RAMESH R. PAREKH,MUMBAI vs. DCIT 7(3)(1), MUMBAI

This is an appeal filed by the assessee against the order of CIT(A)- 13, Mumbai dated 18/10/2016 for A.Y.2012-13 in the matter of order passed u/s.143(3) of the IT Act.

The only grievance of assessee relates to making addition after having 8% of the unsold flat as income from house property.

Rival contentions have been heard and record perused.

Facts in brief are that assessee is a real estate developer. At the end of the year, assessee had some unsold flats in his project. While making assessment, AO has taken 8% of the cost of unsold flats as Shri Ramesh R. Parekh income from house property. It was contention of learned AR that assessee has not obtained accommodation certificate for the said flats as the project was not completed and work was in progress, which means the flats were not fit for occupation and even the electricity points were not available. However, AO did not agree with the assessee’s contention and made addition made taking 8% of the cost of unsold flat as income from house property.

We have considered rival contentions and carefully gone through the orders of the authorities below and found that assessee was having flats as stock in trade, in so far as assessee was engaged in business of builder and developer. No occupancy certificate was obtained during the year under consideration. However, the same was obtained by letter dated 04/09/2015. Bombay Tribunal case of C.R. Developments Pvt Ltd vs Joint Commissioner of Income tax Ref held that no additions u/s 23 as rental income should be made, but to treat the same as Business Income only as shown in the audited accounts and Balance Sheet. The learned CIT (A) - 13 ought not to have added the amount of Rs. 1,37,787/- i.e. (10, 53,981 - 30% of 10, 53,981) as Income from House Property. The action of the learned ITO of making the addition under Income from House Property amounts to double disallowance as the same amount of closing stock of Rs. 1,31,74,687/- is Shri Ramesh R. Parekh already shown in Business Income by credit to the Profit & Loss Account and taxes paid accordingly.

We have heard the rival submissions and perused the orders of the authorities below and the decisions relied upon. It is an undisputed fact that the assessees are in the business of builders, developers and construction. Both the assessees have constructed various projects and the projects were treated as stock in trade in the books of account. Flats sold by the assessees were assessed under the head 'income from business'. There were certain unsold flats in stock in trade which the AO treated as property assessable under the head 'income from house property' and computed notional annual letting value on such unsold flats placing reliance on the decision in the case of Ansal Housing Finance & Leasing Co. Ltd. (supra). The action of the AO was upheld by the learned CIT(A).

Similarly the Coordinate Bench has considered similar issue as to whether the unsold property which is held as stock in trade by the assessee can be assessed under the head 'income from house property' by notionally computing the annual letting value from such property and the Coordinate Bench considering the decision of the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in the case of Ansal Housing Finance & Leasing Co. Ltd. (supra) which the AO relied upon and the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Chennai Properties & Investments Ltd. vs. CIT reported in 373 ITR 673, held that unsold flats which are in stock in trade should be assessed under the head 'business income' and there is no justification in estimating rental income from those flats and notionally computing annual letting value under Section 23 of the Act. While holding so the Coordinate Bench observed as under: - "3. The ld. AR placed the order of Bombay Tribunal in the case of M/s Perfect Scale Company Pvt. Ltd., to 3234/Mum/2013, order dated 6-9-2013, wherein it was held that in respect of assets held as business, income from the same is not assessable u/s.23(1) of the IT Act.

We have considered rival contentions and perused the record. The issue under consideration has been restored by the CIT(A) to the file of AO to compute the annual value. Recently the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of M/s Chennai Properties & Investments Ltd. Vs. CIT, reported in (2015) 42 SCD 651, vide judgment dated 9-4-2015 has held that where assessee company engaged in the activity of letting out properties and the rental income received was shown as business income, the action of AO treating the rental income as income from house property in place of income from business shown by the assessee was held to be not justified. The Hon'ble Supreme Court held that since Shri Ramesh R. Parekh the assessee company's main object, is to acquire and held properties and to let out these properties, the income earned by letting out these properties is main objective of the company, therefore, rent received from the letting out of the properties is assessable as income from business. On the very same analogy in the instant case, assessee is engaged in business of construction and development, which is main object of the assessee company. The three flats which could not be sold at the end of the year was shown as stock-in-trade. Estimating rental income by the AO for these three flats as income from house property was not justified insofar as these flats were neither given on rent nor the assessee has intention to earn rent by letting out the flats. The flats not sold was its stock-in-trade and income arising on its sale is liable to be taxed as business income. Accordingly, we do not find any justification in the order of AO for estimating rental income from these vacant flats u/s.23 which is assessee's stock in trade as at the end of the year. Accordingly, the AO is directed to delete the addition made by estimating letting value of the flats u/s.23 of the I.T.Act."

In the case on hand before us it is an undisputed fact that both assessees have treated the unsold flats as stock in trade in the books of account and the flats sold by them were assessed under the head 'income from business'. Thus, respectfully following the above said decisions we hold that the unsold flats which are stock in trade when they were sold they are assessable under the head 'income from business' when they are sold and therefore the AO is not correct in bringing to tax notional annual letting value in respect of those unsold flats under the head 'income from house property'. Thus, we direct the AO to delete the addition made under Section 23of the Act as income from house property.

As the facts and circumstances in the instant case is perimateria to that of the decision of Runwal Constructions & Runwal Builders as well as other decisions referred in that case, we do not find any merit for making addition in respect of flats held by the assessee as stock in trade and for which no occupation certificate was given by the competent authority during the year under consideration.