THE PR. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX, RAJKOT 2 vs. M/S PARTH PROTEINS PVT LTD

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TAXAP/218/2019HC GujaratGJHC24026666201925 June 2019Bench: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE J.B.PARDIWALA,HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE A.C. RAO4 pages
AI SummaryDismissed

What did the High Court hold?

The High Court held that the Tribunal had not committed any error of law in passing the impugned order. Regarding the telephone expenses, the Tribunal had relied on the Gujarat High Court's decision in Sayaji Iron and Engineering Company, finding that personal use of telephones by directors is imperative and deleting the disallowance. For motor car expenses and depreciation, the Tribunal again followed Sayaji Iron and Engineering Company, holding that no disallowance for personal use can be made in the case of a company and deleting the disallowance confirmed by the CIT(A). The High Court found that none of the questions proposed by the Revenue constituted substantial questions of law. Therefore, the appeal was dismissed.

What were the facts?

This is a Tax Appeal filed by the Revenue against an order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) dated November 26, 2018, for Assessment Year 1998-99. The appeal challenges the ITAT's deletion of disallowances made by the Assessing Officer (AO). The disallowances pertained to telephone expenses amounting to Rs. 32,224 and motor car expenses and depreciation amounting to Rs. 16,875. The ITAT had allowed the assessee's grounds of appeal, deleting these disallowances.

What were the issues?

1. Whether the Appellate Tribunal has erred in law and on facts in deleting the disallowance of Rs. 32,224/- made on account of telephone expenses? (Section 37 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, concerning business expenditure). The Revenue contended that the ITAT erred in deleting the disallowance. The assessee argued, relying on the Gujarat High Court's decision in Sayaji Iron and Engineering Company vs. CIT, 253 ITR 749, that such disallowances were required to be deleted. 2. Whether the Appellate Tribunal has erred in law and on facts in deleting the disallowance of Rs. 16,875/- made on account of motor car expenses and depreciation? (Section 37 of the Income Tax Act, 1961). The Revenue contended that the ITAT erred in deleting the disallowance. The assessee argued, again citing Sayaji Iron and Engineering Company vs. CIT, 253 ITR 749, that no disallowance on account of personal use can be made in the case of a company.

Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?

Section 37,Section 260-A

AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below

C/TAXAP/218/2019 ORDER IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD R/TAX APPEAL NO. 218 of 2019 ============================================= THE PR. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX, RAJKOT 2 Versus M/S PARTH PROTEINS PVT LTD ============================================= Appearance: MRS MAUNA M BHATT(174) for the Appellant(s) No. 1 for the Opponent(s) No. 1 ============================================= CORAM: HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE J.B.PARDIWALA and HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE A.C. RAO

Date : 25/06/2019

ORAL ORDER (PER : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE J.B.PARDIWALA) 1. This Tax Appeal under Section 260-A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (for short “the Act, 1961”) is at the instance of the Revenue and is directed against the order passed by the Appellate Tribunal dated 26.11.2018 in C.O. No.454/Rjt/2005 for the Assessment Year 1998-99. 2. The Revenue has proposed the following questions as the substantial questions of law in its memorandum of the Tax Appeal : “[A] Whether the Appellate Tribunal has erred in law and on facts in deleting the disallowance of Rs.32,224/- made on account of telephone expenses? Page 1 of 4

C/TAXAP/218/2019 ORDER [B] Whether the Appellate Tribunal has erred in law and on facts in deleting the disallowance of Rs.16,875/- made on account of motor car expenses and depreciation?” 3. So far as the first question proposed by the Revenue is concerned, the findings recorded by the Tribunal are as under: “30. We have heard the rival submissions and perused the material on record and find that the CIT(A) has observed that the personal use of telephone by Directors of the company is imperative, further the expenditure is neither authorized by AGM nor is shown as perquisite in the hands of appellant whereas the ld.Counsel relying on the case of Hon’ble Gujarat High Court in the case of Sayaji Iron and Engineering and Company 253 ITR 749 submitted that the disallowance upheld by the CIT(A) are required to be deleted, accordingly same is deleted. Therefore, this ground of appeal of the assessee is allowed.” 4. Thus, the Tribunal has placed reliance on the decision of this Court in the case of Sayaji Iron and Engineering Company vs. CIT reported in 253 ITR 749. 5. So far as the second question as proposed by the Revenue is concerned, the findings recorded by the Tribunal Page 2 of 4

C/TAXAP/218/2019 ORDER are as under : “32. We have heard the rival submissions and the AO disallowed Rs.25,312/- out of Motor Car Expenses and Depreciation. However, the CIT(A) confirmed the addition to the expenditure of 1/6th total car expenses, accordingly, the disallowance out of Motor Car Expenses were reduced from Rs.25,312/- to Rs.16,875/-. However, the ld.Counsel for the assessee relying on the decision of Hon’ble Gujarat High Court in the case of Sayaji Iron and Engineering and Company vs. CIT 253 ITR 749 submitted that no disallowance on account of personal use can be made in the case of company. We are therefore of the considered opinion that following the decision of Hon’ble Gujarat High Court the disallowance upheld by the CIT(A) are required to be deleted, accordingly same is deleted. The ground of appeal of the assessee is therefore allowed.” 6. Once again the Tribunal has placed reliance on the decision of this Court in the case of Sayaji Iron and Engineering Company (supra). 7. Having heard Ms. Bhatt, the learned senior standing counsel appearing for the Revenue and having gone through the materials on record, we are of the view that no error not to speak of any error of law could be said to have been committed by the Tribunal in passing the impugned order. Page 3 of 4

C/TAXAP/218/2019 ORDER None of the questions proposed by the Revenue could be termed as the substantial questions of law involved in the present Tax Appeal. 8. In the result, this appeal fails and is hereby dismissed. (J. B. PARDIWALA, J) (A. C. RAO, J) Dolly Page 4 of 4

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