S V JIWANI vs. PR. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX - 19

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CROL/16/2018HC Bombay03 October 2022Author: HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE DHIRAJ SINGH THAKUR HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE VALMIKI SA MENEZES7 pages
AI SummaryDismissed

What did the High Court hold?

The High Court held that no substantial questions of law arise from the ITAT's order. The Court found the ITAT's order to be well-reasoned and taking into account all relevant facts. The ITAT had correctly held that it would not have been possible for the assessee to execute contract work for MCGM without purchasing materials. It also noted that the AO had not disputed the turnover of the contract work. The Tribunal's view that the entire purchase amount could not be added back as income, but only the profit element embedded therein, was considered reasonable. The High Court found no reason to interfere with the ITAT's order and accordingly dismissed the appeal. The cross-objections filed by the respondent (assessee) were not pressed and were disposed of.

What were the facts?

The assessee, engaged in civil contract works, filed its return for assessment year 2009-10. The assessment was reopened based on information from the Sales Tax Department indicating purchases of Rs. 4,50,08,383/- were accommodation entries. The Assessing Officer (AO) made an addition of the entire amount as bogus purchases under Section 69C. The CIT(A) partly allowed the appeal, holding that only the profit component could be taxed, not the entire amount, and restricted the disallowance to 12.5% of the purchases, amounting to Rs. 56,26,047/-. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) dismissed the revenue's appeal, holding that the entire purchase amount could not be added back, but only the profit element. The revenue has appealed this ITAT order to the High Court.

What were the issues?

1. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the order of the Hon’ble ITAT is perverse in not considering the order of Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of N K Protein Ltd. dated 16.01.2017, which is on the similar issue of bogus purchases, when the Hon’ble Apex Court order was already the law of the land when the Hon’ble ITAT pronounced its order on 03.05.2017? (Question of law) 2. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the Hon’ble ITAT erred in ignoring the decision in the case of N K Proteins by Hon’ble Ahmedabad High Court, further affirmed by Hon’ble Supreme Court, wherein it was held that once suppliers are held bogus, it is not correct to tax only 25% of the bogus claims, especially when the AO had categorically held the parties to be bogus and this finding was strengthened by higher appellate authorities? (Question of mixed law and fact, turning on Section 69C) 3. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the Hon’ble ITAT erred in overlooking the fact that addition made by AO was based on details of a scam unearthed by the Sales Tax Department, establishing that the assessee had taken bills from bogus parties without actual purchases? (Question of mixed law and fact) 4. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the Hon’ble ITAT erred in ignoring that purchases from bogus parties were debited in the P&L Account for which the assessee had not submitted any evidences, and the same was not allowable? (Question of mixed law and fact) 5. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the Hon’ble ITAT erred in upholding the order of the Ld.CIT(A) who had limited the disallowance to 12.5% of the total alleged purchase without verification and confirmation of quantitative data of material sourced and its subsequent movement during the year? (Question of mixed law and fact) Assessee's contentions (implied from grounds of appeal and CIT(A) order): The ITAT order is perverse and ignores Supreme Court and High Court judgments on bogus purchases. The AO's finding of bogus purchases, supported by the Sales Tax Department's findings, should have led to a different conclusion. The CIT(A) correctly limited the disallowance to the profit element (12.5%) as the entire purchase amount could not be added back, especially when sale proceeds were accounted for and the assessee executed the contract work. Revenue's contentions (implied from grounds of appeal): The ITAT erred in not considering the Supreme Court judgment in N.K. Protein Ltd. and the Ahmedabad High Court's decision. The ITAT overlooked the AO's finding of bogus purchases based on the Sales Tax Department's scam. The purchases debited in the P&L account lacked evidence and were not allowable. The CIT(A)'s disallowance of only 12.5% was erroneous without verifying quantitative data.

Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?

Section 260A,Section 143(3),Section 147,Section 69C

AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION INCOME TAX APPEAL NO. 552 OF 2018 WITH CROSS OBJECTION NO. 16 OF 2018 IN INCOME TAX APPEAL NO. 552 OF 2018 Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax-19, } R. No. 228, Matru Mandir, Tardeo } Rd, Mumbai-400 007 } .. Appellant Versus S V Jiwani } 25, 2nd Khetwani Lane, 2nd Floor, } Narayan Niwas, C P Tank, Goldeval, } Mumbai-400 004. } .. Respondent **** Mr. Ashok Kotangle a/w Mr. P. A. Narayanan, Mr. Ajay V. Anand & Ms. Raveen Kaur, Advocate for the Appellant in ITXA/552/2018 & for Respondent in CROL/16/2018. Mr. Rahul J. Hakani, Advocate for the Appellant (Cross objector) in CROL/16/2018 & for Respondent in ITXA/552/2018. ****

CORAM : DHIRAJ SINGH THAKUR AND VALMIKI SA MENEZES JJ. PRONOUNCED ON : 03rd OCTOBER, 2022

R.V. Patil 1 of 7 CNR No : HCBM020112342018 Uploaded on - 04/10/2022 Downloaded on - 27/10/2026 22:48:09 [PER DHIRAJ SINGH THAKUR, J.] . The present appeal has been preferred under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (“the Act”) against the order dated 03rd May, 2017 passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Bench ‘E’, Mumbai (ITAT), in Income Tax Appeal No.4549/Mum/2015, relevant to the assessment year 2009-10. 2. The following questions of law have been proposed for our consideration: “6.1 Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the order of the Hon’ble ITAT is perverse in not considering the order of Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of N K Protein Ltd. dated 16.01.2017, which is on the similar issue of bogus purchases and when the Hon’ble Apex Court order was already the law of the land when the Hon’ble ITAT has pronounced its order on 03.05.2017?

6.2.

Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the Honble ITAT erred in ignoring the decision in the case of N K Proteins by Hon’ble Ahmedabad High Court, further affrmed by Hon’ble Supreme Court, as mentioned at ground No. 1 above, wherein Hon’ble High Court, relying on the fndings of the Hon’ble ITAT, Ahmedabad, that the suppliers are bogus, has given a fnding that once the suppliers are R.V. Patil 2 of 7 Uploaded on - 04/10/2022 Downloaded on - 27/10/2026 22:48:09 held bogus, then it is not correct to tax only 25% of the bogus claims? This is further supported by the fact that in this case also, the AO has categorically and conclusively held that the parties from whom the purchases are shown to be made are bogus purchases as the concerns are providing bogus bills and this fnding of the AO has been further strengthened by the fndings of the higher appellate authority which is never controverted by Hon’ble ITAT?

6.

3 Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the Hon’ble ITAT erred in overlooking the fact that addition made by AO based on details of scam unearthed by Sales Tax Department wherein it was established that the assessee had taken bills from bogus parties without actually making purchases from them? 6.4 whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the Hon’ble ITAT erred in ignoring that the purchases from bogus parties are debited in P & L Account for which the assessee had not submitted any evidences, and the same was not allowable?

6.5.

Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the Hon’ble ITAT erred in upholding the order of the Ld.CIT(A) who had limited and disallowance to the extent of 12.5% of the total alleged purchase without verifcation and confrmation of quantitative data of material sourced and its subsequent movement during the year?”

3.

Briefly stated the material facts are as under: The Assessee undertakes civil contract works awarded R.V. Patil 3 of 7 Uploaded on - 04/10/2022 Downloaded on - 27/10/2026 22:48:09 mostly by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). Return of income was fled for the assessment year 2009-10, declaring a total income of Rs.92,36,071/-. The assessment was completed under Section 143(3) of the Act, at a total income of Rs.93,72,290/-. The case of the assessee was reopened on the basis of information received from Sales Tax Department through DGIT (Inv.), Mumbai, that the assessee had made purchases of Rs.4,50,08,383/-, which seemed to be accommodation entries. An order under Section 143(3) r/w Section 147 was passed on 26th March, 2014, making an entire addition of Rs.4,50,08,383/- as bogus purchase under Section 69C of the Act, thereby determining the assessee’s income at Rs.5,43,80,670/-.

4.

An appeal was preferred before the Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax, (Appeals), who allowed the appeal partly vide its order dated 19th May, 2015. The Appellate Authority held that payments made by the assessee were through banking channels and that there was no evidence to prove that the cash had flowed back to the appellant. Purchase invoices and R.V. Patil 4 of 7 Uploaded on - 04/10/2022 Downloaded on - 27/10/2026 22:48:09 ledger statements also appear to have been produced before the Appellate Authority. It was held that what was taxable under the Income Tax Act, was only the real income. Even when the transaction was not verifable only the income component, could be taxed and not the entire transaction amount. It was also held that it was undisputed that the sale proceeds of the goods had been duly accounted for in the books and offered to tax, hence, the entire purchase amount could not have been added in the present case and that with a view to plug any revenue leakage in the aforementioned circumstances, disallowance of @12.5% was held to be reasonable to safeguard the interest of revenue. It, therefore, confrmed the addition to the extent of 12.5% of the alleged purchases of Rs.4,50,08,383/- i.e. Rs.56,26,047/-, therefore, relief was granted to the appellant to the extent of Rs.4,50,08,383/- – Rs.56,26,047/- = Rs.3,93,82,336/-. The order of CIT (Appeals) was challenged before the Tribunal vide its order dated 03rd May, 2017, dismissed the same. It was held that without purchasing materials and R.V. Patil 5 of 7 Uploaded on - 04/10/2022 Downloaded on - 27/10/2026 22:48:09 goods, it would not have been possible on the part of the assessee to execute the contract work with the MCGM, which is a Government Authority. It also held that the A.O. had not disputed the turnover of the contract work executed by the assessee and that unless the assessee procured the materials and goods, if not from the declared sources but from some other sources, it would not be possible on the part of the assessee to execute work awarded by MCGM. The Tribunal, therefore, held that the entire purchase made by the assessee could not be added back as income, but only proft element embedded therein, be treated as income of the assessee.

5.

We have gone through the well reasoned order of the Tribunal, which has taken into account all relevant facts before passing the order impugned. In our opinion, the order does not warrant any interference. No substantial questions of law arise in the present appeal and the same is, accordingly, dismissed.

6.

Learned Counsel for the Respondent stated that he did not wish to press the cross objections in CROL No. 16 of 2018 R.V. Patil 6 of 7 Uploaded on - 04/10/2022 Downloaded on - 27/10/2026 22:48:09 and the same is, accordingly disposed of. (VALMIKI SA MENEZES, J.) (DHIRAJ SINGH THAKUR, J.) R.V. Patil 7 of 7 Uploaded on - 04/10/2022 Downloaded on - 27/10/2026 22:48:09 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

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