THE COMMISSIONER OF INCOME T vs. M/S.RASI EXPORTS PVT LTD.
What did the High Court hold?
The High Court held that no substantial questions of law arose from the case. The Court noted that this was the second round of litigation. The ITAT had previously remanded the matter to the Assessing Officer. After the Assessing Officer conducted factual exercises and the CIT(Appeals) corrected them, the CIT(Appeals) partly allowed the assessee's appeal. The Revenue appealed this to the ITAT, which re-examined the factual position and affirmed the CIT(Appeals)'s order with independent reasoning. The High Court found that the ITAT's findings were based on a re-examination of the facts and that the CIT(Appeals)'s order was affirmed. Therefore, the Court concluded that no substantial questions of law were presented for its consideration. Consequently, the Tax Case appeal filed by the Revenue was dismissed, and the order of the ITAT was confirmed.
What were the facts?
The Revenue, Commissioner of Income Tax, Chennai, appealed against an order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) dated July 18, 2019, concerning Assessment Year 2006-2007. The assessee, M/s. Rasi Exports Pvt Ltd., a garment and fabric exporter, had filed a return admitting a loss of Rs. 6,90,20,428. The case was selected for scrutiny, and the assessment was initially completed with disallowances and additions. The matter went through multiple rounds of appeals. The ITAT had previously remanded the case to the Assessing Officer (AO) for reconsideration of expenditure on made-ups. Following the remand, the AO completed the assessment, disallowing claims due to the assessee's inability to produce an inventory register and verify lorry receipts. The Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) partly allowed the assessee's appeal. The Revenue appealed this to the ITAT, which dismissed the Revenue's appeal, leading to the present appeal before the High Court.
What were the issues?
The High Court had to decide on the following substantial questions of law: 1. Whether the Tribunal was correct in holding that the assessee could have exported goods without purchases, despite the AO establishing that export sales were not commensurate with opening stock and purchases. 2. Whether the Tribunal's finding was flawed, given that stock available on the date of sale was less than available stock, and the assessee failed to provide documentary evidence. 3. Whether the Tribunal was correct in stating that no fresh evidence was produced before the CIT(Appeals), when the assessee claimed evidence was placed and the department was not given an opportunity, violating Rule 46A. 4. Whether the Tribunal was correct in not considering that the matching principle of income and expenditure is not applicable when a cash method of accounting is followed, and there should be a nexus between income and expenditure as per Sections 36 and 37. The Revenue argued that the export sales were not commensurate with stock and purchases, and the assessee failed to prove its claims with documentary evidence. The Revenue also contended that Rule 46A was violated and that the matching principle should apply. The Assessee argued that the exports were not in dispute and that evidence was provided to the CIT(Appeals).
Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
T.C.(A) No.987 of 2019 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED : 09.07.2020 CORAM THE HONOURABLE Mr.JUSTICE T.S.SIVAGNANAM and THE HONOURABLE Mrs.JUSTICE V.BHAVANI SUBBAROYAN T.C.(A) No.987 of 2019 The Commissioner of Income Tax Chennai. .. Appellant / Appellant Vs. M/s.Rasi Exports Pvt Ltd., No.68, C.P.Ramaswamy Road Alwarpet Chennai – 600 018. ..Respondent/ Respondent Prayer : Tax Case (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 18.07.2019, passed in ITA.No.2099/Chny/2017, Assessment Year : 2006-2007. 1/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis/ T.C.(A) No.987 of 2019 For Appellant : Ms.Hemalatha, Senior Standing Counsel for Income Tax Department For Respondent : Mr.A.S.Sriraman JUDGMENT [Judgment of the Court delivered by T.S.SIVAGNANAM,J.] This appeal by the Revenue filed under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 [the 'Act' for brevity] is directed against the order dated 18.07.2019, passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Madras 'A' Bench, Chennai in I.T.A.No.2099/Chmy/2017, for the Assessment Year 2006-2007. 2.The Tax Case appeal was admitted on 05.12.2019, on the following substantial questions of law : 1.Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was right in holding that since the exports were not in dispute and the Assessee could have exported the goods without any purchases especially when the Assessing Officer had clearly established that the export sales was not commensurate with the opening stock and the purchases? 2.Is not the finding of the Tribunal bad, especially when stock that 2/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis/ T.C.(A) No.987 of 2019 was available on the date of sale were less than the available stock especially when the assessee failed to prove with documentary evidence while granting relief? 3. Whether, on the fact and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was right in holding that no fresh evidences was produced before the CIT (Appeals) which fact is factually wrong, when the fact remains that the evidences were placed before CIT (Appeals) and no opportunity was granted to the department before passing the order which clearly violates Rule 46A? 4. Whether on the facts and in the circumstance of the case, the Tribunal was right in not considering the fact that the matching principle in terms of income and expenditure is not applicable when cash method of accounting is followed as sine qua non for allowability of expenditure there should be nexus between the income and expenditure reported for the year in question as applicable in terms of Section 36 and 37 of the Income Tax Act? 3. We have heard Ms.Hemalatha, learned Senior Standing Counsel for the Revenue and Mr.A.S.Sriraman, learned counsel for the Assessee. 3/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis/ T.C.(A) No.987 of 2019 4. The Assessee is an exporter of cotton garments, cotton fabrics, made-ups and silk fabrics and goods and filed its return of income for the assessment year 2006-2007 on 27.11.2006, admitting the loss of Rs.6,90,20,428/-. The Assessee's case was selected for scrutiny under Section 143(3) of the Act, and the assessment was completed by disallowing sample expenses and addition of undisclosed stocks in relevant to purchases. The Assessee filed an appeal before CIT(Appeals) which was allowed partly, aggrieved which, the Department filed an appeal before the Tribunal. The Tribunal, vide order dated 08.05.2015 remanded the matter back to the Assessing Officer to reconsider the expenditure for made-ups. The Assessing Officer sought details from the Assessee and by order dated 27.12.2016, the Income Tax Department held that the Assessee could not produce the Inventory register to verify the correctness of the claim; the Assessee had not incurred any expenses on lorry receipt in the books and claimed that goods were received on “ Paid Lorry Receipt” basis; and that the Assessee could not produce all the lorry receipts to verify the subsequent entries for the goods received; and there were no fresh submissions from the Assessee to prove its claim, and accordingly the assessment was completed. 4/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis/ T.C.(A) No.987 of 2019 5. The Assessee preferred an appeal before the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals)-III, Chennai, who, by an order dated 28.04.2017 partly allowed the Assessee's appeal. Aggrieved by the same, the Revenue filed an appeal before the Tribunal. The Tribunal once again examined the factual position placed by the Assessee before the Assessing Officer, at the first instance when the assessment was completed, and also verified the details which were culled out during the assessment proceedings after the remand order of the Tribunal in the earlier round of litigation and dismissed the Revenue's appeal. 6. We have carefully examined the order of CIT(A) as well as the Tribunal. As mentioned above, this is the second round of litigation and the first round culminated with the order of the Tribunal, remanding the matter to the Assessing Officer. The Assessing Officer has done some factual exercises. This test was corrected by the CIT(A). The CIT(A) examined the matter and rendered a finding by partly allowing the Assess's appeal. Thereafter, the matter was taken before the Tribunal in the way of appeal by the Revenue, wherein, the findings of CIT(A) was re-examined by the Tribunal, and the 5/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis/ T.C.(A) No.987 of 2019 Tribunal, after assigning independent reasons, affirmed the order of the CIT(A). Thus, we are of the considered view that there is no question of law, much less the substantial questions of law arises in this appeal. 7. Accordingly, this Tax Case appeal is dismissed and the order of the the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Madras 'A' Bench, Chennai, dated 18.07.2019, passed in ITA.No.2099/Chny/2017, is hereby confirmed. No costs. [T.S.S.J.,] [V.B.S.J.,] 09.07.2020 ds Index : Yes / No Speaking Order / Non-speaking Order To: The Commissioner of Income Tax Chennai. 6/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis/ T.C.(A) No.987 of 2019 T.S.SIVAGNANAM, J. and V.BHAVANI SUBBAROYAN, J. ds T.C.(A) No.987 of 2019 09.07.2020 7/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis/
More judgments on Section 36
- Inder Lal Ramrakhyani, Dhamtari vs ITO, DhamtariITA 694/RPR/2026[2014-15]Status: Disposed14 Oct 2026AY 2014-15
- Metso Outotec India Private Limited, New… vs The Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax…ITA 4301/DEL/2024[2020-21]Status: Disposed10 Sept 2026AY 2020-21
- Ram Charan Mehta, Baran vs Income Tax Officer, BaranITA 1402/JPR/2025[2023-24]Status: Disposed31 Aug 2026AY 2023-24
- M/S Rajdeep Buildcon Pvt Ltd vs The Additional Commissioner of Commercial…STA/12/20227 Jul 2026
- Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Ltd., Mehsana vs The Pr. CIT-1, VadodaraITA 220/AHD/2022[2017-18]Status: Disposed12 Jun 2026AY 2017-18
Recent GST High Court judgments
Search GST case law →- M/S. Ut Corp vs. Union Of INDIARajasthan · 26 Oct 2026
- Sunrise Engineering vs. The State Of Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh · 26 Oct 2026
- M/S Kalra Traders vs. Union Of INDIAUttarakhand · 26 Oct 2026
- Ms Isoft vs. The Commissioner State TaxUttarakhand · 26 Oct 2026
- M/S Sita Enterprises vs. Office Of The CommissionerUttarakhand · 26 Oct 2026