M/S. EYGBS (INDIA ) LLP (EARLIER KNOWN AS EYGBS (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED),BANGALORE vs. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX, CIRCLE- 3(1)(2), BANGALORE

The assessee has filed this appeal challenging the order dated 13.9.2019 passed by Ld. CIT(A)-2, Bengaluru and it relates to assessment year 2011-12. 2. At the time of hearing, the Ld. A.R. did not press ground No.2 and hence, the same is dismissed as not pressed. Ground No.3 relates to levy of interest u/s 234B of the Income-tax Act,1961 ['the Act' for short] and the same is consequential in nature. The remaining ground relate to denial of claim of deduction u/s 10AA of IT(TP)A No.2342/Bang/2019 M/s. Eygbs (India) LLP, Bengaluru

The Ld. A.R. submitted that the assessee is 100% subsidiary of EYGI B.V., Netherlands. It is engaged in the business of providing back office support services, which are in the nature of ‘Information Technology Enabled Services’ (ITES). The nature of services provided by the assessee to its Associated Enterprises (AEs) includes financial analysis and reporting functions such as standard reporting/analysis, work-in-progress details, time sheet details etc., accounting centre processing activities/functions such as accounts receivable, accounts payable functions, billing analysis and invoice preparation etc and financial assistance/administration functions such as time and expenses review, helpdesk providing assistance on employee queries etc. The assessee is remunerated at “cost plus” basis for the services provided to its AEs.

The Ld. A.R. submitted that the only issue contested before the Tribunal relates to eligibility to claim deduction u/s 10AA of the Act on transfer pricing adjustment made by the assessee voluntarily. He submitted that this issue has been decided in favour of the assessee by the Bengaluru bench of Tribunal, vide its order dated 20.5.2020 passed in IT(TP)A No.218/Bang/2015, passed in the assessee’s own case.

We heard Ld. D.R. and perused the record. We notice that an identical issue has been examined by the Bengaluru bench of Tribunal in the assessee’s own case in assessment year 2010-11 and it has been decided in favour of the assessee by following the decision rendered by the Pune Bench of Tribunal in the case of Apoorva Systems Pvt. Ltd. For the sake of convenience, we extract below the relevant portion of the order of the Tribunal passed in assessment year 2010-11:

The additional grounds relate to the inclusion/exclusion of certain comparable companies. The Ld A.R submitted that the assessee may not press the additional grounds, if the revenue’s appeal is dismissed. Since we have dismissed the appeal of the revenue in the earlier paragraphs, the additional grounds urged by the assessee are not adjudicated, as the same would be academic in nature.

We have noticed earlier that the assessee had made transfer pricing adjustment of Rs.8,11,70,000/- voluntarily and added the same to the total income while filing return of income. The assessee also claimed deduction u/s 10AA of the Act on the profits of business arrived at after inclusion of above said amounts. The Ld DRP took the view that the assessee did not furnish the details as to how the above said figure was arrived at by the assessee. It further took the view that the assessee will not be bringing the above said amount in foreign exchange within the period prescribed in sec.10AA of the Act, which is one of the mandatory conditions for allowing deduction under that section. The Ld DRP also noticed that the eligible unit has actually incurred loss and hence the assessee is not eligible to claim deduction u/s 10AA of the Act. However, the assessee, by making voluntary Transfer pricing adjustment, is attempting to avail deduction u/s 10AA of the Act and the same should not be permitted. The Ld DRP also held that the Transfer pricing adjustment determined by the TPO is added to the total income for tax purposes, irrespective of the profits/loss of 10A/10AA units and whether they are eligible for deduction under those sections or not. Further the Ld DRP also proceeded on the ground that the assessee did not determine the voluntary T.P adjustment in its Transfer Pricing Study. Accordingly, the Ld DRP held that the decision rendered by the co-ordinate bench in the case of I-Gate Global Solutions Ltd (2007)(112 TTJ 1002) is distinguishable. Accordingly the Ld DRP directed the AO to disallow the deduction claimed u/s 10AA in respect of Voluntary Transfer pricing adjustment.

We notice that an identical issue has been examined by the Pune bench of Tribunal in the case of Apoorva Systems (P) Ltd (supra). For the same of convenience, we extract below the relevant observations made by the Pune bench in the above said case:- “15. Now, coming to the second claim of deduction under section 10B/10A of the Act on TP adjustment of Rs. 64,07,399/-. The assessee on its own motion had offered adjustment on account of transfer pricing provision to the extent of Rs. 64,07,399/-. The computation of income is placed at page 40 of the Paper Book. The assessee claims that on the aforesaid additional income offered, it is entitled to claim the benefit of deduction under section 10B/10A of the Act. We may point herein itself that in the return of income, the assessee had claimed the said deduction under section 10B of the Act. However, during the course of hearing before the authorities below, the said claim was revised to 10A deduction. The question thus, which arises before us is whether the assessee is entitled to claim 10A deduction on the additional TP adjustment offered by the assessee on its own motion in the return of income. The assessee was 100% Export Oriented Unit which was captive service provider to its associated enterprises. The total exports were to the associated enterprises and the plea of assessee in this regard is that foreign exchange due on exports has been received in India in time. In order to adjudicate the issue, we need to take into consideration the provisions of section starting with section 92(1) of the Act. The Chapter X of the Act lays down the special provisions relating to avoidance of tax. Under section 92 of the Act, any income arising from international transactions shall be computed having regard to the arm's length price. In other words, section provides computation of income from international transactions having regard to the arm's length price. The income which is so computed in respect of international transactions entered into by the assessee is notional income in the hands of assessee. This is the basic point which has to be kept in mind while adjudicating the issue raised in the present appeal. 16. Under section 92CA of the Act, where a person has entered into an international transaction in any previous year with its associated enterprises, then in order to benchmark the arm's length price of such an international transaction and to compute its arm's length price under section 92C of the Act, reference is to be made to the TPO by the Assessing Officer under the specified conditions, who in turn has to compute the said arm's length price in the hands of assessee.

We find that on similar facts the Bangalore Bench of Tribunal in the case of iGate Global Solutions Ltd. (supra) had allowed the deduction under section 10A of the Act in respect of transfer pricing adjustment suo-moto offered by the assessee. The relevant findings of Tribunal are as under:— '17. We have heard both the parties. Before proceeding further, it will be relevant to reproduce section 10A(1). "Section 10A. Special provision in respect of newly established undertakings in free trade zone, etc.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this section a deduction of such profits and gains as are derived by an undertaking from the export of articles or things or computer software for a period of ten consecutive assessment years beginning with the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which the undertaking begins to manufacture or produce such articles or things or computer software, as the case may be, shall be allowed from the total income of the assessee : Provided that where in computing the total income of the undertaking for any assessment year, its profits and gains had not been included by IT(TP)A No.2342/Bang/2019 M/s. Eygbs (India) LLP, Bengaluru Page 7 of 11 application of the provisions of this section as it stood immediately before its substitution by the Finance Act, 2000, the undertaking shall be entitled to deduction referred to in this sub-section only for the unexpired period of the aforesaid ten consecutive assessment years : Provided further that where an undertaking initially located in any free trade zone or export processing zone is subsequently located in a special economic zone, by reason of conversion of such free trade zone por export processing zone into a special economic zone, the period of ten. consecutive assessment years referred to in this sub-section shall be reckoned from the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which the (undertaking began to. manufacture or produce such articles or things or computer software) in such free trade zone or export processing zone : Provided also that for the assessment year beginning on the 1-4-2003, the deduction under this sub-section shall be ninety per cent of the profits and gains derived by an undertaking from the export of such articles or things or computer software : Provided also that no deduction under this section shall be allowed to any undertaking for the assessment year beginning on the 1-4-2010 and subsequent years."

Section 10A(4) has also been amended with effect from 1-4-2001. Before amendment, the profit derived from export of articles or things was the amount which bears to the profit of the business, the same, proportion as the export turnover in respect of such article or thing or computer software, bears to the total turnover of the business. With effect from 1-4-2001, instead of profits of the business, the words 'profit of the business of the undertaking have been substituted. The word 'undertaking' has not been defined under section 10A. The words 'industrial undertaking' have been defined in the book Law Lexicon by Venkataramiya, at p. 1133 it has been defined as under :— "The expression 'industrial undertaking' must have a technical and economic content. An industrial undertaking would normally be in its ordinary excitation some industrial concern or enterprise for adventure which is undertaking to be done by the person concerned. The definition of 'industrial undertaking in section 3(d) of the Industrial Development and Regulation Act. 1951, means any undertaking pertaining to a scheduled industry carried on in one or more factories by any person or authority including Government. CIT v. Textile Machinery Corpn. Ltd. [1971] 11 ITJ 105 at pp. 112, 113 (Cal.) 75 CWN 186 (Cal.): AIR 1971 Cal. 1, see also Union of India v. Sakseria Cotton Mills Ltd. [1973] 75 Bom. L.R. 100 at p. 105."

The last grievance is in respect of not allowing deduction under section 10A on the adjustment made by the assessee to the arm's length price.

From the Memo Explaining the Provisions of Finance Bill, 2006 as well as from the literal meaning of the word 'enhanced', it is clear that if income increased, as a result of computation of aim's length price, then such increase is not to be considered for deduction under section 10A.In the instant case, the assessee himself has computed the arm's length prices and has disclosed the income on the basis of arm's length prices. It is not a case, where there is an enhancement of income due to determination of arm's length price. Hence, it is held that assessee was entitled to deduction under section 10A in respect of income declared in the return of income on the basis of computation of arm's length price.' 21. The Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka in its order in the case of iGate Global Solutions Ltd. (supra) considered the following substantial question of law raised by the Revenue. "(4) Whether the Tribunal was correct in holding that deduction u/s. 10A of the Act is allowable in respect of income computed on the arm's length price by ignoring the proviso to Section 92(4) of the Act"

The Hon'ble High Court in paras 5 and 6 of its order held as under:— "5. In so far as substantial question of law No.4 is concerned, the error committed by the Assessing Officer was relying on Section 92(C)(4) to a case where Arm's Length Price was determined by the assessee, whereas the said provision applies to a case where Arm's Length Price was determined by the Assessing Officer. That mistake has been corrected by the Tribunal by setting aside the order passed by the Commissioner as well as the assessing authority.

The Bangalore Bench of Tribunal in a later decision in the case of Austin Medical Solutions (P.) Ltd. (supra) has applied the said proposition of the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka (supra) and had allowed the deduction claimed under section 10A of the Act in respect of suo-moto TP adjustment amounting to Rs. 28,61,352/- while determining the arm's length price of international transactions.

The learned Departmental Representative for the Revenue on the other hand, had placed reliance on the ratio laid down by Mumbai Bench of Tribunal in Deloitte Consulting India Pvt. Ltd.'s case (supra), which does not stand because of the ratio laid down by the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka on the said issue. Though the said decision is of non-jurisdictional High Court, but the same is binding on the Tribunal in the absence of any contrary decision of the jurisdictional High Court as held by the Hon'ble Bombay High Court in Smt. Godavaridevi Saraf 's case (supra). The learned Authorized Representative for the assessee has also placed reliance on various decisions of different Benches of Tribunal for the proposition that the decision of non-jurisdictional High Court is binding on the Tribunal. However, the issue stands covered by the jurisdictional High Court and applying the said proposition and in view of our decisions in the paras hereinabove on other issues raised in the present appeal, we hold that the assessee is entitled to claim the aforesaid deduction under section 10A of the Ac on additional income offered on account of suo-moto adjustment on account of transfer pricing provisions. The provisions of section 92C(4) of the Act are not attracted. The modified ground of appeal No.4 raised by the assessee is thus, allowed.” Identical view has been expressed by the Delhi bench of Tribunal in the case of AT Kearney India P Ltd (ITA No.2623/Del/2015 dated 21.06.2019). Accordingly we hold that the assessee is eligible for deduction u/s 10AA of the Act in respect of voluntary Transfer Pricing adjustment made by it. We direct accordingly.”

Consistent with the view taken in the assessee’s own case, we hold that the assessee is eligible for deduction u/s 10AA of the Act

In the result, the appeal filed by the assessee is partly allowed.