Facts
The assessee, Hitech Advisory Services Pvt. Limited, filed an appeal against an order from the Additional/Joint Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), Jodhpur, for Assessment Year 2012-13. The appeal before the ITAT was delayed by 20 days, and the assessee sought condonation, attributing the delay to their AR/CA not checking the online portal due to heavy workload, leading to a lack of awareness of the order, which was dismissed *in limine* by the CIT(A).
Held
The Tribunal condoned the 20-day delay in filing the appeal, recognizing that the assessee was prevented from filing it within the stipulated time. To ensure natural justice, the matter was remitted back to the Additional/Joint Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) for a fresh decision on merits, without being influenced by previous observations, with a caution for the assessee to cooperate promptly.
Key Issues
Whether the 20-day delay in filing the appeal before the ITAT should be condoned and whether the Addl./JCIT(A)'s dismissal of the original appeal *in limine* was justified, warranting a remand for fresh adjudication on merits.
Sections Cited
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, ‘SMC’ BENCH, KOLKATA
Before: Shri Duvvuru RL Reddy, Vice-(KZ)
The present appeal is directed at the instance of assessee against the order of ld. Additional/Joint Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), Jodhpur dated 23rd September 2024 passed for Assessment Year 2012-13.
(A.Y. 2012-2013) Hitech Advisory Services Pvt. Limited
The appeal is time barred by 20 days in filing the appeal before the ITAT by the assessee. However, the Director of the assessee-company filed a condonation petition dated 20th December, 2024 saying that the assessee was not aware of any notices of hearing and the order passed by the ld. CIT(Appeals) as the Chartered Accountant and A.R. of the assessee-company failed to check up the internet portal due to heavy work pressure of statutory compliances. When the assessee came to know about the order passed by the ld. CIT(Appeals), the assessee approached the ld. A.R. to prefer an appeal, due to that there was a delay of 20 days in filing the appeal before the Tribunal. Therefore, he pleaded to condone the delay.
Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the view that the assessee was prevented in filing the appeal before the Tribunal within the stipulated time. Therefore, I am inclined to condone the delay of 20 days. Hence the delay is condoned.
The contention of the ld. Counsel for the assessee is that the ld. Addl./JCIT(Appeals) dismissed the appeal of the assessee in limine as the assessee failed to explain any facts or to submit any documents/evidences to support/substantiate its claim. The ld. Counsel argued that the ld. Addl./JCIT(Appeals) dismissed the appeal simply relying on the order of ld. Assessing Officer and without considering the issue on merit. Therefore, he pleaded to set aside both the orders of revenue authorities.
(A.Y. 2012-2013) Hitech Advisory Services Pvt. Limited 5. On the other hand, ld. Departmental Representative submitted that sufficient opportunity was being provided to the assessee. Therefore, the ld. Addl./JCIT(Appeals) has no other option except dismissing the appeal ex-parte and he pleaded to uphold the order passed by the ld. Addl./JCIT(Appeals).
I have heard both the sides and perused the material available on record. The ld. Counsel for the assessee filed a condonation petition mentioning the reasons for delay in filing the appeal before the Tribunal. Therefore, in order to ensure the principle of natural justice, I am of the view that it is a fit case to provide one more opportunity to the assessee to decide the case on merit. Therefore, I remit the matter back to the file of ld. Addl./JCIT(Appeals) with a direction to dispose of the appeal without any inference on the observations of earlier order passed by him. At the same breath, I also hereby caution the assessee to promptly co-operate with the proceedings before the Ld. Addl./JCIT(Appeals) failing which the Ld. Addl./JCIT(Appeals) shall be at liberty to pass appropriate order in accordance with law and merits of the case, based on the materials available on the record. Thus, the grounds raised
by the assessee in the appeal are allowed for statistical purposes.