What did the Tribunal hold?

The Tribunal held that the Department's appeal was not maintainable in view of CBDT Circular No. 21/2015, which stipulated monetary limits for filing appeals. The Department should have withdrawn or not pressed the appeal.

The Department appealed against the CIT(A)'s deletion of additions made on account of salary expense and capital expenditure. The tax effect of the Revenue's appeal was found to be less than Rs. 10,00,000/-.

What were the issues?

Whether the Department's appeal is maintainable before the Tribunal given the tax effect is below the prescribed monetary limit as per CBDT circular.

DCIT vs Sh. Gautam R Chadha, New Delhi | ITAT Delhi 2016

Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, DELHI BENCH ‘C’, NEW DELHI

Before: SHRI H.S. SIDHU & SHRI J.S. REDDY

This appeal by the Department is directed against the Order dated 28.3.2013 of Ld. CIT(A)-XXVI, New Delhi pertaining to assessment year 2009-10 on the following grounds:- “

1. Whether on facts and in the circumstances of the case the Ld. CIT(A) is justified in deleting the addition of Rs. 20,68,142/- made on account of disallowance of salary expense.

2. Whether on facts and in the circumstances of the case the Ld. CIT(A) is justified in deleting the addition of Rs. 9,75,313/- made as capital expenditure.

We find that Revenue in the Grounds of Appeal

before the Tribunal has challenged the addition of Rs. 20,68,142/- and Rs. 9,75,313/- vide ground no. 1 & 2, as aforesaid.

3. From the above, we find that the tax effect in the Revenue’s Appeal is less than Rs.10,00,000/-, therefore, the Department’s Appeal is not maintainable, in view of the Circular No. 21/2015 dated 10th December, 2015 issued vide F.No. 279/Misc. 142/2007-ITJ (Pt.) by the CBDT. For the sake of convenience, the relevant para nos. 3 & 10 of the aforesaid CBDT’s Circular are reproduced as under:- “3. Henceforth, appeals/ SLPs shall not be filed in cases where the tax effect does not exceed the monetary limits given hereunder: Monetary Limit S No Appeals in Income-tax matters (in Rs) 1 Before Appellate Tribunal 10,00,000/- 2 Before High Court 20,00,000/- 3 Before Supreme Court 25,00,000/- It is clarified that an appeal should not be filed merely because the tax effect in a case exceeds the monetary limits prescribed above. Filing of appeal in such cases is to be decided on merits of the case.

10.

This instruction will apply retrospectively to pending appeals and appeals to be filed henceforth in High Courts/ Tribunals. Pending appeals below the specified tax limits in para 3 above may be withdrawn/ not pressed. Appeals before the Supreme Court will be governed by the instructions on this subject, operative at the time when such appeal was filed.”

It is not in dispute that the Board’s instruction or directions issued to the income-tax authorities are binding on those authorities, therefore, the Department should have withdrawn/ not pressed the present Appeal, in view of the aforesaid instructions since the tax effect in the instant Appeal is less than the amount of Rs. 10 lacs, prescribed in the above said CBDT’s Instructions.

Keeping in view the CBDT Instruction No. 21/2015 dated 10th December, 2015, we are of the view that the Revenue should have withdrawn/ not pressed the instant appeal before the Tribunal. We are also of the view that the said Instructions are applicable for the pending appeals and appeals to be filed henceforth in Tribunal. Accordingly, the Revenue’s Appeal is dismissed. 6. In the result, Appeal filed by the Revenue Stands dismissed.

Order pronounced in the Open Court on 14/03/2016.

DCIT, NEW DELHI vs. SH. GAUTAM R CHADHA, NEW DELHI

What did the Tribunal hold?

What were the facts?

What were the issues?

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