Commissioner Of Income Tax vs. M/S Phool Singh & Co.

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ITA/59/2011HC Madhya Pradesh05 April 2014Bench: HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE RAJENDRA MENON2 pages
For Petitioner: Sanjeev Tuli
AI SummaryDismissed

What did the High Court hold?

The High Court dismissed the Revenue's appeal. The Court noted that a coordinate bench had previously considered an identical issue in ITA No. 57/2011, involving another liquor dealer, M/s Brindawan Rai & Co. In that prior case, the coordinate bench had upheld the findings of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, which had reduced the addition made by the Assessing Officer. Given this precedent, the High Court found no reason to interfere with the ITAT's order in the present case. The operative direction was the dismissal of the appeal, meaning the ITAT's order, which had reduced the addition, was sustained.

What were the facts?

The Revenue (Commissioner of Income Tax) filed an appeal under Section 260-A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, challenging orders passed by the Commissioner (Appeals) and the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) concerning the assessment year(s) not explicitly stated. The assessee, M/s Phool Singh & Co., engaged in the sale of country liquor and Indian Made Foreign Liquor, failed to produce its inspection book. The Assessing Officer (AO) obtained information from the Excise Department and estimated the assessee's sales for the entire year, considering sales above the government-fixed minimum selling rates. The ITAT reduced the addition made by the AO, restricting it to 5% of 365 days, which equated to 18 days. The Revenue sought to uphold the AO's original addition.

What were the issues?

1. Whether the Tribunal erred in reducing the addition made by the Assessing Officer on account of estimated sales of liquor, contrary to the findings of the AO and the Excise Department's information? (Question of law and fact, concerning estimation of income). Assessee's Contention: The judgment does not record any specific arguments made by the assessee before the Tribunal or the High Court. The Tribunal's decision to reduce the addition was based on its own reasoning as detailed in paragraph 24 of its order. Revenue's Contention: The Revenue argued that the original addition made by the Assessing Officer should be upheld. They relied on the fact that a coordinate bench of the High Court had previously upheld similar findings of the ITAT in the case of another liquor dealer, M/s Brindawan Rai & Co., in ITA No. 57/2011.

Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?

Section 260-A

AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below

I.T.A.No.59/2011 1 Commissioner of Income Tax Vs. M/s Phool Singh & Co. Jawaharganj Sagar 05/04/2014 Shri Sanjay Lal, learned counsel for the appellant. This is a revenue's appeal under Section 260-A of the Income Tax Act, 1061 calling in question the concurrent orders passed by the Commissioner, Appeals and the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal in the matter of assessment of tax for dealers and assessees engaged in sale of country liquor and Indian made Foreign liquor. For the assessment year in question, the assessee, who had established the business in question, was asked to produce the inspection book, maintained in terms of the exercise law. The assessee did not produce the books or the account, the Assessing Officer called for information from the Excise Department and on the basis of the same, the Assessing Officer estimated sales for the entire year in respect of shops run by the assessee and in the assessment done, the assessee was found to be selling the liquor at the rates above the minimum selling rates fixed by the Government and, therefore, the Assessing Officer estimated the sales in respect of all the shops for the entire 365 days by taking average selling price above the minimum selling price adopted by the assessee. However, when the matter was taken up by the Commissioner Appeals and thereafter, by the Tribunal, the Tribunal interfered into the matter and reduced the addition to some extent, the Tribunal decided the matter of addition in the following manner ; “24. ..................... We can reasonably apply the same to 5% of tatal 365 days, which works out to be 18 days (5% of 365 days). Thus, we modify both the orders of the lower authorities and restrict the additions accordingly in respect of all the assessees as discussed herein above. 25. In the result, all the appeals of the Revenue are allowed in part in terms indicated above.” I.T.A.No.59/2011 2 Commissioner of Income Tax Vs. M/s Phool Singh & Co. Jawaharganj Sagar Challenging the aforesaid, this appeal has been filed and the prayer is that the original addition made by the Assessing Officer be upheld. Similar action was taken in the case of another liquor dealer i.e. M/s Brindawan Rai & Co. and the question involved in this appeal identical in nature was considered by a coordinate bench of this Court in an appeal filed by the Revenue under Section 260A in I.T.A.No.57/2011 (Commissioner of Income Tax, Jabalpur Vs. M/s Brindawan Rai & Co.) and after considering various aspects of the matter, by a detailed order, similar findings recorded by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal have been upheld. As similar and identical orders passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal in the case of another dealer M/s Brindawan Rai & Co. have already been upheld by a coordinate bench of this Court in I.T.A.No.57/2011, we see no reason to interfere into the matter now, as the similar orders passed have already been upheld by this Court. Accordingly, on the grounds and reasons indicated by a bench of this Court in I.T.A.No.57/2011, we see no ground to interfere into the matter. The appeal is, therefore, dismissed. (Rajendra Menon) (Anil Sharma) Judge Judge nd

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