Facts
The assessee, a registered goshala trust, appealed against the lower authorities' decision to treat its demonetization period cash deposits of Rs. 21,85,000/- as unexplained. The assessee claimed these were public donations.
Held
The Tribunal acknowledged that while the source of deposits was not fully proven, public donations could not be ruled out. Therefore, a lump sum addition of Rs. 1,85,000/- was deemed appropriate, and it was clarified that Section 115BBE applies only to transactions after 01.04.2017.
Key Issues
Whether cash deposits made during demonetization by a goshala trust are sufficiently explained as public donations, and the applicability of Section 115BBE.
Sections Cited
144, 69A, 115BBE, 12A, 80G
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, DELHI BENCH ‘SMC’, NEW DELHI
Before: Sh. Satbeer Singh Godara
Asstt. Year : 2017-18 Gopal Shree Krishan Goshala, Vs Income Tax Officer, Digal, Digal Jhajjar, Ward-2, Jhajjar, Haryana-124107 Rohtak, Haryana-124001 (APPELLANT) (RESPONDENT) PAN No. AAAAG9658D Assessee by: Sh. Manoj Kumar, CA Revenue by : Sh. Akhilesh Kumar Yadav, Sr. DR Date of Hearing: 04.06.2025 Date of Pronouncement: 04.06.2025 ORDER This assessee’s appeal for Assessment Year 2017-18, arises against the CIT(A)/NFAC, Delhi’s DIN & order No. ITBA/NFAC/S/250/2024-25/1064398164(1) dated 26.04.2024, in proceedings u/s 144 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (in short “the Act”).
Heard both the parties at length. Case file perused.
A perusal of the instant case file reveals that the assessee is a registered goshala trust, is aggrieved against both the learned lower authorities’ action treating it’s cash deposits during demonetization of Rs.21,85,000/- as unexplained u/s 69A r.w.s. 115BBE of the Act.
The assessee’s case all along is that the impugned cash deposits infact represent public donations from the society at Gopal Shree Krishan Goshala large. Learned counsel has further invited tribunal’s attention to the fact that although it has been granted registration section 12A r.w.s. 80G registration subsequently, all it’s book results have been duly audited in the relevant previous year wherein source of his cash deposits have been explained which have nowhere been doubted. The fact however remains that the assessee all along has not been able to plead and prove the source of the impugned cash deposits to the entire satisfaction of the learned lower authorities. Be that as it may, the necessary inference prima facie which could arise in such an instance a possibility of public donations would not be altogether ruled out as well. It is thus deemed appropriate in the larger interest of justice that a lump sum addition of Rs.1,85,000/- only would be just and proper with a rider that the same shall not be treated as a precedent. Ordered accordingly. The assessee gets relief of Rs.20,00,000/- in other words.
So far as assessee’s assessment under Section 115BBE is concerned, we quote S.M.I.L.E Microfinance Limited Vs. The ACIT CC-1 in W.P.(MD) No.2078 of 2020 & W.M.P. (MD) No. 1742 of 2020 held that the said provision applied for transactions done on or after 01.04.2017 only.