THE COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX - INTERNATIONAL TAXATION -3 vs. TATA NYK SHIPPING PTE LTD.

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ITA/794/2026HC DelhiDLHC01047938202605 October 2026Bench: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUBRAMONIUM PRASAD,HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE RENU BHATNAGAR3 pages
AI SummaryDismissed

What did the High Court hold?

The High Court held that no substantial question of law arose in the appeal filed by the Revenue. This conclusion was reached because the Revenue's counsel conceded that treaty shopping was not an issue. The court relied on its own prior decision in Blackstone Capital Partners (Singapore) Vi Fdi Three Pte. Ltd. vs. Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax (International Taxation), which established the principle that a Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) cannot be questioned or gone behind. The court further noted that the Revenue had not presented any factual basis that would allow for doubting the TRC, as per the tests laid down in the Supreme Court judgments of UOI & Anr. vs. Azadi Bachao Andolan & Anr. and Vodafone International Holidays BV vs. UOI & Anr. Consequently, the appeals filed by the Revenue were dismissed.

What were the facts?

The Commissioner of Income Tax (Appellant) filed an appeal before the Delhi High Court challenging an order dated 15.04.2026 by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) for Assessment Year 2016-17. The ITAT had previously quashed an order dated 25.03.2022 passed by the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals). The Revenue then filed an appeal against the ITAT's order, which was dismissed by the High Court on 18.03.2024. The High Court's dismissal was based on the Apex Court's judgments in UOI & Anr. vs. Azadi Bachao Andolan & Anr. and Vodafone International Holidays BV vs. UOI & Anr., and a previous High Court decision in Blackstone Capital Partners (Singapore) Vi Fdi Three Pte. Ltd. vs. Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax (International Taxation). The present appeal is a consequence of these prior proceedings.

What were the issues?

1. Whether the Revenue's appeal before the High Court, challenging the ITAT's order which quashed the CIT(A)'s order, involved a substantial question of law, given the facts and circumstances of the case, particularly concerning treaty shopping and the validity of a Tax Residency Certificate (TRC). The Revenue, through its counsel, conceded that the issue of treaty shopping would not arise in the present case. Consequently, the questions posed were to be answered in light of the decision in Blackstone Capital Partners (Singapore) Vi Fdi Three Pte. Ltd. vs. Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax (International Taxation), which held that it is impermissible to go behind or question a TRC. The Revenue did not lay any factual foundation to qualify the tests laid down in UOI & Anr. vs. Azadi Bachao Andolan & Anr. and Vodafone International Holidays BV vs. UOI & Anr. for doubting a TRC.

Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?

Section 260A

AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below

$~46 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI # CNR No. DLHC010479382026 + ITA 794/2026 THE COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX - INTERNATIONAL TAXATION -3

.....Appellant Through: Mr. Ruchir Bhatia, SSC, Mr. Anant Mann, JSC and Mr. Pratyaksh Gupta, JSC versus TATA NYK SHIPPING PTE LTD.

.....Respondent Through: Mr. Aditya Vohra, Ms. Shubhra Goyal and Mr. Tanmay Dhakras, Advs. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUBRAMONIUM PRASAD HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE RENU BHATNAGAR O R D E R %

05.10.2026 1. The instant appeal under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act has been filed by the Appellant challenging the Order dated 15.04.2026 passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Delhi Branch in ITA No. 18/DEL/2025 for the Assessment Year 2016-17. 2. It is stated that the order dated 25.03.2022 passed by the Commissioner of Income Tax passed in CIT Appeal has been quashed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal vide Order dated 09.03.2023 in ITA No.1067/Del/2022. The Revenue filed an appeal being ITA No. 162/2024 against the Order dated 09.03.2023 passed by the Income Tax Appellate This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 08/10/2026 at 11:37:47

Tribunal. This Court vide an order dated 18.03.2024 dismissed the appeals being ITA No. 162/2024 filed by the Revenue against the Respondent herein in view of the Judgment passed by the Apex Court in UOI & Anr. vs. Azadi Bachao Andolan & Anr. [(2004) 10 SCC 1] and Vodafone International Holidays BV vs. UOI & Anr. [(2012) 6 SCC 613] and this Court in Blackstone Capital Partners (Singapore) Vi Fdi Three Pte. Ltd. vs. Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax (International Taxation) [(2023) 452 ITR 111]. The Order dated 18.03.2024 passed by this Court in ITA 162/2024 reads as under:- “Mr. Bhatia, learned counsel appearing in support of the appeals fairly concedes that the question of treaty shopping would not arise in the facts and circumstances of the present case and the questions posited would consequently and necessarily answered in light of the decision rendered by the Division Bench of the Court in Blackstone Capital Partners (Singapore) Vi Fdi Three Pte. Ltd. vs. Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax (International Taxation) [(2023) 452 ITR 111]. The decision in Blackstone speaks of the impermissibility of going behind or questioning the Tax Residency Certificate [“TRC”]. The limited grounds on or circumstances in which a TRC may be questioned or doubted had been lucidly explained by the Supreme Court in UOI & Anr. vs. Azadi Bachao Andolan & Anr. [(2004) 10 SCC 1] and Vodafone International Holidays BV vs. UOI & Anr. [(2012) 6 SCC 613]. In the absence of any factual foundation having been laid in place or alluded to by the appellant and which would qualify the tests laid down in Azadi Bachao and Vodafone International, we are of the considered opinion that no substantial question of law arises. In view of the aforesaid, the instant two appeals fail This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 08/10/2026 at 11:37:47

and shall stand dismissed. ” 3. In view of the above, the present appeal is disposed of. SUBRAMONIUM PRASAD, J RENU BHATNAGAR, J OCTOBER 5, 2026 hsk/KG This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 08/10/2026 at 11:37:47

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