIC.”
16.2 In view of this, we are of the opinion, that even if disallowance is made
towards notional interest on account of diversion of funds to the sister concerns, it
is of no consequence since the assessee’s income is exempted u/s. 10A of the I.T.
Act.
16.3 Thus, in view of the above order of the Tribunal in assessee’s own case in
ITA No. 02/Coch/2013 dated 23/08/2013 and the judgment of the Bombay High
Court in the case of CIT vs. Gem Plus Jewellery India Ltd. (supra), we are inclined
to dismiss the fifth ground of appeal of the Revenue.
In the result, both appeal of the Revenue and the Cross Objection of the
assessee are dismissed. Order pronounced in the open court on 4th December, 2019.
sd/- sd/- (GEORGE GEORGE K.) (CHANDRA POOJARI) JUDICIAL MEMBER ACCOUNTANT MEMBER
Place: Kochi Dated: 4th December, 2019 GJ Copy to: 19
I.T(TP).A. No. 514Coch/2019 & C.O. No.47/Coch/2019
M/s. US Technology International (P) Ltd. 721, NILA, Technopark Campus, Karyavattom, Trivandrum-695 581. 2. The Deputy Commissioner of Income-tax, Circle-1(1), Trivandrum. 3. The Commissioner of Income-tax(Appeals), Trivandrum. 3. The Pr. Commissioner of Income-tax, Trivandrum. 4. D.R., I.T.A.T., Cochin Bench, Cochin. 5. Guard File. By Order
(ASSISTANT REGISTRAR) I.T.A.T., Cochin