ALTRUIST TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.,SHIMLA vs. DCIT, CIRCLE, PARWANOO
In favour of the assessee: the assessee's appeal was allowed. From the AI summary of this appeal.
What did the Tribunal hold?
The Tribunal held that Unit-III was a separate and distinct unit, not a reconstruction of Unit-II, as it operated from a different location, had separate employees, clients, and investments. The lower authorities' denial of the claim was unjustified.
What were the facts?
The assessee claimed deduction under Section 80IC for two units, Unit-II and Unit-III. The Assessing Officer held that Unit-III was a reconstruction of the existing business of Unit-II, not a new unit, and thus denied the deduction for Unit-III as a separate entity.
What were the issues?
Whether Unit-III constituted a new and separate eligible unit for deduction under Section 80IC, or if it was a reconstruction of an existing business activity.
Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
Cause title — parties, addresses and appearances
आदेश/Order
Per Sanjay Garg, Judicial Member:
The present appeals have been preferred by the assessee against the separate orders of the Commissioner of Income Tax (A), Shimla [hereinafter referred to as ‘CIT(A)’]
Since identical issues are involved in all these appeals, hence, these
were heard together and are being disposed of by this common order.
The appeal in ITA No. 330/Chd/2018 for assessment year 2010-11
is taken as a lead case, wherein, the grounds raised by the assessee are as under:-
That Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law and facts in confirming the action of the Assessing officer by holding that unit-3 is reconstruction of existing business activity of the company and thereby holding both units as a single unit.
The Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law and facts in restricting the deduction u/s 80IC in respect of Unit-3 according to the eligibility of percentage deduction u/s 80IC for Unit-2
The Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law and facts in holding initial assessment year of Unit-3 same as of Unit-2. 3. Since all the three grounds are interlinked, hence, they are taken
together for adjudication. The brief facts relevant to the issue are that the assessee company is engaged in the business of Information and Communication Technology since assessment year 2006-07. The assessee claimed deduction u/s 80IC of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (in short 'the Act') in respect of its two units namely Unit–II and Unit-
III. For the Unit-2, the assessee took the initial assessment year as 2006-07 and for Unit-3, the initial assessment year for claiming
exemption u/s 80IC of the Act was taken as assessment year 2010-11. The Assessing officer, however, observed that the business operation of the assessee company at both the business premises (Unit II &
Unit III) was identical and further that Unit III was carrying out its operation at the registered office of the Company which was of Unit
No. II also, hence, it amounted spitting / reconstruction of an existing business. He, therefore, held that Unit-III was not a new
Unit within the meaning of section 80IC of the Act and its initial
assessment year would be the same as of the Unit-II. The assessee
unsuccessfully contested the appeal before the CIT(A).
Before us, the Ld. Counsel for the assessee has submitted that the findings of the lower authorities that both the Units were being
run by the assessee from the same premises was wrong. That the Unit–II was being operated from STPI Building, Shimla w.e.f.
2007. The Ld. Counsel for the assessee in this respect has placed
reliance upon the DIC (District Industries Centre), Registration letter
dated 30.3.2017, wherein, the address of the assessee Unit–II has been mentioned as ‘STPI Building, Black 24, SDA Complex Shimla.
It has been claimed that, whereas, Unit-III of the assessee was being run from 4 t h Floor, Altruist Technologies Private Limited, Behind
Hotel Firhill, Near Tunnel No. 103, Shimla. The Ld. Counsel in this respect has relied upon the copy of the letter of the DIC Registration
of Unit-III placed at paper Book page No.
He has further
submitted that with a view to establish a new unit (Unit-III), the assessee company on 21.1.2008 had purchased a building at the aforesaid address of Unit-III. The premises at that time was on rent
to some outside parties. Thereafter, the premises was vacated and the registered office of the assessee company was shifted to said
premises in assessment year 2009-10. The necessary registration and approval were obtained and new Unit-III was started at the said
premises, the operation of which had commenced in assessment year
2010-11 with new employees and new plant & machinery. The Ld.
Counsel for the assessee has demonstrated that Unit–II and Unit-III
were being operated from separate buildings with separate
employees, separate clientage and separate sale tax registration
numbers and separate registration with District Industries Centre, as given in the following charts:-
Particulars Unit-II Unit-III
Name and address of Altruist Technologies Altruist the Unit Pvt Ltd, Unit-II, Block Technologies 24, SDA Commercial Pvt Ltd. Unit- Complex, STPI III, Building kasumpti, 4thFloor,Altruist Shimla Mount, Behind Firhill, Shimla
Distance between the 7 Kms. two units Service Tax AAFCA3725NST001 Registration No. Sales Tax Registration 9658 14158 No. Registration with No. 02/011/21/00038 No. District Industries dated 30.3.2007 02/11/21/00256 Centre, Shimla effective from 31.12.2009
Date of 21.09.2005 31.12.2009 Commencement of Production Initial A.Y. u/s 80-IC A.Y. 2006-07 A.Y. 2010-11 Accounts Books Separately maintained Separately and duly audited maintained and duly audited
Investment in 45,16,158/- 76,15,962/- Computers (being (100% new primary plant & purchases with machinery) in no transfers A.Y.2010-11 form Unit-II)
Attributable profits 20,85,23,896/- 1,06,90,722/-
No. of employees as of 175 employees 27 employees date of formation of Unit-3. Unit-II
Clients Unit II –invoiced amounts (Rs.) Bharti Airtel 173825288 Bharti Airtel –Simla 1108148 Bharti Airtel-Mohali 5820103 Bharti Airtel –Kolkata 125176 Bharti Airtel-Delhi 1428765 Idea Cellular Ltd 11223942 MTNL-Delhi 3865460 RCIL-Mumbai 121567046 Tata Teleservices Ltd., 25859599 Mumbai Total 34,38,23,527
Unit-III
Clients Unit-III invoiced amounts (Rs.) Aircel Lad 1061050 Hungama Debtor 4002574 MTNL-Mumbai 258361 Shotformats Digital Productions Pvt. Ltd 1469686 AMA India Consultants Income 610786 Federation of All India Aluminum Utensils 18000 Manufac The Tribune Trust 200000 Total 17,169,557
It has been further explained that the clientage and project
being serviced from Unit–III were fresh, the company earlier was giving services in relation to the one product i.e. Voice Chat to its clines like Airtel, Reliance, Idea and TATA. However, since the business of the company had grown up and need was felt to start a new unit also so as to expand its area of service, hence, a separate
unit was started wherefrom the services into other products to other
Non-Telco companies / clients in the field of Information
Technology and Software services were provided. That the Unit-III of the assessee company has been running in the company owned
premises spread over four floors and has tremendous capacity to grow
and make big mark in Mobile Value Added Services and information
technology industries and that the business of the company has seen a tremendous growth. It has been further explained that though, the building used of Unit –III was earlier registered office of the Company, however, the said building now has been used for the operation of Unit-III, whereas, the Unit-II has been separately
running from another building situated at a distance of 7 Kms.
We find that the above contentions of the assessee have not been rebutted by the lower authorities. The only objection put by the Assessing officer was that the building / address of Unit-III was earlier the registered office of the company, however, it is not the case of the Assessing officer that Unit-II was also run from this building. In our view, merely because the assessee company had started conducting its operation of Unit–III, from its registered
office, that does not mean that the assessee company has been split out or reconstructed out of Unit-II. There is no allegation that the plant and machinery of Unit–II has been used for Unit-III. Moreover,
the assessee company has also not only shown tremendous growth in business but has also demonstrated that it has been dealing with and attracting new clients and servicing in new products. In view of this,
we do not find any justification on the part of the lower authorities in denying the claim of the assessee by assuming that Unit-III was not a new unit or that it was started by way of spitting or reconstruction of an existing unit. The orders of the lower authorities are therefore,
set aside and the Assessing officer is directed to give relief to the assessee as per the provisions of section 80IC of the Act treating the Unit-III as a separate and distinct unit. The appeal of the assessee is hereby allowed.
Since the issue involved in all the appeals filed by the assessee
is identical, our finding arrived at in ITA No. 330/Chd/2018 will
apply mutatis-mutandis to appeals filed by the assessee for other
assessment years i.e. in assessment year 2011-12 (ITA Nos.
331/Chd/2018) and assessment year 2012-13 (ITA No. 332/Chd/2018).
Accordingly, these, appeals of the assessee are allowed.
In this appeal, besides the identical grounds raised in ITA No.
330/Chd/2018, which we have adjudicated above, the assessee has taken another ground agitating the action of the CIT(A) in confirmation the disallowance of Rs. 7,02,090/-.
No argument have been addressed by the Ld. Counsel for the assessee on this issue, hence, this ground of appeal is dismissed as ‘not pressed’. This appeal of the assessee, therefore, stands partly allowed. In the result, the appeals of the assessee in ITA Nos. 330 to 332/Chd/2018 and 427/Chd/2018 stands allowed whereas ITA No. 428/Chd/2018 stands partly allowed.
Order pronounced in the Open Court on 02.11.2018 ( बी , आर . आर . कुमार / B.R.R. KUMAR) (संजय गग" / SANJAY GARG ) लेखा सद"य/ Accountant Member "या"यक सद"य /Judicial Member
"दनांक/Date: 02.11. 2018 “आर.के.” आदेश क" ""त"ल"प अ"े"षत/ Copy of the order forwarded to :
अपीलाथ"/ The Appellant
""यथ"/ The Respondent 3. आयकर आयु"त/ CIT 4. आयकर आयु"त (अपील)/ The CIT(A)
"वभागीय ""त"न"ध, आयकर अपील"य आ"धकरण, च"डीगढ़/ DR, ITAT, CHANDIGARH 6. गाड" फाईल/ Guard File
आदेशानुसार/ By order,
सहायक पंजीकार/
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