PRINCIPAL COMMISSIONER OF vs. CHETTINAD CEMENT CORPORATION

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TCA/637/2018HC Madras28 August 2019Bench: Hon`ble Mr Justice T. S. SIVAGNANAM4 pages
AI SummaryDismissed

What did the High Court hold?

The High Court held that the substantial questions of law were answered against the revenue, following its own previous decision in the case of Principal Commissioner of Income Tax vs. M/s.Scope International Pvt. Ltd. in TCA.No.369 of 2019 dated 19.06.2019. In that prior decision, the Court had considered similar arguments raised by the Revenue concerning the inclusion of surcharge and cess in MAT credit and the applicability of the K.Srinivasan judgment. The operative portion of the prior judgment, which was adopted here, indicated that the Revenue's contentions were not accepted. Therefore, the appeals filed by the Revenue were dismissed. The Court did not expressly leave any issue undecided. The ratio decidendi is that surcharge and education cess paid under Section 115JB are to be included when allowing credit of MAT under Section 115JAA, and the interpretation of 'tax' in the context of MAT credit extends to include these components, irrespective of the specific assessment year or the retrospective insertion of Section 115JAA.

What were the facts?

The Revenue (Principal Commissioner of Income Tax) filed two appeals (T.C.A.Nos.637 and 638 of 2018) against the order dated 28.12.2017 of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), Chennai, for the assessment year 2007-08. The appeals challenged the ITAT's decision concerning the credit of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT). The assessee is M/s.Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd. The core of the dispute revolves around whether surcharge and education cess paid while calculating MAT under Section 115JB of the Income-tax Act, 1961, should be included when allowing credit for MAT under Section 115JAA of the Act. The ITAT had granted relief to the assessee.

What were the issues?

The Tribunal had to decide the following substantial questions of law: 1. Whether surcharge and education cess paid by an assessee while paying minimum alternate tax (MAT) under Section 115JB of the Income Tax Act are to be included while allowing credit of MAT under Section 115JAA of the Income Tax Act? 2. Whether the ITAT was correct in law in placing reliance on the Judgment of the Supreme Court in CIT vs. K.Srinivasan (1971) 83 ITR 346, for giving relief to the assessee, whereas the said interpretation to "tax" is applicable only for the assessment year 1964-65 and not for subsequent assessment years? 3. Whether the ITAT was correct in importing the definition of "tax" as interpreted by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in CIT vs. K.Srinivasan (1971) 83 ITR 346, whereas Section 115JA did not define "tax" to include surcharge and educational cess, as defined in Section 115JB of the Act? The Revenue argued that surcharge and cess should not be included and that the decision in K.Srinivasan was not applicable to the facts of this case, as it was rendered in the context of Section 2 of the Act, whereas Section 115JAA was inserted subsequently with retrospective effect from 01.04.1997. The assessee's arguments are not explicitly detailed but are implied by the Revenue's contentions and the ITAT's decision.

Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?

Section 115JB,Section 115JAA,Section 260A,Section 115JA,Section 2

AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below

T.C.A.Nos.637 and 638 of 2018 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED : 28.08.2019 CORAM THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE T.S.SIVAGNANAM and THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE V.BHAVANI SUBBAROYAN Tax Case Appeal Nos.637 and 638 of 2018 Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Central I, No.108, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Chennai.

.. Appellant -vs- M/s.Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd., Rani Seethai Hall, IV Floor, 603, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 006. PAN: AAACC3130A .. Respondent Appeal under Section 260A of the Income-tax Act, 1961 against the order dated 28.12.2017 on the file of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal 'A' Bench, Chennai, in I.T.A.No.1201/MDS/2017 for the assessment year 2007-08. For Appellant : Mr.T.R.Senthil Kumar Senior Standing Counsel : M/s.K.G.Usharani For Respondent : Mr.A.S.Sriraman for Mr.S.Sridhar ****** 1/4 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.637 and 638 of 2018 COMMON JUDGMENT (Judgment was delivered by T.S.Sivagnanam, J.) This appeal, filed by the appellant/revenue under Section 260A of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”), is directed against the order dated 28.12.2017 passed by the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal 'A' Bench, Chennai, in I.T.A.No.1201/MDS/2017 for the assessment year 2007-08. 2.The appeals were filed by raising the following substantial questions of law:- “1.Whether the surcharge and education cess paid by an assessee while paying minimum alternate tax under section 115JB of Income Tax Act, are to be included while allowing credit of minimum alternate tax under section 115JAA of Income Tax Act? 2.Whether the ITAT is correct in law in placing reliance on the Judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of CIT vs. K.Srinivasan (1971) reported in 83 ITR 346, for giving relief to the assessee, whereas the said interpretation to "tax" is applicable only for the assessment year 1964-65 and not for subsequent assessment years? 2/4 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.637 and 638 of 2018 3.Whether the ITAT is correct in importing the definition of "tax" as interpreted by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of CIT vs. K.Srinivasan (1971) reported in 83 ITR 346, whereas the Section 115JA did not defined "tax" to include surcharge and educational cess, as defined in Section 115JB of the Act?" 3.The above Substantial Questions of law framed for considered was considered by us in the case of Principal Commissioner of Income Tax vs. M/s.Scope International Pvt. Ltd. in TCA.No.369 of 2019 dated 19.06.2019 and the questions were answered against the revenue. The operative portion of the judgment reads as follows: "10.The Revenue is before us contending that surcharge and cess should not be included and that the decision in the case of K.Srinivasan would not be applicable to the facts of this case. Thus, the argument advanced before us is that both the CIT(A) as well as the Tribunal ought not to have followed the decision in the case of K.Srinivasan, which was rendered in the context of Section 2 of the Act whereas Section 11JAA of the Act was inserted subsequently with retrospective effect from 01.04.1997." 3/4 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.637 and 638 of 2018 T.S.SIVAGNANAM, J. AND V.BHAVANI SUBBAROYAN, J. cse 4.Following the above said decision, the tax case appeal is dismissed and the substantial questions of law are answered against the revenue. No costs. (T.S.S., J.) (V.B.S., J.) 28.08.2019 Index : Yes/No Speaking/Non-Speaking Order cse To The Income-tax Appellate Tribunal 'A' Bench, Chennai. T.C.A.Nos.637 and 638 of 2018 4/4 http://www.judis.nic.in

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