PRINCIPAL COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX 1 vs. M/S.SALZER ELECTRONICS LTD
What did the High Court hold?
The High Court dismissed all three appeals as being covered under the 'Low Tax Effect' as per Circular No.9/2024. The Court recorded the submission by the learned Senior Standing Counsel for the appellant Revenue regarding the applicability of the circular. Consequently, the appeals were dismissed on this procedural ground. The Court explicitly stated that the substantial questions of law raised in these appeals are kept open to be decided at a later point in time. No order as to costs was made. The appeals were disposed of without a decision on the merits of the substantial questions of law. The operative direction was to dismiss the appeals as low tax effect, leaving the questions of law undecided.
What were the facts?
These three Tax Case Appeals (T.C.A.No.22, 24 & 25 of 2021) were filed by the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax/Commissioner of Income Tax against orders of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT). T.C.A.No.22 of 2021 challenges an ITAT order dated 26.02.2020 in I.T.A.No.1858/Chny/2019 concerning M/s. Salzer Electronics Ltd. T.C.A.Nos.24 & 25 of 2021 challenge ITAT orders dated 06.02.2019 in I.T.A.No.1823/Chny/2018 and I.T.A.No.1824/Chny/2018 concerning M/s. Sivananda Saraswathi Sevasharamam. The appeals were admitted on substantial questions of law. The Revenue's counsel submitted that all appeals fall under the 'Low Tax Effect' category as per Circular No.9/2024 dated 17.09.2024.
What were the issues?
The Tribunal had to decide several substantial questions of law. For T.C.A.No.22 of 2021, the questions concerned the allowability of Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) expenditure, specifically whether it could be deducted even if not debited in the Profit and Loss account, whether the presence or absence of an entry in books of account determines allowability, and whether repealed SEBI guidelines affect the treatment of such expenditure. For T.C.A.Nos.24 & 25 of 2021, the questions related to the eligibility of an assessee for benefits under Section 11 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, despite not filing proper Form 10 for income accumulation, not intending to purchase lands in the relevant financial year (2011-12), and not spending accumulated income within five years as required by Section 11(3) read with Section 11(2)(a) and its second proviso. A further question was whether the exclusion period for the second proviso to Section 11(2) starts from the date of initiation of proceedings by CMDA or from the date of a court's stay order (21.07.2015), and if the stay order being after the five-year period makes unspent income taxable. The Revenue argued that the appeals were covered under the Low Tax Effect circular. No specific arguments for the assessees were recorded in relation to the substantial questions of law.
Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?
Section 260A,Section 11,Section 11(3),Section 11(2)(a)
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
T.C.A.No.22, 24 & 25 of 2021 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 24.10.2024 CORAM : THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE R. SURESH KUMAR AND THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C. SARAVANAN T.C.A.No.22, 24 & 25 of 2021 The Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax No.63, Race Course Road, Appellant in Coimbatore 641 018. .. T.C.A.No.22 of 2021 Commissioner of Income Tax Appellant in Chennai. .. T.C.A.Nos.24 & 25 of 2021 Vs. M/s.Salzer Electronics Ltd. No.1, Samichettipalayam Post Jothipuram via, Coimbatore 641 047 Respondent in PAN: AAC CS 7106 G. .. T.C.A.No.22 of 2021 M/s. Sivananda Saraswathi Sevasharamam 20, Kambar Street, East Tambaram Chennai 600 059 Respondent in PAN AATS 0160 K. .. T.C.A.Nos.24 & 25 of 2021 Prayer in T.C.A.No.22 of 2021: Appeal filed under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, against the order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Madras "D" Bench, Chennai dated 26.02.2020 in I.T.A.No.1858/Chny/2019; Prayer in T.C.A.No.24 of 2021: Appeal filed under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, against the order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Madras "A" Bench, Chennai dated 06.02.2019 in I.T.A.No.1823/Chny/2018; and Prayer in T.C.A.No.25 of 2021: Appeal filed under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, against the order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Madras "A" Bench, Chennai dated 06.02.2019 in I.T.A.No.1824/Chny/2018. Page 1 of 5 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis T.C.A.No.22, 24 & 25 of 2021 For the Appellant Mr.Karthik Ranganathan in T.C.A.No.22 of 2021 : Senior Standing Counsel For the Respondent in T.C.A.No.22 of 2021 : Mr.Niranjan Rajagopalan For the Appellant in T.C.A.Nos.24 Ms.V.Pushpa & 25 of 2021 : Senior Standing Counsel For the Respondents in T.C.A.Nos.24 Mr.R.Venkatanarayanan for & 25 of 2021 : Mr.Subbaraya
Iyer Padmanabhan COMMON JUDGMENT (Order of the Court was made by R.SURESH KUMAR, J.) T.C.A.No.22 of 2021 was admitted on 18.01.2021 on the following substantial questions of law:- 1. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Appellate Tribunal was correct in setting aside the order of AO and CIT(A) and directing the AO to allow the deduction of ESOP expenditure, which was not debited in the Profit and Loss account? 2. Whether the Appellate Tribunal was correct in holding that absence and presence of entry in the books of account does not decide the allowability or otherwise of ESOP expenditure? 3. Whether the ITAT was correct in holding that SEBI had repealed the ESOP expenditure and once provision is repealed, it should be deemed that it was never part of guideline note? 2. T.C.A.Nos.24 and 25 of 2021 were admitted on 08.01.2021 on the following substantial questions of law:- 1. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was right Page 2 of 5 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis T.C.A.No.22, 24 & 25 of 2021 in holding that the assessee is entitled for benefit under the provisions of Section 11 even though the assessee had not filed proper form 10 for accumulation of income and had not intended to purchase the lands during the financial year relating to the present assessment year 2011-12? 2. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was right in holding that the assessee will be entitled for benefit under the provisions of Section 11 even though the assessee had accumulated the income in the year 2005-06 and 2006-07 and had not spent the said accumulated income within 5 years in contradiction to the specific provisions of Section 11(3) rw 11(2)(a) rw 2nd provisio to Section 11(2)? 3. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was right in holding that for the purpose of the 2nd provisio to Section 11(2) the period of exclusion starts from the date of initiation of proceedings by the CMDA and not from the date of the stay order of this Court being 21.07.2015? 4. Whether on the facts and circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was right in not appreciating that the stay order of this Court was dated 21.07.2015 is much after the outer limit of five years period stipulated and therefore, the unspent accumulated income is to be assessed to tax as per the provisions of Section 11? 3. It is submitted by the respective learned Senior Standing Counsel appearing for the appellant Revenue that all these Tax Case Appeals are covered under the Low Tax Effect as per the recent Circular dated 17.09.2024, in Circular No.9/2024. Page 3 of 5 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis T.C.A.No.22, 24 & 25 of 2021 4. Recording the same, these appeals stand dismissed as Low Tax Effect. The questions of law raised in these appeals are kept open to be decided at the later point of time. There shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, C.M.P.No.278 of 2021 is closed. (R.S.K., J.) (C.S.N, J) 24.10.2024 Neutral Citation:Yes/No drm Page 4 of 5 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis T.C.A.No.22, 24 & 25 of 2021 R. SURESH KUMAR, J. AND C. SARAVANAN
, J.
(drm) T.C.A.No.22, 24 & 25 of 2021 24.10.2024
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