SANT SHREE BRAHMLIN MANCHHARAMBAPU CHARITABLE TRUST,SURAT vs. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX (EXEMPTION), AHMEDABAD

Brief facts of the case are that the assessee is filed an application for registration under Section 12AB of the Act in Form 10AB in accordance with Rule 17A of the Income Tax Rules, 1962, (in short, the Rules). The assessee furnished necessary required details at the time of filing application electronically/online. On receipt of such application, the ld. CIT(E) issued notice dated 23/01/2023 and subsequently on 04/02/2023 for requiring certain details including the Form No. 10AB, certified copies of annual accounts of three years preceeding to the filing of application. The assessee filed required details alongwith accounts for 2020-21 and 2021-22. No accounts for F.Y. 2019-20 was furnished. The ld. CIT(E) on considering such details, noted that in absence of accounts for F.Y. 2019- 20, the genuinenity of activities could not be verified vis a vis object of assessee. Even the verification of object as per constitution deed activities could not be verified. The ld. CIT(E) was of the view that for granting registration under Section 12AB of the Act, he was required to specify about genuineness of activities of the trust or institution and those activities are in consonance of the object of the trust or institution, thus in absence of required details, the ld. CIT(E) rejected the application Sant Shree Brahmlin Manchharambapu Charitable Trust Vs CIT(E) vide impugned order dated 20/03/2023. Aggrieved by the order of ld. CIT(E), the assessee has filed present appeal before this Tribunal.

We have heard the submissions of learned Authorised Representative (ld. AR) of the assessee submits and the learned Commissioner of Income Tax-Departmental Representative (ld. CIT-DR) for the revenue. The ld. AR of the assessee submits that initially the assessee furnished complete details alongwith Form 10AB in accordance with Rule 17A of the Rules while filing/uploading the application for registration. The ld. CIT(E) in para 6 of the impugned order, has accepted that the assessee as a trust has uploaded copy of institutions deed alongwith details of registration with Charity Commissioner. The ld. CIT(E) also accepted that the assessee has furnished accounts for F.Y. 2020-21 and 2021-22 as recorded in para 7 of impugned order. However, the assessee could not furnish the accounts for F.Y. 2019-20 due to paucity of time. The assessee trust undertake to furnish further required details, before the ld. CIT(E) for his satisfaction for examining the genuinenity of activities in accordance with object of trust. The ld. AR of the assessee submits that they have very good case on merit and is likely to succeed, if one more opportunity is given to furnish the required details and to reconsider their application afresh.

On the other hand, the ld. CIT-DR for the revenue supported the order of ld. CIT(E). The ld. CIT-DR submits that the assessee has not furnished Sant Shree Brahmlin Manchharambapu Charitable Trust Vs CIT(E) required details and evidences qua the activities if any carried out in consonance with the object of the assessee. In absence of such information and evidence, the ld. CIT(E) rightly rejected the application of assessee for registration under Section 12AB of the Act.

We have considered the submissions of both the parties and have gone through the order of ld. CIT(E) carefully. We find that there is no dispute that the assessee furnished copy of trust deed/instrument of trust, details of registration with charity Commissioner and audited accounts for F.Y. 2020-21 and 2021-22. Only audited accounts for F.Y. 2019-20 was not furnished as required by ld. CIT(E). The ld. AR of the assessee submits that they were allowed very short time to make response and they are still ready to furnish required details including audited accounts for F.Y. 2019-20. Considering the fact that the assessee has raised specific grounds of appeal and made submission that they would not furnish accounts for F.Y. 2019-20 due to paucity of time, therefore, we deem it appropriate to restore the issue back to the file of ld. CIT(E) to allow the assessee to file requisite details including audited accounts for F.Y. 2019-20. Needless to direct that before deciding the application afresh, the ld. CIT(E) shall grant opportunity of hearing including to make further submission to prove the object of assessee-trust and its activities. In the result, grounds of assessee’s appeal is allowed for statistical purposes.