Principal Commissioner Of Income Tax I vs. Kheraj Rijhwani

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ITA/128/2016HC Madhya Pradesh03 April 2018Bench: HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE P.K. JAISWAL4 pages
For Petitioner: Veena Mandlik
AI SummaryDismissed

What did the High Court hold?

The High Court held that the present appeal, along with other connected appeals, should be disposed of in light of the CBDT Circular dated 10.12.2015. The Court observed that the tax effect in all the listed cases did not exceed the limit of Rs. 20,00,000 prescribed for appeals before the High Court. Furthermore, the Court noted that these cases did not fall under the exceptions mentioned in paragraph 8 of the Circular, which would warrant contesting on merits despite a low tax effect. These exceptions included challenges to constitutional validity, declarations of Board's orders as ultra vires, acceptance of Revenue Audit Objections, or issues relating to undisclosed foreign assets/bank accounts. Since none of these exceptional circumstances were present, the appeals were disposed of based on the monetary limits specified in the Circular. The Court passed no order as to costs.

What were the facts?

The Principal Commissioner of Income Tax-I (the Revenue) filed Income Tax Appeal No. 128 of 2016 before the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Bench at Indore, challenging an order dated 19.05.2016 passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), Indore, in ITA No. 81/Ind/14 for the assessment year 2002-2003. The Revenue's counsel argued that the present case, along with connected appeals, involved a monetary tax effect less than Rs. 20,00,000, and therefore, no appeal should have been filed by the Department, citing a CBDT Circular dated 10.12.2015. The High Court noted that the tax effect in the present case was Rs. 19,517, and in other connected matters, the tax effect did not exceed Rs. 20,00,000, with one case having a NIL tax effect.

What were the issues?

1. Whether the appeal filed by the Revenue is maintainable before the High Court, considering the monetary tax effect involved is below the threshold stipulated in the CBDT Circular dated 10.12.2015? Assessee's Contention: The assessee, through its counsel, argued that the appeal should not have been filed by the Department as the monetary tax effect in the present case and connected appeals was less than Rs. 20,00,000, as per the CBDT Circular dated 10.12.2015. The assessee relied on the said Circular. Revenue's Contention: The judgment does not record any specific contention from the Revenue regarding the maintainability of the appeal on merits. The Revenue's action of filing the appeal is implicitly challenged by the assessee's argument based on the Circular.

Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?

Section 260,Section 8

AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below

1 THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH, BENCH AT INDORE ITA No.128 of 2016 (Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax-I vs. Kheraj Rijhwani) Indore, dated : 03.04.2018 Ms. Veena Mandlik, learned counsel for the appellant. Heard. During the course of arguments, learned counsel for the appellant has drawn our attention to the order dated 04.10.2017 passed in ITA No.119/2016 and other connected matters and submits that the present case is covered by the detailed order passed on 04.10.2017, which reads as under :- Regard being had to the similitude in the controversy involved in the present cases, the writ petitions were analogously heard and by a common order, they are being disposed of by this Court. Facts of I.T.A.No. 119/2016 are narrated hereunder. 2. The present appeal has been filed u/S. 260 the Income Tax Act, 1961 against the order dated 19/5/2016 passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Indore in ITA. No. 81/Ind/14 for the assessment year 2002 – 2003. 3. At the outset, Mr. Sumit Nema, learned senior counsel for the appellant has argued before this Court that in the present appeal as well as in the connected appeals, monetary values is less than Rs.20.00 lacs and, therefore, in the light of the Circular dated 10/12/2016, no appeal should have been filed by the Department. 4. This Court has carefully gone through the record of the case and in the present case, the monetary tax effect involved is Rs.19,120/-. In the present case and in other connected identical matters which are being disposed by this common order, the tax effect involved is as under : CASE No. NAME OF THE PARTIES TAX EFFECT IN Rs. I.T.A.No.119/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Kailash Rijhwani Rs. 19,120/- I.T.A.No.120/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Kailash Rijhwani Rs.23,258/- I.T.A.No.121/2016 Principal Commissioner of 2 THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH, BENCH AT INDORE ITA No.128 of 2016 (Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax-I vs. Kheraj Rijhwani) Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs.Kailash Rijhwani Rs.14,561/- I.T.A.No.122/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Kailash Rijhwani Rs.15,933/- I.T.A.No.123/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Gurumukh Rijhwani Rs.86,610/- I.T.A.No.124/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Gurumukh Rijhwani Rs.16,140/- I.T.A.No.125/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Gurumukh Rijhwani Rs.38,628/- I.T.A.No.126/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Kheraj Rijhwani Rs.19,517/- I.T.A.No.127/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Kheraj Rijhwani Rs.54,713/- I.T.A.No.129/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Kheraj Rijhwani Rs.34,432/- I.T.A.No.135/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Monica Galaxy Pvt. Ltd., NIL I.T.A.No.136/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Keshav Rijhwani Rs.6,24,645/- I.T.A.No.137/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Monica Galaxy Pvt. Ltd., Rs.1,38,646/- I.T.A.No.138/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Monica Galaxy Pvt. Ltd., Rs.4,68,577/- I.T.A.No.139/2016 Principal Commissioner of Commissioner Tax-I, Indore Vs. Monica Galaxy Pvt. Ltd., Rs.9,72,867/- 5. Thus, in all the aforesaid cases, the tax effect is not exceeding the limit prescribed by the CBDT Circular dated 10/12/2015 ie., Rs.20.00 lacs. In one case the tax effect is NIL also. Paragraphs 3, 4 and 8 of the Circular issued by the Department reads as under : 3. Henceforth, appeals/ SLP shall not be filed in cases where the tax effect does not exceed the monetary limits given hereunder: 3 THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH, BENCH AT INDORE ITA No.128 of 2016 (Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax-I vs. Kheraj Rijhwani) 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 paper in such cases is to be decided on merits of the case. 4. For this purpose, "tax effect" means the difference between the tax on the total income assessed and the tax that would have been chargeable had such total income been reduced by the amount of income in respect of the issues against which appeal is intended to be filed (hereinafter referred to as "disputed issues"). However, the tax will not include any interest thereon, except where chargeability of interest itself is in dispute. In case the chargeability of interest is the issue under dispute, the amount of interest shall be the tax effect. In cases where returned loss is reduced or assessed as income, the tax effect would include notional tax on disputed additions. In case of penalty orders, the tax effect will mean quantum of penalty deleted or reduced in the order to be appealed against. 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 or 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. 6. The present cases are not the cases where constitutional 4 THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH, BENCH AT INDORE ITA No.128 of 2016 (Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax-I vs. Kheraj Rijhwani) validity of any provision or Act is involved nor any Notification, instructions or Circular has been declared as ultra vires and the other contingencies, as provided in paragraph 8 of the Circular dt. 10/12/2015 are also not attracted and, therefore, keeping in view the Circular dt. 10/12/2015, the present appeal and other connected appeals stand disposed of. No order as to costs. In view of the aforesaid, present Income Tax Appeal is disposed of accordingly. (P. K. Jaiswal)

(Virender Singh) Judge Judge gp Digitally signed by Geeta Pramod Date: 2018.04.04 18:39:05 +05'30'

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