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Facts
The appellant, a co-operative society, filed its return declaring Nil income after claiming deduction under Section 80P(2)(a)(i). The Assessing Officer disallowed the deduction of Rs. 10,70,510/- on interest income received from banks, an action confirmed by the CIT(A). The assessee has now appealed to the Tribunal.
Held
Following the jurisdictional High Court judgment in CIT vs. Sahyadri Co-operative Credit Society Ltd., the Tribunal held that interest earned by the co-operative society on deposits of its surplus funds in banks constitutes an enhancement of profits from its principal business of providing credit facilities to members. Therefore, such interest income is eligible for deduction under Section 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Income Tax Act.
Key Issues
Whether interest income earned by a co-operative society from depositing its surplus funds in other banks is eligible for deduction under Section 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Income Tax Act.
Sections Cited
80P(2)(a)(i), 143(3), 144B
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, COCHIN BENCH
Before: SHRI INTURI RAMA RAO, AM
O R D E R This appeal filed by the assessee is directed against the order of the National Faceless Appeal Centre, Delhi [CIT(A)] dated 12.09.2025 for Assessment Year (AY) 2018-19.
Brief facts of the case are that the appellant is a co-operative society registered under the Kerala State Co-operative Societies Act, 1969. It is engaged in the business of accepting deposits from members and providing credit facilities to members. The appellant filed return of income for AY 2018-19 on 05.10.2018 declaring Nil income after claiming deduction u/s. 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (the Act) of Rs. 10,70,510/-. Against the said return of Peringalam Service Co-op. Bank Ltd. income, the assessment was completed by the National e- Assessment Centre, Delhi (hereinafter called "the AO") vide order dated 20.04.2021 passed u/s. 143(3) r.w.s. 144B of the Act at total income of Rs. 10,70,510/-. While doing so, the AO had disallowed the claim for deduction u/s. 80P(2)(a)(i) of Rs. 10,70,510/- in respect of interest income received from banks.
Being aggrieved, an appeal was filed before the CIT(A), who vide the impugned order confirmed the action of the AO.
Being aggrieved, the appellant is in appeal before this Tribunal in the present appeal.
When the appeal was called on nobody appeared on behalf of the assessee despite due service of notice of hearing. Therefore, I proceed to dispose of the appeal after hearing the learned Sr. DR.
Regarding the interest income received from Treasury, Scheduled Banks, etc., this issue is no longer res integra, as it is covered by the judgement of the Hon'ble Jurisdictional High court in the case of CIT vs. Sahyadri Co-operative Credit Society Ltd. in of 2019, wherein it was held as under: - “ The question that arises therefore is whether, merely because the assessee chooses to deposit its surplus profit in a permitted bank or financial institution, and earns interest on such deposits, such interest would cease to form part of its profits and gains attributable to its business of providing credit facilities to its members? In our view that question must be answered in the negative, since we cannot accept the contention of the Revenue that the interest earned on those deposits loses its character as profits/gains attributable to the main business of the Peringalam Service Co-op. Bank Ltd. assessee. It is not as though the assessee in the instant case had used the surplus amount (the profit earned by it] for an investment or activity that was unrelated to its main business, and earned additional income by way of interest or gain through such activity. The assessee had only deposited the profit earned by it in the manner mandated under Section 63 of the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, or permitted by Section 64 of the said Act. In other words, it dealt with the surplus profit in a manner envisaged under the regulatory Statute that regulated, and thereby legitimized, its business of providing credit facilities to its members. Under those circumstances, if the assessee managed to earn some additional income by way of interest on the deposits made, it could only be seen as an enhancement of the profits and gains that it made from its principal activity of providing credit facilities to its members. The nature and character of the principal income [profits earned by the assessee from its lending activity) does not change merely because the assessee acted in a prudent manner by depositing that income in a bank, instead of keeping it in hand. The provisions of the I.T. Act cannot be seen as intended to discourage prudent financial conduct on the part of an assessee.”
Respectfully following the above decisions of the Hon'ble Jurisdictional High Court, I hold that the assessee is entitled for deduction under sections 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act in respect of interest received from Treasury, Scheduled Banks, etc.
In the result, the appeal filed by the assessee is allowed.
Order pronounced in the open court on 20th November, 2025.