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Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, PUNE BENCH “A”, PUNE
Before: SHRI ANIL CHATURVEDI, AM & SHRI PARTHA SARATHI CHAUDHURY, JM
आदेश / ORDER
PER ANIL CHATURVEDI, AM :
This appeal filed by the assessee is emanating out of the order 1. of Commissioner of Income Tax (A) – 1, Nashik dated 20.09.2016 for the assessment year 2012-13.
The relevant facts as culled out from the material on record are as under :-
Assessee is a Company stated to be engaged in the manufacturing of Front Grill, Instrument Panel, Spair, Wheel Cover, Seat Foam etc. Assessee filed its return of income on 30.09.2012 for
A.Y. 2012-13 declaring total income at Rs.2,63,47,430/-. The case
was selected for scrutiny and thereafter assessment was framed u/s
143(3) of the Act vide order dt.23.02.2015 and the total income was
assessed at Rs.2,82,85,502/- inter-alia by making various
disallowances including disallowance of Rs.17,79,699/- which was
not capitalized to plant and machinery by the assessee. On such
disallowance of Rs.17,79,699/- AO vide order dt.27.08.2015 passed
u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act levied penalty of Rs.5,77,430/-. Aggrieved
with the penalty order of AO, assessee carried the matter before
Ld.CIT(A), who vide order dt.20.09.2016 (in appeal No.Nsk/CIT(A)-
1/445/2015-16) dismissed the appeal of assessee. Aggrieved by the
order of Ld.CIT(A), assessee is now in appeal before us and has raised
the following effective ground :
“ On the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the lower authorities have erred in levying the penalty of Rs.5,77,480/- u/s 271 (1)(c) of the Act by disregarding appellant's contention that the claim made under repairs and maintenance of machinery was capitalized by Learned Assessing Officer is merely change in accounting treatment and similarly by ignoring the ratio laid down by Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Reliance Petro Product 322 ITR 158(SC), the appellant prays for deletion of penalty.”
Before us, Ld.A.R. submitted that the sole issue raised by the
assessee is with respect to levy of penalty u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act.
Before us, Ld.A.R. submitted that while framing the assessment
u/s 143(3) of the Act, AO had made addition of Rs.17,79,699/- on
account of expenses which are not capitalized by the assessee to the
plant and machinery. He submitted that in the assessment order no
satisfaction has been recorded by the AO as to whether the penalty
has been levied on account of furnishing of inaccurate particulars of
income or it was a case of concealment of income. He submitted that
in the penalty order passed u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act dated 27.08.2015
AO levied penalty of Rs.5,77,430/- for “furnishing of inaccurate
particulars of income” as well as for “concealment of income” i.e., for
both the limbs. He therefore relying on the decision of Hon’ble
Bombay High Court in the case of CIT Vs. Samson Perinchery
reported in (2017) 392 ITR 4 (Bom) submitted that when passing
assessment order no satisfaction for levy of penalty was recorded but
in the penalty order when penalty was levied for concealment of
income as well as for furnishing of inaccurate particulars of income,
then in the absence of proper show cause notice to assessee and in
the absence of recording of proper satisfaction, penalty u/s 271(1)(c)
cannot be levied. He therefore submitted that penalty levied by AO be
deleted. Ld.D.R. on the other hand, supported the order of lower
authorities.
We have heard the rival submissions and perused the material
on record. The issue in the present case is with respect to levy of
penalty u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act. In the present case, penalty of
Rs.5,77,430/- has been levied on addition of Rs.17,79,799/- on
account of expenses which were not capitalized by the assessee to the
Plant and Machinery. The perusal of assessment order reveals that
no satisfaction has been recorded by the AO as to whether the penalty
has been levied on account of furnishing of inaccurate particulars of
income or it was a case of concealment of income. Thereafter, in the
penalty order passed u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act, AO had levied penalty
for “furnishing of inaccurate particulars of income” as well as for
“concealment of income” i.e., for both the limbs. It is a settled law
that while levying penalty for concealment, the AO has to record
satisfaction and thereafter come to a finding in respect of one of the
limbs, which is specified under section 271(1)(c) of the Act. The first
step is to record satisfaction while completing the assessment as to
whether the assessee had concealed its income or furnished
inaccurate particulars of income. Thereafter, notice u/s 274 read
with Section 271(1)(c) of the Act is to be issued to the assessee. The
Assessing Officer thereafter has to levy penalty under Section
271(1)(c) of the Act for non-satisfaction of either of the limbs. While
completing the assessment, the Assessing Officer has to come to a
finding as to whether the assessee has concealed its income or
furnished inaccurate particulars of income. The Hon’ble Bombay
High Court in CIT Vs. Shri Samson Perinchery reported in (2017) 392
ITR 4 (Bom) held that where initiation of penalty is one limb and the
levy of penalty is on other limb, then in the absence of proper show
cause notice to the assessee, there is no merit in levy of penalty.
In the present case, as noted hereinabove, it is seen that the AO
has not recorded any satisfaction in the assessment order but had
levied penalty for “furnishing of inaccurate particulars of income” as
well as for “concealment of income” i.e., for both the limbs.
Considering the aforesaid facts in the light of the decision of Hon’ble
Bombay High Court in the case of Samson Perinchery (supra), we are
of the view that in the present case the basic condition for levy of
penalty has not been fulfilled and that the penalty order suffers from
non-exercising of jurisdiction power of AO and therefore penalty order
cannot be upheld. We accordingly set aside the penalty order passed
by AO. Thus, the ground of assessee is allowed.
In the result, the appeal of the assessee is allowed.
Order pronounced on 26th day of June, 2019.
Sd/- Sd/- (PARTHA SARATHI CHAUDHURY) (ANIL CHATURVEDI) �या�यक सद�य / JUDICIAL MEMBER लेखा सद�य / ACCOUNTANT MEMBER
पुणे Pune; �दनांक Dated : 26th June, 2019. Yamini
आदेश क� ��त�ल�प अ�े�षत/Copy of the Order forwarded to :
अपीलाथ� / The Appellant 2. ��यथ� / The Respondent 3. CIT(A)-1, Nashik. 4. Pr.CIT-1, Nashik. 5 �वभागीय ��त�न�ध, आयकर अपील�य अ�धकरण, “ए” / DR, ITAT, “A” Pune; 6. गाड� फाईल / Guard file.
आदेशानुसार/ BY ORDER
// True Copy // व�र�ठ �नजी स�चव / Sr. Private Secretary आयकर अपील�य अ�धकरण ,पुणे / ITAT, Pune.