Loading judgment…
No AI summary yet for this case.
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, “A” BENCH: KOLKATA
Before: Shri Rajpal Yadav, Vice-(KZ)& Shri Rajesh Kumar]
Per Shri Rajesh Kumar, AM: This is an appeal preferred by the assessee against the order of the Commissioner of Income Tax-21, Kolkata [hereinafter referred to as ‘CIT(A)’] dated 21.12.2021 for the assessment year 2013-14.
The common issue raised in the various grounds of appeal is against the order of Ld. CIT(A) upholding the order of AO passed u/s 154 wherein the AO disallowed the set-off of unabsorbed depreciation against the income from other source in violation of Section 115BBE of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as the Act).
2 ITA No. 55/Kol/2022 AY: 2013-14 M/s Skipper Ltd. 3. Facts in brief are that in the present case, search and seizure operation was conducted u/s 132 of the Act on 19.11.2015. The assessment u/s 153A/143(3) of the Act was framed vide order dated 31.12.2017 assessing income at Rs. 9,96,67,709/- making addition of share capital and share premium of Rs. 3 crores as unexplained cash credit u/s 68 of the Act. Thereafter, petition u/s 154 was moved by the assessee vide its application dated 28.02.2018 that unabsorbed depreciation of Rs. 9,82,55,803/- has not been given allowed to be set off against the income inadvertently. The AO after considering the application of the assessee passed an order u/s 154 of the Act on 30.05.2018 allowing the set off of unabsorbed depreciation and determined the total income at Rs. 28,13,810/-. Thereafter, the AO issued notice u/s 154 of the Act on the ground that as per Section 115BBE of the Act , no deduction in respect of expenditure or allowance shall be allowed as per the provisions of this Act, but inadvertently unabsorbed depreciation was allowed to the assessee against the income added u/s 68 of the Act. He then passed another order u/s 154 of the Act dated 09.07.2018 disallowing the set off of unabsorbed depreciation against the addition of Rs. 3 crores made u/s 68 of the Act and determined the income accordingly.
Against the said order u/s 154 of the Act dated 09.07.2018, the assessee filed an appeal before the Ld. CIT(A) who passed the order confirming the order of the AO, ignoring the CBDT Circular No. 11/2019 dated 19.06.2019 which was brought to the notice of the Ld. CIT(A) by the assessee in the appellate proceedings. The Ld. CIT(A) confirmed the AO’s order passed u/s 154 dated 09.07.2018 on the point that the present order was passed after the amendment has come into effect and therefore was rightly made by completely ignoring the CBDT Circular No. 11/2019 dated 19.06.2019.
After hearing the rival parties and perusing the material on record, we note that set off of unabsorbed depreciation of Rs. 9,82,55,803/- allowed by the AO was withdrawn by in rectification order u/s 154 of the Act dated 09.07.2018. The facts are that an addition of Rs. 3,00,40,000/- u/s 68 of the Act was made to the income of the assessee in the assessment order passed u/s 143(3) read with Section 153A of the act
3 ITA No. 55/Kol/2022 AY: 2013-14 M/s Skipper Ltd.
on 31.12.2017 thereby assessing the income at Rs. 9,96,67,709/-. Thereafter the assessee moved a rectification petition dated 28.02.2018 requesting the AO that unabsorbed depreciation of Rs. 9,82,55,803/- has not been allowed set off from the income assessed and the AO thereafter passed a rectification order dated 30.05.2018 allowing the set off of unabsorbed depreciation thereby determining the income of Rs. 28,13,810/-. But thereafter again the AO issued notice u/s 154 to withdraw the set off of unabsorbed depreciation and a rectification order was passed dated 09.07.2018 accordingly. The Ld. CIT(A) also confirmed the order of AO by ignoring the CBDT Circular No. 11/2019 dated 19.06.2019 which specifically issued in order to instruct the AOs to allow the set off of unabsorbed loss/depreciation in the assessment years prior to the amendment. We note that the circular was brought by Central Board of Direct Taxes to ensure the same treatment to be given to unabsorbed depreciation in the matter of set off of losses / depreciation against the addition made u/s 68 / 69/ 69A/ 69B / 69C/ 69D of the Act. This Circular was brought out in view of amendment brought about by Finance Act, 2016 w.e.f 01.04.2017 which provides that no set off of any loss shall be given to assessee under the any of provision of the Act against the income as referred to in Clause A and B of sub-section (1) of Section 115BBE of the Act. Prior to that there was no provision existed in the Act and therefore it is permissible to set off of unabsorbed depreciation/losses against the said income. So in order to set the controversy at rest , a Circular No. 11/2019 dated 19.06.2019 was brought as the AOS were not allowing the set off. The circular is reproduced as under:
In this regard, it has been brought to the notice of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (the Board) that in assessments prior to assessment year 2017-18, while some of the Assessing Officers have allowed set off of losses against the additions made by them under Section(s) 68/69j69A/69B/69C/69D, in some cases, set off of losses against the additions made under Section 115BBE(1) of the Act have not been allowed. As the amendment inserting the words 'or set off of any loss' is applicable with effect from pt of April, 2017 and applies from assessment year 2017-18 onwards, conflicting views have been taken by the Assessing Officers in assessments for years prior to assessment year 2017-18. The matter has been referred to the Board so that a consistent approach is adopted by the Assessing Officers while applying provision of section 115BBE in assessments for period prior to the assessment year 2017-18. 3. The Board has examined the matter. The Circular No. 3/2017 of the Board dated 20th January, 2017 which contains Explanatory notes to the provisions of the Finance Act, 2016, at para 46.2, regarding amendment made in section 115BBE(2) of the Act mentions that
4 ITA No. 55/Kol/2022 AY: 2013-14 M/s Skipper Ltd. currently there is uncertainty on the issue of set-off of losses against income referred to in section 115BBE. It also further mentions that the pre-amended provision of section 115BBE of the Act did not convey the intention that losses shall not be allowed to be set-off against income referred to in section 115BBE of the Act and hence, the amendment was made vide the Finance Act, 2016. 4. Thus keeping the legislative intent behind amendment in section 115BBE(2) vide the Finance Act, 2016 to remove any ambiguity of interpretation, the Board is of the view that since the term 'or set off of any loss' was specifically inserted only vide the Finance Act 2016, w.e.f. 01.04.2017, an assessee is entitled to claim set-off of loss against income determined under section 115BBE of the Act till the assessment year 2016-17. A perusal of the Circular, abundantly makes it clear that prior to AY 2017-18 the said set off of loss has to be allowed and so the unabsorbed depreciation. Therefore, we do not find any merit in the conclusion drawn by the Ld. CIT(A) on this issue and accordingly we are inclined to reverse the same by directing the AO to allow the set off of unabsorbed depreciation to the assessee. We are not adjudicating the plea raised by the assessee that the withdrawal of set off in respect of unabsorbed depreciation allowed earlier by ways order u/s 154 of the Act is not permissible as the same is not apparent mistake. Resultantly, the appeal of the assessee is allowed.
In the result, the appeal of the assessee is allowed.
Order is pronounced in the open court on 9th September, 2022
Sd/- Sd/- (Rajpal Yadav /राजपाल यादव) (Rajesh Kumar / राजेश कुमार) Vice-President /उपा�य� Accountant Member / लेखा सद�य
Dated: 9th September, 2022 SB, Sr. PS
5 ITA No. 55/Kol/2022 AY: 2013-14 M/s Skipper Ltd. Copy of the order forwarded to: 1. Appellant- M/s Skipper Ltd., 1st Floor, 3A, Loudon Street, WB-700019
Respondent – DCIT, Central Circle-3(1), Kolkata
CIT(A)- , Kolkata (sent through e-mail)
PCIT- , Kolkata 5. DR, Kolkata Benches, Kolkata (sent through e-mail) True Copy By Order
Assistant Registrar ITAT, Kolkata Benches, Kolkata