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Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, “E” BENCH, MUMBAI
PER MAHAVIR SINGH, JM:
This appeal by the assessee is arising out of the order of Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals)-24, Mumbai, [in short CIT(A)] in appeal No. CIT(A)-24/13(2)(4)/507/07-08, dated 29-11-2013. The Assessments were framed by the Income Tax Officer, Ward 13(2)(4), Mumbai (in short ITO or AO) for the assessment year 2005-06 vide order dated 28.12.2007 under section 143(3) of the Income Tax Act, 1961(hereinafter ‘the Act’).
The first issue in this appeal of assessee is against the order of CIT(A) confirming the disallowance of expenses on account of transportation charges by invoking the provisions of section 40(a)(ia) of the Act for non-deduction of TDS. For this assessee has raised following ground No. 2: -
ITA No. 670/Mum/2014 Shivani Steels (A.Y:05-06) “2. The ld. Commissioner of Income tax (appeals) has erred in law and in facts in confirming the disallowances of ₹ 4,65,639/- under section 40(a)(ia) of the Act in respect of transport charges.”
Briefly stated facts are that the assessee has claimed transportation charges amounting ₹ 4,65,639/- paid to M/s AS Transport. The AO during the course of assessment proceedings disallowed the expenses as the assessee has not deducted any tax on the payments made to the above party by invoking the provisions of section 40(a)(ia) of the Act. According to AO and CIT(A), the assessee is to deduct TDS under section 194C of the Act and not under section 194I of the Act as claimed by the assessee. However, even the assessee has not deducted TDS u/s 194I of the Act. The AO as well as CIT(A) both have not accepted the explanation of the assessee and according to both the authorities, the assessee has claimed expenses as transportation charges but has not deducted TDS under section 194C of the Act. As is clear from the facts that the assessee failed to deduct TDS under section 194C of the Act, the lower authorities have rightly disallowed the transportation charges by invoking the provisions of section 40(a)(ia) of the Act. However, in the interest of justice, we restore the matter back to the file of the AO for only verifying whether in the assessee’s case second proviso to section 40(a)(ia) of the Act will apply or not, whereby, the other party M/s AS Transport has included the receipts in their income and disclosed the same and paid taxes on the same. In case, M/s AS Transport has paid the taxes on the receipts claimed by assessee as expenses, the AO will delete the disallowances. This issue of the assessee’s appeal is set aside to the file of the AO in term of the above decision.
The next issue in this appeal of assessee is against the order of CIT(A) confirming the disallowance of cutting and storage charges for
ITA No. 670/Mum/2014 Shivani Steels (A.Y:05-06) non-deduction of TDS by invoking the provisions of section 40(a)(ia) of the Act. For this assessee has raised following ground No. 3: -
“3. The ld. Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) has erred in law and in facts in confirming the disallowance of ₹15,14,016/- under section. 40(a)(ia) of the Act in respect of cutting and storage charges.”
We have heard the rival contention and gone through the facts and circumstances of the case. We find from the facts of the case that the assessee has debited an amount of ₹ 15,14,016/- under the head of cutting and storage charges. The AO required the assessee to file party- wise details but assessee has not furnished the same. According to AO, the assessee has not deducted TDS under section 194C of the Act, he disallowed the same by invoking the provisions of Section 40(a)(ia) of the Act. Aggrieved, assessee preferred the appeal before CIT(A) and before CIT(A) it was claimed that the assessee has made following payments: -
S. Particulars Amount Total No. Cutting Storage charges 1. Pratima Steels Pvt. Ltd. 48,391 8,00,053 8,48,444 2. Sheth Engg. Works (Inda) 44,406 1,39,283 1,83,690 3. Rishab Digha Steel & Allied 30,825 1,80,755 2,11,580 Products Ltd. 4. Suhas Enterprises 15,082 1,31,988 1,47,070 5. Kutters Fabricators Ltd. 23,761 99,469 1,23,230 Total 1,62,466 13,51,548 15,14,014 6. The CIT(A) noted that the cutting and storage charges are above the threshold limit of ₹ 20,000/- as provide under section 194C of the Act and the assessee has not provided the date wise payment, he confirmed the disallowance. Aggrieved, now assessee is in second appeal.
We find from the facts of the case that the assessee is to deduct TDS under section 194C of the Act because the cutting and storage charges are claimed as per separately entered agreements with the parties mentioned above. The assessee has also made payments above
ITA No. 670/Mum/2014 Shivani Steels (A.Y:05-06) the threshold limits of ₹ 20,000/-. However, in the interest of justice, we restore the matter back to the file of the AO in case these parties have included these cutting and storage charges in their respective returns of income and paid taxes accordingly, the AO in term of second proviso to section 40(a)(ia) of the Act will delete the disallowance. We restore this issue back to the file of the above in term of the above.
The next issue in this appeal of assessee is against the order of CIT(A) confirming the disallowance of brokerage and commission charges for non-deduction of TDS under section 194 of the Act by invoking the provisions of section 40(a)(ia) of the Act. For this assessee has raised following ground No.4 : -
“The ld. Commissioner of Income-tax (appeals) has erred in law and in facts in confirming the disallowance of ₹20,79,252/- under section 40(a)(ia) of the Act in respect of brokerage and commission charges.”
We have heard the rival contentions and gone through the facts and circumstances of the case. We find from the facts of the case that the assessee claimed to have made commission payment to brokers below ₹ 2,500/-. We noticed from the submissions of the assessee filed before CIT(A) vide Para 15 and 16 which reads as under: -
“15. It is submitted that the appellant had not deducted the tax on the brokerage and commission, since the said expenditure was within the limit prescribed under section 194H of the Act. As per s.194H, TDs is to be deducted only if the commission exceeds ₹ 2,500 per annum. In the present case, commission or brokerage is paid to number of brokers and the aggregate payments made to most of the brokers were below ₹ 2,500/-.
ITA No. 670/Mum/2014 Shivani Steels (A.Y:05-06) 16. It is submitted that the purchase and sale transactions in the market are generally carried out through intermediary like brokers. The transactions are settled through these brokers to whom the commission is paid ranging from 1% to 2% depending on the relationship with the brokers. There are no demarcated brokers for carrying out the transactions of the appellant. Any broker can approach the appellant with the enquiry for purchase or sales. If the deals struck through, he is required to be paid the commission to the brokers as agreed upon. In light of the nature of activity, the appellant had paid substantial brokerage which is nominal amount and hence no TDS is deducted.”
From the above submissions, it is clear that the payments made to most of the brokers are below ₹ 2,500/- but this plea was never examined by the lower authorities.
We find that the plea of the assessee is quite reasonable hence, we set aside the order of CIT(A) and remand the matter back to the file of the AO for adjudication of this plea after verifying the facts. In case, the payments are below ₹ 2,500 in each of the case no disallowance should be made. This issue of the assessee’s appeal is set aside.
In the result, the appeal of assessee is allowed for statistical 12. purposes.
Order pronounced in the open court on 27-10-2017.
Sd/- Sd/- (P.K. BANSAL) (MAHAVIR SINGH) VICE PRESIDENT JUDICIAL MEMBER Mumbai, Dated: 27-10-2017 Sudip Sarkar /Sr.PS
ITA No. 670/Mum/2014 Shivani Steels (A.Y:05-06) Copy of the Order forwarded to: 1. The Appellant 2. The Respondent. 3. The CIT (A), Mumbai. 4. CIT BY ORDER, 5. DR, ITAT, Mumbai 6. Guard file. //True Copy// Assistant Registrar ITAT, MUMBAI