C I T ALWAR vs. LAXMI VIJAY STEELS PVT LTD

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ITA/558/2008HC RajasthanRJHC02031059200714 March 20163 pages
AI SummaryDismissed

What did the High Court hold?

The Tribunal held that the instant appeals, with a tax effect indisputably less than Rs. 20 lac (which is the prescribed limit for filing appeals before the High Courts as per CBDT Circular No. 21/2015), deserved to be dismissed as not pressed. The Tribunal noted that the circular applies retrospectively to pending appeals. However, it made it clear that the substantial questions of law raised in the appeals, if any, are left open to be examined in appropriate future proceedings. The Revenue was granted liberty to move an application for recalling the order if the appeal fell under any of the exceptions specified in the circular dated 10.12.2015. The operative direction was to dismiss the appeals as not pressed.

What were the facts?

These are multiple Income Tax Appeals filed by the Revenue against orders of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. The tax effect in all these appeals is stated to be less than Rs. 20 lac. The appeals were filed prior to the issuance of CBDT Circular No. 21/2015 dated 10.12.2015, which revised the monetary limits for filing appeals by the Revenue. The circular aimed to reduce litigation by setting higher monetary thresholds for appeals before the Tribunal, High Courts, and the Supreme Court. The present appeals were considered in light of this circular.

What were the issues?

1. Whether the appeals, having a tax effect less than Rs. 20 lac, are maintainable before the High Court in light of CBDT Circular No. 21/2015 dated 10.12.2015? Assessee's Contention: The assessee would likely argue that the appeals are not maintainable as the tax effect is below the prescribed monetary limit for High Court appeals as per the CBDT circular. They would rely on the circular's objective of reducing litigation and its retrospective application to pending appeals. Revenue's Contention: The Revenue would likely contend that the appeals should be decided on merits, especially if they fall under the exceptions mentioned in paragraph 8 of the circular (e.g., constitutional validity, challenge to Board's orders, revenue audit objections, or undisclosed foreign assets). They might also argue that the circular's application to pending appeals should be interpreted in a manner that allows meritorious cases to be heard.

Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?

Section 268A(1)

AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below

-1- 1. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.123/2004. 2. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.89/2005. 3. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.177/2005. 4. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.190/2005. 5. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.14/2006. 6. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.224/2008. 7. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.322/2008. 8. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.379/2008. 9. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.558/2008. 10. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.624/2008. 11. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.757/2008. 12. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.558/2009. 13. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.282/2010. 14. D.B.Income Tax Appeal No.94/2011. 14.03.2016. HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE AJAY RASTOGI HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE AJAY RASTOGI HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE PRAKASH GUPTA HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE PRAKASH GUPTA Mr.Sameer Jain ] Mr.R.B.Mathur ] Mr.Anuroop Singhi ] Mrs.Parinitoo Jain ] Counsel for appellants. Mr.Anil Mehta ] Mr.T.C.Jain ] Mr.A.Kasliwal ] Mr.S.K.Singhal ] Mr.N.L.Agarwal ] Ms.Anupama Parashar ] Counsel for respondents. Mr.Gunjan Pathak ] ***** Instant appeals are directed against order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and indisputably the tax effect as brought to our notice, is less than Rs.20 lac. A Circular No.21/2015 has been issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes dated 10.12.2015 in exercise of its power u/sec. 268A (1) of the Income-tax Act 1961 in supersession of the Boards instruction No.5/2014 dt.10.7.2014 regularising the monetary limits for filing the appeals by the Revenue before the Tribunal, High Courts and Apex Court with an object for reducing litigation. Relevant para nos.3, 8, 9 and 10 reads ad infra :- “3. Henceforth, appeals/SLPs shall not be filed in cases where the tax effect does not exceed the monetary limits given hereunder :-

-2- S. No. Appeals in Income-tax matters Monetary Limit (in Rs.) 1 Before Appellate Tribunal 10,00,000/- 2 Before High Court 20,00,000/- 3 Before Supreme Court 25,00,000/- It is clarified that an appeal should not be filed merely because the tax effect in a case exceeds the monetary limits prescribed above. Filing of appeal in such cases is to be decided on merits of the case. 4. xxx xxx xxx 5. xxx xxx xxx 6. xxx xxx xxx 7. xxx xxx xxx 8. Adverse judgments relating to the following issues should be contested on merits notwithstanding that the tax effect entailed is less than the monetary limits specified in para 3 above or there is no tax effect: (a) Where the Constitutional validity of the provisions of an Act or Rule are under challenge, or (b) Where Board's order, Notification, Instruction or Circular has been held to be illegal or ultra vires, or (c) Where Revenue Audit objection in the case has been accepted by the Department, or (d) Where the addition relates to undisclosed foreign assets/bank accounts. 9. The monetary limits specified in para 3 above shall not apply to writ matters and direct tax matters other than Income tax. Filing of appeals in other Direct tax matters shall continue to be governed by relevant provisions of statute & rules. Further, filing of appeal in cases of Income Tax, where the tax effect is not quantifiable or not involved, such as the case of registration of trusts or institutions under section 12 A of the IT Act, 1961, shall not be governed by the limits specified in para 3 above and decision to file appeal in such cases may be taken on merits of a particular case. 10. This instruction will apply retrospectively to pending appeals and appeals to be filed henceforth in High Courts/Tribunals. Pending appeals below the specified tax limits in para 3 above may be withdrawn/not pressed. Appeals before the Supreme Court will be governed by the instructions on this subject, operative at the time when such appeal was filed.” The extract of the paragraphs referred to supra, clearly indicates that the limits specified in para 3 may not apply to certain exceptions specified in para 8, at the same time para nos.9 and 10 of the Circular if read conjointly, clearly envisages that the present instructions will apply retrospectively to all the pending appeals and appeals to be filed henceforth in High Courts/Tribunals, subject to exceptions where the tax effect even if is less than Rs.20 lac, can be preferred in High Courts. Taking note of the CBDT Circular dt. 10/12/2015 and the tax effect which indisputably in the instant case is less than Rs.20 lac,

-3- much less than what has been prescribed for filing appeal before the High Courts, deserves to be dismissed as not pressed. However, it is made clear that the substantial questions of law raised in the instant appeals, if any, are left open to be examined in an appropriate proceeding, if arises in future. At the same time we consider it appropriate to observe that if the appeal falls in any of the exceptions as referred to in the Circular dt. 10/12/2015, the Revenue will be at liberty to move an application for recalling of the order if so advised. Accordingly, in the light of the CBDT Circular dated 10.12.2015 the appeals stand dismissed as not pressed. Let a copy of this order be placed in each file separately. (PRAKASH GUPTA),J.

(AJAY RASTOGI),J. All corrections made in judgment/order have been All corrections made in judgment/order have been incorporated in the judgment/order being emailed. incorporated in the judgment/order being emailed. Solanki DS, P.S. Solanki DS, P.S.

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