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DE vs. MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY,HYDEARABADVS.ITO, EXEMPTION WARD-1(1), HYDERABAD

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ITA 845/HYD/2025[2018-19]Status: DisposedITAT Hyderabad13 March 202613 pages

आयकर अपीलȣय अͬधकरण, हैदराबाद पीठ
IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL
Hyderabad ‘A’ Bench, Hyderabad

BEFORE SHRI VIJAY PAL RAO, VICE PRESIDENT
AND SHRI MANJUNATHA G. ACCOUNTANT MEMBER

आ.अपी.सं /ITA No.845/Hyd/2025
Assessment Year 2018-2019

Devs Medical and Educational Society,
Hyderabad – 500 062. Telangana.
Exemption Ward-1(1),
Hyderabad – 500 029. (Appellant)

(Respondent)

For Assessee : Sri B Satyanarayana Murthy, CA
For Revenue : Sri Srinath Sadanala, Sr. AR

Date of Hearing : 11.03.2026
Date of Pronouncement : 13.03.2026

आदेश/ORDER

PER VIJAY PAL RAO, VICE PRESIDENT :

This appeal by the Assessee is directed against the Order dated 19.03.2025 of the learned CIT(A)-National
Faceless Appeal Centre [in short “NFAC], Delhi, for the assessment year 2018-2019. 2
ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

2.

The assessee has raised the following grounds of appeal: 1. “The Order of the learned Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) is contrary to the facts of the case and the Provisions of Law.

2.

The learned Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) NFAC erred in sustaining the addition of Rs.2,54,81,064/- in respect of the fees received by the Society of Rs.2,68,22,173/-

3.

The learned Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) NFAC is incorrect in sustaining the addition of Rs.2,54,81,064/- as addition U/s.115 BBC in respect of fees receipts of Rs.2,68,22,173/-

4.

The learned Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) NFAC should have seen that the receipts of Rs.2,68,22,173/- represent the receipts of the Education Society by way of Tuition Fees, Admission Fees, Hospital and Canteen Fees, Bus Transport Fees and other fees and also fees from the in-patients and out-patients and receipts for surgical services as per the audited Annual Report submitted before the Assessing Officer as well as before the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) NFAC

5.

The learned Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) NFAC is not justified in holding that the Annual Report does not have any evidentiary value.

6.

It is contended that the lower authorities are not justified in magnifying the errors committed in filing the Return and the explanations given in the limited time during the Covid period in December, 2020

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ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

7.

Alternatively, it is claimed that the additions are made arbitrary and excessive

For these and other grounds that may be urged at the time of hearing it is prayed that the Order of the Assessing Officer be set aside or modified as may be deemed fit.”

3.

The assessee is a society engaged in imparting education by running medical college, nursing school, Vocational Junior College and nursery schools. The assessee filed its return of income for the year under consideration on 31.08.2018 declaring Rs.NIL income. The case of the assessee was selected for scrutiny on the issue of expenditure for charitable or religious purpose. During the course of assessment proceedings, the Assessing Officer issued show cause notice to the assessee regarding the receipt of Rs.2,68,22,173/- which was explained by the assessee as this sum is received from the main objects of the assessee and not donation. Further, the assessee has also shown the unsecured loan of Rs.2,08,66,998/-. The Assessing Officer completed the assessment u/sec.143(3) r.w.s.143 (3A) and 143 (3B) of the Income Tax Act [in short "the Act"], 1961 on 12.04.2021 whereby an addition of Rs.2,54,81,064/- was 4 ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

made on account of anonymous donation chargeable to tax u/sec.115BBC of the Act. The assessee challenged the action of the Assessing Officer before the learned CIT(A) but could not succeed.
4. Before the Tribunal, the learned Authorised
Representative of the Assessee has submitted that the assessee has declared this amount as receipt from the ordinary activity of the assessee being tuition fee, admission fee, hospital and canteen fees, bus transport fee and other receipts relating to the running of medical colleges and other educational institutions. He has referred to the reply of the assessee as reproduced by the Assessing Officer at Page nos.3
and 4 of the assessment order and submitted that the assessee has given all the receipts under the Heads “Tuition
Fee, Admission Fee” etc., However, due to Covid pandemic, the assessee could not produce the books of accounts and other supporting evidence before the Assessing Officer. Thus, the learned Authorised Representative of the Assessee has submitted that the Assessing Officer has assumed the receipt of Rs.2,68,22,173/- as anonymous donation when assessee

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ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

has not claimed or declared any donation amount, but the entire receipt was on account of tuition fee, admission fee, hospital and canteen fee, bus transport fee and other incomes of the assessee from the medical college in respect of in- patient fee, out-patient fee, surgical services etc. He has referred to the computation of income and expenditure account of the assessee for the year under consideration and submitted that the assessee has given all the bifurcated details of receipts as well as expenses and therefore, the assessee has not claimed any exemption or deduction u/secs.11 and 12 of the Act except the actual expenditure incurred by the assessee for the main activities of the assessee running the medical college and other educational institutions. He has also referred to the schedules to the financial statements giving details of each institution i.e.,
Allopathy Hospital, Homeopathy College and Hospital, Junior
College, Naturopathy, School of Nursing and Devs Nursing
College. Similarly, the expenses are also categorized and separately bifurcated for each of these educational institutions. Thus, the learned Authorised Representative of 6
ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

the Assessee has submitted that the claim and details as furnished before the Assessing Officer are duly supported by the books of accounts and financial statements of the assessee which are duly audited as per the Audit Report furnished along with the return of income in Form-10B.
Thus, he has submitted that when no donation was received or claimed by the assessee, but the entire income was from the main education activity of the assessee, then, the addition made by the Assessing Officer on account of anonymous donation is highly unjustified and arbitrary and based on presumption without any material. Since it was the Covid-
2019 pandemic period when the assessment was framed, therefore, the assessee could not produce this supporting evidence in the shape of financials and books of accounts and other bifurcated details. Therefore, the assessee has now filed an application under Rule 29 of ITAT Rules, 1963 for admission of the additional evidence. He has further submitted that the learned CIT(A) has also confirmed the addition made by the Assessing Officer without verifying the facts and relevant material. Hence, the learned Authorised

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ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

Representative of the Assessee has submitted that the impugned order of the learned CIT(A) may be set aside and the matter may be remanded to the record of the Assessing
Officer for fresh adjudication, after considering the supporting evidence in the shape of financial statements and other details/ledger accounts of income as well as expenses which are filed by the assessee along with the application for additional evidence.
5. On the other hand, the learned DR has relied upon the Orders of the authorities below and submitted that the assessee has failed to file the supporting evidence in respect of the claim of the receipts from its main educational activities/objects and therefore, in the absence of the evidence filed by the assessee the Assessing Officer has assessed the said receipt as anonymous donation.
6. We have considered the rival submissions as well as the relevant material on record. At the outset, we note that the Assessing Officer has stated Para no.2 of the assessment order itself that the assessee has filed reply on 17.12.2020
and submitted that the assessee has not received any 8
ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

donation during the year and in the ITR the receipts are shown from the main objects at Rs.2,68,22,173/-. The Assessing Officer did not accept the reply of the assessee by giving the reasons as under:
“The same is not acceptable due to following reasons-
1. As the assessee didn't have identity of the persons from whom the amount of Rs.2,68,22,173/- received, it has tried to justify the same through unsecured loans from the received from small-time different individuals situated in nearby villages, to whom society provides medical facility and has been used for providing medical facility for the benefit of such individuals. Now, the assessee changed its stand that it was mistake in filling the response. There may be probability of human error and mistakes but such mistake doesn't have such a justification as given by the assessee. The response of the assessee filed on 17/12/2020, which now claiming as mistake is reproduced as under-

"2. The society has not received any donations during the year. Therefore the following are not applicable to the society and no further explanation is required for the following points. 1. We are herewith attaching the bank statement of the society 1. The society has no fresh Loans received under secured loans.
Unsecured loans of Rs.2,08,66,998/- have been received from small-time different individuals situated in nearby villages, to whom society provides medical facility and 9
ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

has been used for providing medical facility for the benefit of such individuals"
6.1. Thus, the Assessing Officer has again assumed this amount of Rs.2,68,22,173/- as donation received by the assessee despite the fact that the assessee has specifically stated in the reply that this receipt is from the main objects and activities of the assessee. The Assessing Officer again issued a show cause notice which was also replied by the assessee vide reply dated 18.03.2021 and giving the details of income as under:
"We are providing the following breakup of the Income:
Tuition fees

16,866,938
Admission fees

753,968
Hostel and canteen fees
1,565,300
Bus Transport Fees

1,588,600
Other Fees

613,123
Misc Income

23,200
In patient Fees

483,385
Out Patient Fees
480,100
Surgical Services
4,447,560

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ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

6.

2. Thus, all the details are reproduced by the Assessing Officer in the assessment order which manifest that the assessee has explained the source of the amount shown as income. However, the Assessing Officer has treated the entire receipt as anonymous donation. This action of the Assessing Officer treating the receipt as anonymous donation without any material to contradict the claim of the assessee is highly arbitrary and unjustified on the part of the Assessing Officer. It is rather assumption of the said amount as anonymous donation without any basis. The Assessing Officer has not contradicted the claim of the assessee by bringing any fact or record. Similarly, the learned CIT(A) has also misconceived the facts and confirmed the addition by giving the reasons in Para nos.8.4 and 8.4.1 as under: “8.4. Further, it is pertinent to mention that the appellant initially vide his response dated 17.12.2020, submitted before the AO that the amount of Rs.2,08,66,998/- out of the total amount of Rs.2,68,22,173/- was unsecured loan from different individuals situated in nearby villages wherein the appellant society provides medical facilities. The AO considered the appellant's submission and requested to provide the details of the persons from whom the purported unsecured loans are received. The appellant has failed to provide such details called for by the AO. Let alone submitting

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ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

the details, the appellant has completely changed his stand by stating the same as revenue receipts. When the appellant has changed its stand, it shall be supported by strong clinching evidence. Even in support of the alternative claim, the appellant has not furnished any documentary evidence substantiating such claim. In view of the inconsistency in filing the submission, the AO has found the appellant's explanation unsatisfactory.
8.4.1. The appellant has repeatedly altered their stance during the course of the appellate proceedings, demonstrating a clear inconsistency in submissions. Such shifting arguments not only weaken the credibility of the claim but also indicate an attempt to circumvent scrutiny. Furthermore, the appellant has failed to furnish any substantive documentary evidence in support of the claim, relying solely on written submissions that lack corroborative proof. Mere assertions, without tangible evidence, cannot be accepted as valid justification. In view of these inconsistencies and the absence of verifiable proof, the appellant's claim is devoid of merit and stands rejected. Further, the appellant has not furnished plausible submissions even before the appellate authority. The mere contentions that the receipts are genuine without proving the genuineness of the same cannot be accepted.
As such, The AO's conclusion of treating the gross receipts as anonymous donations is justified as the appellant has failed to provide credible explanation regarding the nature of receipts regarding the source of the amount it received. Hence, the Sole
Ground of the appeal is hereby dismissed.”

6.

3. Thus, there was no change of any stance on the part of the assessee which is misconceived by the learned CIT(A) while considering explanation of the assessee that the 12 ITA.No.845/Hyd./2025

receipt of Rs.2,68,22,173/- is comprising of tuition fee, admission fee etc., from running of the medical colleges, hospital and other educational institutions and the another amount of Rs.2,08,66,998/- as unsecured loans as an alternative claim or change of stand of the assessee.
Accordingly, in the facts and circumstances of the case, we set aside the impugned order of the learned CIT(A) and also admit the additional evidence filed by the assessee to be verified and examined at the level of the Assessing Officer.
Hence, in the interest of justice, the matter is remanded to the record of the Assessing Officer for fresh adjudication, after considering the additional evidence filed by the assessee and by giving an appropriate opportunity of hearing to the assessee before passing the fresh order.

7.

In the result, appeal of the Assessee is allowed for statistical purposes. Order pronounced in the open Court on 13.03.2026. [MANJUNATHA G.]

[VIJAY PAL RAO]
ACCOUNTANT MEMBER
VICE PRESIDENT
Hyderabad, Dated 13th March, 2026. VBP

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Copy to :

1.

Devs Medical and Educational Society, 22, Anupuram ECIL Kapra, Hyderabad – 500 062. Telangana.

2.

The Income Tax Officer, Exemption Ward-1(1), Aayakar Bhavan, Hyderabad – 500 029. 3. The Pr. CIT-(Exemption), Hyderabad 4. The DR, ITAT, “A” Bench, Hyderabad. 5. Guard file. BY ORDER

VADREVU
PRASADA
RAO
Digitally signed by VADREVU
PRASADA RAO
Date: 2026.03.13
11:24:03 +05'30'