SHREE SANT SAVTA GRAMIN BIGAR SETI SAHAKARI PATSANSTHA MARYADIT,PIMPALGAON vs. ASSESSING OFFICER, NASHIK

The facts mentioned by Hon’ble Karnataka High Court in the case of PCIT Vs. Totagars Co-operative Sale Society 395 ITR 611 order dated 16.10.2017 are as under : “10. Admittedly and undoubtedly, the respondent assessee is a Co- operative Society engaged mainly in the activity of marketing of agricultural produces grown by its members. The assessee co-operative society also accepts deposits from its members and provides credit facility to its members, runs Kirana Stores, rice mills, live stocks, van section, medical shops, Areca-nut trading section, lodging, plying and hiring of goods carriage, etc. 6 11. The proposition of law emanating from above decision is that Character of Income depends upon the nature of activity. The Character of Interest will not change depending on the body corporate or person from whom interest is received. In the case of Totagar’s Co-operative Sale Society in para 10, it is specifically mentioned that Totagar’s Cooperative Sale Society is engaged in the business of marketing of agricultural produce of its members, Areca-nut trading section, lodging, plying and hiring of goods carriage, etc.

Since in the case of Totagars Cooperative Sales Society(supra), it has been held that interest income is not arising from business of providing credit facility, which made it ineligible for deduction u/s.80P of the Act. In the case of Totagars Co-operative Sale Society Ltd., Vs. ITO, Karnataka [2010] 322 ITR 283(SC)vide order dated 08.02.2010, Hon’ble Supreme Court noted that fact that Assessee markets the agricultural produce of its members and retains the sale proceeds for some time. This sale proceeds pertaining to sale of agricultural produce was invested for a short period in fixed deposits. The dispute was regarding the interest accrued on said fixed deposits which were pertaining to sale 7 proceeds of agricultural produce payable to members but retained Society. In this context, Hon’ble Supreme Court held that the Totagars Co-operative Sale Society Ltd., is not eligible for deduction u/s.80(2)(a)(i) of the Act.

The Hon’ble Bombay High Court in the case of PCIT Vs. M/s.Annasaheb Patil Mathadi Kamgar Sahakari Pathpedhi Ltd. in Income Tax Appeal No.933 of 2017 vide order dated 14thOctober, 2019 dismissed the appeal of the revenue on the following questions of law raised by the revenue : The Revenue urges the following two questions of law for our consideration : (a) Whether on the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Tribunal is correct in holding that assessee is entitled to deduction u/s 80P(2)(a) and (d) of the IT Act, 1961 (b) Whether on the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Tribunal is right to allow the relief to the assessee by holding that the assessee being Co-operative Credit Society is not a Co-operative Bank hence entitled for deduction u/s 80P(4) of the I.T. Act despite the fact that the assessee is carrying on the banking business and has been categorized as Co-operative Bank / other Bank ? 14. The Revenue filed SLP before Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Annasaheb Patil Mathadi Kamgar Sahakari Pathpedhi Ltd. Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of PCIT Vs. Annasaheb Patil Mathadi Kamgar Sahakari Pathpedhi Ltd /[2023] 454 ITR 117 (SC) (SUPP.)[20-04-2023] held as under : 8 Quote, “ 1. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned order dated 14-10-2019 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Bombay in by which the High Court has dismissed the said appeal preferred by the Revenue, relying upon its earlier decision in the case of Quepem Urban Co-operative Credit Society Ltd. v. Asstt. CIT [2015] 58 taxmann.com 113/232 Taxman 510/377 ITR 272 (Bom .), the Revenue has preferred the present appeal.

The High Court considered the following question of law "Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the Tribunal is justified as claimed by the assessee on the ground that the assessee, a co-operative credit society and is not a bank for the purpose of Section 80P(4) of the Act?"

Apart from the fact that against the relied upon decision in the case of M/s. Quepem Urban Co-operative Credit Society Ltd. (supra),the Special Leave Petition has been dismissed, having heard learned counsel appearing on behalf of the respective parties, the issue involved in the present appeal is squarely covered against the Revenue in view of the decision of this Court in Mavilayi Service Co-operative Bank Ltd. v. CIT [2021] 123 taxmann.com 161/279 Taxman 75/431 ITR 1/[2021] 7 SCC 90. This Court, in the aforesaid decision has specifically observed and held that primary Agricultural Credit Societies cannot be termed as Co operative Banks under the Banking Regulation Act and, therefore, such credit societies shall be entitled to exemption under section 80(P)(2) of the Income-tax Act, 1961.

Ms. Aakansha Kaul, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the appellant/Revenue has tried to submit that the respondent/Assessee will fall under the definition of Co-operative Bank as their activity is to give credit/loan. However, it is required to be noted that merely giving credit to its members only cannot be said to be the Co-operative Banks/Banks 9 under the Banking Regulation Act. The banking activities under the Banking Regulation Act are altogether different activities. There is a vast difference between the credit societies giving credit to their own members only and the Banks providing banking services including the credit to the public at large also.

There are concurrent findings recorded by CITA, ITAT and the High Court that the respondent/Assessee cannot be termed as Banks/Cooperative Banks and that being a credit society, they are entitled to exemption under section 80(P)(2) of the Income-tax Act. Such finding of fact is not required to be interfered with by this Court in exercise of powers under Article 136 of the Constitution of India. Even otherwise, on merits also and taking into consideration the CBDT Circulars and even the definition of Bank under the Banking Regulation Act, the respondent/Assessee cannot be said to be Co-operative Bank/Bank and, therefore, Section 80(P)(4) shall not be applicable and that the respondent/Assessee shall be entitled to exemption/benefit under section 80(P)(2) of the Income-tax Act.

In view of the above and for the reasons stated hereinabove, the present appeal deserves to be dismissed and is accordingly dismissed, answering the question against the Revenue and in favour of the Assessee.

The Appeal is accordingly dismissed. No costs. In favour of assessee.” Unquote.

The Hon’ble High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the case of Vavveru Co-operative Rural Bank Ltd. [2017] 396 ITR 371 analysed the provisions of Section 80P, succinctly Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Totagar’s Cooperative Sale Society, and held as under : Quote,“8. Therefore, the real controversy arising in these writ petitions is as to whether the income derived by the petitioners by way of interest on the fixed deposits made by them with the banks, is to be treated as profits and gains of business attributable to any one of the activities indicated in sub-clauses (i) to (vii) of clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 80P or not.

While the petitioners place strong reliance upon a decision of the Division Bench of this court in CIT v. Andhra Pradesh State Co- operative Bank Ltd. [2011] 12 taxmann.com 66/200 Taxman 200/336 ITR 516, the Revenue places strong reliance upon the decision of the Supreme Court in Totgar's Co-operative Sale Society Ltd. v. ITO [2010] 188 Taxman 282/322 ITR 283. ……………………

The case before the Supreme Court in Totgar's Co-operative Sale Society Ltd.'s case (supra) was in respect of a co-operative credit society, which was also marketing the agricultural produce of its members. As seen from the facts disclosed in the decision of the Karnataka High Court in Totgars, from out of which the decision of the Supreme Court arose, the assessee was carrying on the business of marketing agricultural produce of the members of the society. It is also found from paragraph-3 of the decision of the Karnataka High Court in Totgar's Co-operative Sale Society Ltd.'s case (supra) that the business activity other than marketing of the agricultural produce actually resulted in net loss to the society. Therefore, it appears that the assessee in Totgars was carrying on some of the activities listed in clause (a) along with other activities. This is perhaps the reason that the assessee 12 did not pay to its members the proceeds of the sale of their produce, but [A] invested the same in banks. As a consequence, the investments were shown as liabilities, as they represented the money belonging to the members. The income derived from the investments made by retaining the monies belonging to the members cannot certainly be termed as profits and gains of business. This is why Totgar's struck a different note.

But, as rightly contended by the learned senior counsel for the petitioners, the investment made by the petitioners in fixed deposits in nationalised banks, were of their own monies. If the petitioners had invested those amounts in fixed deposits in other co-operative societies or in the construction of godowns and warehouses, the respondents would have granted the benefit of deduction under clause (d) or (e), as the case may be.

The original source of the investments made by the petitioners in nationalised banks is admittedly the income that the petitioners derived from the activities listed in sub-clauses (i) to (vii) of clause (a). The character of such income may not be lost, especially when the statute uses the expression "attributable to" and not any one of the two expressions, namely, "derived from" or "directly attributable to".

Therefore, we are of the considered view that the petitioners are entitled to succeed. Hence, the writ petitions are allowed, and the order of the Assessing Officer, in so far as it relates to treating the interest income as something not allowable as a deduction under section 80P(2)(a), is set aside.”Unquote.

In the case of Sahyadri Co-operative Credit Society Limited, the Sahyadri Co-operative Credit Society had deposited excess funds in the Banks or Institutions permitted by the Co-operative Societies Act. In that context, the Hon’ble Kerala High Court in the case of Pr.CIT Vs. Sahyadri Co-operative Credit Society Ltd., [2024] 301 Taxman 36 (Kerala) vide order dated 04.09.2024 has held as under : Quote “7. On a consideration of the rival submissions, we are of the view that for the reasons stated hereinafter, the question of law that arises for consideration before us must be answered against the Revenue and in favour of the assessee. The permissible deduction that is envisaged under Section 80P(2) of the I.T. Act for a Co-operative Society that is assessed to tax under the head of 'Profits and Gains of Business or Profession' is of the whole of the amount of profits and gains of business attributable to any one or more of its activities. Thus, all amounts as can be attributable to the conduct of the specified businesses by a Co-operative Society will be eligible for the deduction envisaged under the statutory provision. 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 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 14 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 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.” Unquote (emphasis supplied) 17. What emerges from the above referred decisions of Hon’ble Supreme Court and Hon’ble High Courts is that Interest earned by Cooperative Credit Society registered under state cooperative society Act, which is engaged in the business of providing credit facilities to its members, from funds deposited with Cooperative Bank or Bank is eligible for deduction u/s 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act.

In the case of the Assessee, it is an admitted fact that Assessee is a Co-operative Credit Society. Its business consists of providing credit facilities to its members. It has been submitted by Assessee 15 Assessing Officer and ld.CIT(A) that as per the Maharashtra Co-operative Society Act and Reserve Bank of India Guidelines, Assessee has to maintain certain fixed deposits. Therefore, in these facts and circumstances of the case, the interest earned by assessee on the fixed deposits is business income and hence, eligible for deduction u/s.80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act.

In these facts and circumstances of the case, respectfully following judicial precedence, we hold that the interest income Rs.10,95,953/- is eligible for deduction u/s.80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act, as it is a business income for the assessee and not income from other sources. Accordingly, Assessing Officer is directed to delete the addition. Accordingly, grounds of appeal raised by the assessee are allowed.

In the result, appeal of the Assessee is allowed. Order pronounced in the open Court on 11 February, 2026. VINAY BHAMORE Dr.DIPAK P. RIPOTE JUDICIAL MEMBER ACCOUNTANT MEMBER पपणे / Pune; ददिधंक / Dated : 11 Feb, 2025/ SGR 16