MERCK LTD,MUMBAI vs. DCIT RG 6(3), MUMBAI

and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 2 of 32 Appearances by: Arati Vissanji for the assessee N K Chand for the Assessing Officer Date of concluding the hearing : January 14, 2016 Date of pronouncing the order : March 31st, 2016 O R D E R Per Pramod Kumar, AM:

2. We will first take up the i.e. assessee’s appeal for the assessment year 2009-10.

3. This appeal, filed by the assessee, is directed against the order dated 31st January 2014 passed by the Assessing Officer under section 143(3) r.w.s. 144C (13) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, for the assessment year 2009-10.

4. Ground no. 1 is general in nature and does not call for any specific adjudication by us.

5. In ground no. 2.1, the assessee has challenged correctness of arm’s length price adjustment of Rs 69,76,105 in respect of purchase of raw material, Bisoprolol- an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) purchased from the assessee’s associated enterprises, namely Merck & CIE KG, Switzerland. In a connected grievance for the assessment year 2010-11, which is raised in ground no. 2.1 in the appeal for that assessment year, the assessee is aggrieved that the Transfer Pricing Officer was in error in proposing an arm’s length price adjustment of Rs 1,03,05,503 in respect of the same active pharmaceutical and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 3 of 32 ingredient, and the DRP was also in error in confirming this adjustment to the extent of Rs 67,69,943 in respect of the same. Ground no. 1 taken by the Assessing Officer’s appeal for the assessment year 2010-11 also raises a connected issue regarding DRP falling in error to direct adoption of simple arithmetic mean, rather than weighted average mean, for computation of average CUP price. In ground no. 2 of the same appeal, an issue is raised regarding DRP’s directing to de facto restricting the arm’s length price adjustment with respect to purchases of API to the adjustment with respect to consumption of API. All these grievances are interconnected and we will take up all these grievances together.

6. So far as this grievance of the assessee is concerned, the relevant material facts, as necessary for adjudicating upon this grievance, are as follows. The assessee before us is a company, one of the pioneer in pharmaceutical industry in India- and in fact in Asia, and is a subsidiary of Merck KgaA, Germany. During the relevant financial period, the assessee imported Bisoprolol Fumerate, an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) used in manufacturing of finished dosage form (FDF) of medicine. These imports were made from an associated enterprise, i.e. Merck &CIE KG, Switzerland. Taking up the facts of the assessment year 2010-11 for illustrative purposes, the total imports during the financial period was 345 kgs for an aggregate consideration of Rs 2,30,12,198. The average cost of this API thus comes to Rs 66,702 per kg. The assessee had claimed these imports to be at arm’s length price on the basis of transactional net margin method (TNMM) as OP/OI of the assessee was 12.17% in the pharmaceutical segment, as against the arithmetic mean of 64 comparables which came to 12.30%. However, relying upon the decision of this Tribunal in the case of Serdia Pharmaceuticals India Pvt Ltd Vs ACIT [(2011) 44 SOT 391 (Mum)] holding that CUP method is the most appropriate method for determining arm’s length price in the case of generic APIs and armed with the requisite CUP inputs gathered by him under section 133(6), the Transfer Pricing Officer proceeded to compute the arm’s length price under CUP method. As and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 4 of 32 number of comparable uncontrolled prices for small quantities as well, the Transfer Pricing Officer adopted the arithmetic mean of prices of Bisoprolol, in the cases where quantities were more than 20 kgs., in the cases of inland sales as also exports. This amount came to Rs 36,831 per kg. The CUP was thus adopted at Rs 36,831 and the arm’s length price for purchase of 345 kg was adopted at Rs 1,27,06,695, and the amount paid in excess of this amount, i.e. Rs 1,03,05,503 was recommended for an arm’s length price adjustment. When the Assessing Officer proposed to make this ALP adjustment in the daft assessment order, assessee raised an objection before the Dispute Resolution Panel. While the DRP upheld the application of CUP as the most appropriate method, and the course thus adopted by the TPO, the DRP did direct that appropriate adjustment for the quality difference be given. This was to be done in the light of the directions given by the CIT(A) for the assessment year 2004-05. However, the directions given by the CIT(A) for the assessment year 2004-05 were with respect to adoption of simple arithmetic mean rather than weighted average. The contention regarding the API imported by the assessee being of superior quality was categorically rejected by the CIT(A), in his order for the assessment year 2004-05, in paragraph 9.4.1 at page 22 (Page 139 of paper-book III filed before us). Be that it as may, the Assessing Officer, in response to these directions, computed a relief of Rs 35,35,560 since the ALP based on the simple arithmetic mean was Rs 47,079, as against the ALP based on weighted arithmetic mean which was Rs 36,831, and this difference of Rs 10,248 per kg, for 345 kgs. of imports worked out to Rs 35,35,560. The balance ALP adjustment, i.e. Rs 1,03,05,503 minus Rs 35,35,560, of Rs 67,69,943 was thus confirmed for the assessment year 2010-11. As regards the assessment year 2009-10, the ALP adjustment on the same line and in respect of the same API, of Rs 69,76,105 was computed on the basis of simple arithmetic mean of Rs 44,401. The assessee is not satisfied and is in appeal before us. The Assessing Officer is also in appeal, so far as the assessment year 2010-11 is concerned, on the short point that the TPO should have computed weighted average rather than simple average. The Assessing Officer is also in appeal on the DRP’s and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 5 of 32 directing that the arm’s length price adjustment being restricted to actual consumption of the API from the AE rather than the total imports of the API from the AE.

8. As regards the application of CUP method on the facts of this case, learned counsel for the assessee has fairly accepted that the issue is covered against the assessee by a coordinate bench of this Tribunal in the case of Serdia Pharmaceuticals (supra) and the matter is right now pending before Hon’ble Bombay High Court. In this view of the matter, and respectfully following the views of the coordinate bench in Serdia Pharmaceuticals case (supra), we confirm the stand of the authorities below on this point, and decline to interfere in the matter at this stage. However, even on the correct application of CUP, the assessee has some issues.

9. The first point is that since the quality of products of the assessee is inherently superior, as it is manufactured in a German plant where quality control requirements are much more stringent than in India, and since the quality of the product is said to be physically superior, as evidenced by the independent laboratory test by Bee Pharma Lab, the assessee should be allowed quality adjustment in the prices vis-à-vis the same generic product manufactured in India. It is also pointed out that it is for this reason of API superiority that the medicines produced by the assessee are sold at much higher a price vis-à-vis similar medicines, with the same API, produced by other pharmaceutical companies in India. We have also noticed that the Transfer Pricing Officer himself has allowed a quality adjustment of 10% in the assessment year 2010-11. Learned Departmental Representative, on the other hand, relies upon the stand of the authorities below. He points out that there is and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 6 of 32 no independent evidence of superiority of the product. As for the lab report, he submits that the samples for analysis were not independently obtained and that, even on these handpicked samples, there is a small variation only on two parameters. He submits that there are no reasons to proceed on the basis that the products manufactured in Indian facilities are any but inferior in quality. It is also submitted that there is no cogent basis for the claim of product superiority. As regards the higher sale price of the end products, according to the learned departmental representative, such higher prices per se cannot lead to the conclusion that the raw materials are of better quality.

11. It will be being too detached from the ground realities to be oblivious of the inherent edge that the same products, as manufactured in India, manufactured in a location like Germany, which is bound to have or is perceived to have, much more stringent regulatory framework and quality control. That apart, in the case of a more trusted global corporation, where much more in the international reputation is at stake, the quality of product is perceived to be much more reliable. Even in the case of Glaxo Smithkline Inc Vs Her Majesty the Queen [(2008) TCC 324], where the comparison was between the same generic drug manufactured by a local manufacturer in Canada vis-à-vis Glaxo’s manufacturing facilities in Singapore, around 10% of quality adjustment was allowed. As the assessee has settled the matter with the tax authorities, upon the case having been restored to the file of the Tax Court of Canada by Canadian Supreme Court, this aspect has reached finality. In Indian context, the quality adjustment at around 40% has been allowed at the stage of transfer pricing scrutiny proceedings itself. In any event, it is an undisputed position that on two significant features, namely particle size (sieve analysis) and bulk density test, the product imported by the assessee is demonstrably superior to the locally and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 8 of 32 manufactured drug. The fairness which has dawned on the Transfer Pricing Officer in 2011-12 is thus certainly in the right direction. The only issue is quantification of this adjustment. In the absence of any assistance to arrive at a fair rate of adjustment, we consider it appropriate to adopt the quality adjustment @ 10%, as granted by the Transfer Pricing in the assessment year 2011-12, in these assessment years as well. Accordingly, the ALP computed by the Assessing Officer, in the light of the CUP inputs, is to be adjusted by 10% for the quality difference as the product in manufactured by a globally reputed company and an industry pioneer in its own facilities in Germany. To this extent, we modify the manner in which the ALP adjustment is to be recomputed. This also take account the assessee’s claim that the product manufactured with this API, being more reliable than comparable product with the locally sourced API, commands higher price in the market.

12. As we have allowed 10% quality adjustment in the absence of any cogent material to demonstrate product superiority and only on the basis of what the TPO himself has allowed in the subsequent year, it will be open to the assessee to raise issue regarding higher quantification of the quality difference, as and when he can gather and produce evidence in support of the same, in any subsequent assessment year. To that extent, the issue is left open.

14. This plea also deserves to be accepted. The pricing considerations in the context of exports are not essentially the same as in the case of domestic pricing. What we are comparing right now is the price at which the assessee has purchased the product from the AE at the landed cost in India, and it will only and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 9 of 32 be appropriate that it is compared with the price which at which the product is available in the domestic market. We, therefore, accept the plea of the assessee that only domestic prices need to be taken into account for computing the arm’s length price under the CUP method. However, as we direct so, we must add that only such transactions, as are in respect of a reasonable quantity- at 20 kg as adopted by the TPO, will be taken into account so as to ensure that these are bonafide commercial transactions in the regular course of business. We see no reasons to disturb this quantity filter of 20 kgs., nor any arguments in respect of the same have been addressed before us. The average of comparable uncontrolled prices will have to be recomputed in the light of these directions.

16. As regards other points raised by the assessee with regard to the application of CUP, all we can point out is that all these issues are covered against the assessee by coordinate bench decision in the case of Serdia Pharmaceuticals (supra) and the matter is right now pending before Hon’ble Bombay High Court. We, therefore, reject these grievances at this forum and at this stage. and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 10 of 32 17. As regards the question that the ALP adjustment should be made in respect of the entire purchases and that it should not be restricted to the quantity consumed, we can only say that the specific directions to that effect were given by the CIT(A) in the order for the assessment year 2004-05 but the Assessing Officer did not really challenge these directions in the appeal before this Tribunal at that stage. In the present year, in any case, this question does not arise since no such adjustment seems to have been given to the assessee. It is in this background that we dismiss this grievance of the Assessing Officer as ill conceived.

18. Ground of appeal no 2.1 of the assessee is thus partly allowed for statistical purposes, in the terms indicated above, for the assessment years 2009-10 and 2010-11. Grounds of appeal nos.1 and 2 of the Assessing Officer, for the assessment year 2010-11, are thus dismissed.

19. In the ground of appeal no. 2.2 of the assessee, which is materially similar for the assessment years 2009-10 and 2010-11, barring for the difference in amounts- which are Rs 3,56,56,500 for the assessment year 2009-10 and Rs 2,70,00,000 for the assessment year 2010-11, grievance of the assessee is that the Transfer Pricing Officer erred in treating the arm’s length price of the technical know how fees as NIL and, thereby, making ALP adjustments in respect of the entire amounts paid to the parent company for technical know how fees.

20. As regards this ALP adjustment for the assessment year 2009-10, the Transfer Pricing Officer has justified the same by stating that “the documents submitted by the assessee could not demonstrate tangible and direct benefit derived by the taxpayer in paying the above amounts to the AEs”. The TPO also noted that the assessee claims to make payment for technical consultancy services and the fact that it also reimburses certain direct third party costs incurred on its behalf to its AEs, and thus concluded that no separate payment is and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 11 of 32 warranted for these services. The evidences, by way of emails, reports, manuals, brouchers and details of visit by AE’s personnel, were rejected as too vague and as not pertaining to the relevant financial period. It was in this backdrop that the TPO proposed an ALP adjustment reducing the value of these services to ‘nil’ value. When assessee carried the matter before the Dispute Resolution Panel, the DRP also confirmed the stand of the Transfer Pricing Officer. The DRP was of the view that the agreement, by itself, could be not treated as conclusive about the worth of the services rendered. What is to be really seen is whether any significant intra group services were actually rendered. As regards the evidences in support of the services having been rendered, the DRP noted that these evidences have been rejected by the TPO on account of following reasons:

• The services claimed to have been rendered to the assessee are the same as claimed to have been rendered to another group entity by the name of Merck Specialities India Pvt Ltd. This fact, according to the DRP, establishes that services were non- exclusive in nature. • Emails in support of engineering technology of production and quality control pertain to other period and are too general in nature. Similarly, emails in support of equipment sourcing and supplies are general in nature. • Certain monthly reports have been produced regarding SAP performance. These documents do refer to the consultancy, information technology and some other corporate information services. However, DRP dismissed the same and observed that “certain operation level agreement regarding IT services were also produced which contain IT policy and standard operating procedures of the group” • Some emails regarding world gastro conferences were produced but these could be accepted as evidences as these are unrelated to the products manufactured by the assessee.

• “In sum”, to use the words of the DRP, “the TPO observed that the documents presented by the assessee lacked credible evidentiary value to support the assessee’s claim that it has received technical and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 12 of 32 and consultancy services from the AE so as to justify the payment made by it during the year” 21. The DRP approved this stand of the TPO on the basis of the following line of reasoning:

“4.12. In their submission before us, the assessee has not produced any additional documents, except for the afore-stated e-mails/correspondences/documents relating to conference, etc, which have been presented under different headings in consonance with the scheduled services mentioned in the agreement. Under the circumstances, we cannot persuade ourselves to rely on these documents to find any unimpeachable evidence in support of actual receipt of the scheduled services as listed out in the agreement. In this connection, we also note that the assessee has made separate payments towards travel, hotel, printing, consultants, training expenses, etc. to the AE under the category of reimbursements under the head 'other expenses'. These expenses are reportedly incurred by the AE for making payments to 3rd parties on behalf of the assessee. Thus, when the assessee is habitually reimbursing actual amounts on the basis of different specific services rendered by the AE to the on a cost to cost basis, there is no reason as to why the assessee could not have followed such direct-charge method to make payments to the AE, i.e. by paying as and when a specific service is received, instead of making a provision for a lump sum amount payable through an agreement for certain services which are not backed up with any reliable evidence. Moreover, the fact that the 'assessee is not an exclusive recipient of such services, which are also made available by the AE to other group companies, raises a valid question with regard to the justification and the quantum of such expenses being borne by the assessee. 4.13 The assessee is aggrieved that the TPO has not adopted any specific method to benchmark the ALP of the transaction. To this, we would like to state that the benchmarking of ALP of a transaction particularly in the nature of intra-group services is germane to the actual existence of the services concerned, which is found, to-be absent in this case, hence there was apparently no occasion for the TPO to take the next step of benchmarking the same by adopting a MAM. Our attention has been drawn to an extract from the OECD guidelines to justify the payment made to AE, but in our considered view, the extract cited by assessee does not help its cause since, the transaction under question does not resemble nor can it be compared to the retainer's fees paid by an independent/enterprise to a Lawyers' Firm for assured legal service. The assessee has referred to a few decisions of Delhi ITAT in the case of McCann Erickson India Pvt. Ltd, AWB India Pvt. Ltd, Ericsson India Pvt. Ltd.; in which the Ld. ITAT apparently have dealt with the issues as to whether CUP is the correct method to benchmark Management Services Fees and whether the TPO is authorized to question the commercial expediency of the transactions. However, in the instant case the TPO has not questioned the commercial expediency of the transaction. The transaction has been found to have yielded in no actual services being rendered to assessee by the AE as required to be and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 13 of 32 provided in the agreement; hence no ALP could be attributed to it. When there are no services availed, there is no question of 'benchmarking the transaction and in such cases determination of ALP at Rs.NIL has been upheld by the Hon'ble ITAT in the following cases:. (a) Deloitte Consulting India Pvt. Ltd. vs. DCIT(2012) 137 ITD 21 (Mumbai) (b) Gem Plus India Pvt. Ltd. vs. Asst. CIT-IT No.352/Bang/2009, dt.21/10/2010 (c) Knorr Bremse India (P) Ltd. vs. AC1T (2013} 56 SOT 349 (Delhi) 4.14 In view of the above observations, the decision of the TPO/AO to determine the ALP of the transaction in/question at nil with consequential adjustment is upheld and confirmed.”

5. That, on the facts and circumstances of the case, the DRP and TPO/AO have failed to appreciate the business model and business realities of the appellant and role of its AE, while conducting the economic analysis, and concluding that no service is received or no benefit, and/or services received are duplicative in nature.

6. That, on the facts and circumstances of the case, the DRP and TPO/AO erred in presumptively holding that the revenue authorities are empowered to question the commercial decision of the appellant and in not appreciating the jurisprudence that the DRP and the AO/TPO cannot go beyond their powers to question the business decision of the company. 7. That, on the facts and circumstances of the case, the DRP has erred in confirming that the TPO has discharged his statutory onus by establishing the conditions specified in (a) to (d) of Section 92C(3) of the Act have been satisfied before disregarding the arm’s length price determined by the appellant and proceeding to decide the arm’s length price himself. 8. That, on the facts and circumstances of the case, the DRP and TPO/AO have erred in conducting economic analysis of the international transactions without relying on any comparable transaction/companies using inappropriate method. 9. That, on the facts and circumstances of the case, the DRP and TPO/AO have erred in determining the arm’s length price of international transactions consisting of cost and profit margin at ‘nil’. 12. So far as these grievances of the assessee are concerned, the relevant material facts are as follows. The assessee is engaged in the business of trading in food grains. It is a part of AWB group Australia and its 99.999% equity is held by AWB Australia Limited and the balance .001% equity is held by another group company, namely AWB Investments Limited. One of the international transactions that the assessee entered into with its AEs was payment of Rs 58,20,571 towards ‘management services’. On an analysis of the details of the payments made under this head, the TPO was of the view that the and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 17 of 32 benefit of some of the services availed under the head ‘management services’ was not commensurate with the payments made for the same. He was also of the view that as against the use of TNMM by the assessee in benchmarking, the right course of action will be to follow CUP method because the value under CUP method will be best indicator of the value of these services. It was in this background that the TPO made certain adverse inferences against the assessee. The TPO was of the view that while the assessee has made a payment of Rs 20,35,907 towards financial management and reporting services, “but the services rendered are negligible compared to the cost incurred”. The TPO was also of the view that “a minor clarification or seeking of certain guidance on verify basic issue does not call for a payment of Rs 20 lakhs. Therefore, the ALP of these services was taken as ‘NIL’. He further noted that while the assessee has made a payment of Rs 1,23,476 towards human resources services, the assessee has “not furnished any specific input on training and development of human resources and it is also noticed that these services are of routine nature and duplicate at best”. Accordingly, the TPO also treated ALP of these services as ‘NIL’. As regards the payment of Rs 96,355 towards ‘legal services’, the TPO did take note of the services that the assessee was entitled to under these arrangements but as there is no evidence of any services having been actually rendered by the AE, the TPO concluded that it does not have any value in an arm’s length situation. The value of this service was also taken as NIL. The same was the case with respect to the payments for other services. Accordingly, no arm’s length value was assigned to these services also. In respect of these cases TNMM was rejected and CUP was applied- though, even under CUP method, value assigned was nil as, in the opinion of the TPO, these services were worthless.

13. When Assessing Officer proposed to make disallowance in respect of payments for the above services, arm’s length value of which was taken at ‘zero’, aggregating to Rs 31,23,325, as against total management fees of Rs 58,20,571 paid by the assessee, assessee carried the matter before the DRP but without any success. The DRP confirmed the stand so taken by the TPO, Accordingly, an ALP adjustment of Rs 31,23,325 was made by the Assessing Officer. The assessee is aggrieved and is in appeal before us.

15. One of the very basic pre condition for use of CUP method is availability of the price of the same product and service in and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 18 of 32 uncontrolled conditions. It is on this basis that ALP of the product or service can be ascertained. It cannot be a hypothetical or imaginary value but a real value on which similar transactions have taken place. Coming to the facts of this case, the application of CUP is dependent on the market value of the arrangements under which the present payments have been made. Unless the TPO can identify a comparable uncontrolled case in which such services, howsoever token or irrelevant services as he may consider these services to be, are rendered and find out consideration for the same, the CUP method cannot have any application. His perception that these services are worthless is of no relevance. It is not his job to decide whether a business enterprise should have incurred a particular expense or not. A business enterprise incurs the expenditure on the basis of what is commercially expedient and what is not commercially expedient. As held by Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of CIT Vs EKL Appliances Limited (345 ITR 241), “Even Rule 10B(1)(a) does not authorise disallowance of any expenditure on the ground that it was not necessary or prudent for the assessee to have incurred the same”.

On the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law, the learned AO/ Hon’ble DRP erred in: a) applying the provisions of Section 145A of the Act, though however it was contended by the appellant that the provisions of the Act were not applicable in their case as they followed net method of accounting; b) confirming the application of gross method of accounting under section 145A of the Act and making addition of Rs.1,40,24,617; and c) and further not rectifying the mistake apparent from record by not granting the deduction of Rs 1,36,67,817 in respect of the addition made to the closing stock as on 31st March 2008 (assessment year 2008-09) though however the same was pointed out that the same has to be granted in terms of the observations of the DRP in their orders as well as the order of the Tribunal, in appellant’s own case for the earlier years.

37. As regards this issue, learned counsel for the assessee has submitted the following note and she submits that she has no objection to the matter being restored to the file of the Assessing Officer for adjudication de novo by way of a speaking order, in accordance with the law and after giving an opportunity of hearing to the assessee: and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 22 of 32 “1. An addition of Rs.1,36,67,817/- was made in the assessment order for the assessment year 2008-09 under Section 145A of the Act representing the balance of "Unutilized Modvat Credit" outstanding at the year end (31-03-2008). The Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) in his Order also has confirmed the said addition on the ground that in the assessment year 2007-08 the Hon'ble Dispute Resolution Panel also confirmed the same and also that there were no change in the facts. 2. The AO in the draft Order had disallowed an amount of Rs.1,51,50,936/- representing difference between the Modvat credit balance at the close of the year Rs.2,88,18,753/-and at the beginning of the year Rs.1,36,67,817/-. 3. The Hon'ble DRP in their Order held that credit in the value of the opening stock of Rs.1,36,67,817/- is allowable by way of adjustment in the value of the opening stock in assessment year 2009-10.(Para No. 7.11 and Para No. 7.19). It is therefore submitted that the same is allowable as deduction in the said year, 4. It is submitted that the appellant is entitled to deduction of Rs.l,03,62,063/- instead of addition of Rs.1,40,24,617/-, if the "Gross Method" as followed by the AO and confirmed by the Hon'ble DRP has to be followed under Section 145A of the Act as depicted in the Chart appearing on page No.21 of Hon'ble DRP's Order (vide para No. 4). The Hon'ble DRP have wrongly withdrawn the deduction of Rs.2,43,86,680/- being the excise duty and VAT paid which is included in Rs.44,49,79,263/- in the value of the "Opening Stock" as per "Inclusive Method" as shown in the said Chart. 5. Without prejudice to the submissions made hereinabove, if at all the addition of Rs.1,40,24,617/- is upheld, the same should be allowed as deduction in the assessment year 2010-11, the same should be allowed as deduction on the ground that the said amount is included in the payments made against excise duty/sales tax collected in the earlier year. ”

37. In this regard, we find that the expenses were incurred by the assessee company for compliance of SEBI guidelines with regard to buyback of shares. The buyback of shares is stated to be for the purpose of providing an exit opportunity to the existing shareholders who so desire. This Tribunal is taking a consistent view that expenditure incurred with regard to AGM is business expenditure. The AGM is held by a company for the benefit of existing shareholders. On the same reasoning, the impugned expenditure which were also incurred for the benefit of existing shareholders in the ordinary course of business is also an expenditure incurred for business purpose and hence the same is allowable under s.

37. We, therefore, decide this issue in favour of the assessee." and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 28 of 32 13. We, thus, are of the opinion that no question of law arises, which needs determination by this Court, in the present appeal. This appeal is accordingly, dismissed.

It has been brought to the notice of the Board that some pharmaceutical and allied health sector Industries are providing freebees (freebies) to medical practitioners and their professional associations in violation of the regulations issued by Medical Council of India (the 'Council') which is a regulatory body constituted under the Medical Council Act, 1956.

and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 29 of 32 Thus, the claim of any expense incurred in providing above mentioned or similar freebees in violation of the provisions of Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 shall be inadmissible under section 37(1) of the Income Tax Act being an expense prohibited by the law. This disallowance shall be made in the hands of such pharmaceutical or allied health sector Industries or other assessee which has provided aforesaid freebees and claimed it as a deductable expense in its accounts against income.

"It was made clear in the above cited cases of Usher’s Wilshire Brewery vs. Bruce (supra) and Smith vs. Incorporated Council of Law Reporting (1914) 6 Tax Cases 477 that a sum of money expended not with a necessity and with a view to direct and immediate benefit to the trade, but voluntarily and on the grounds of commercial expediency and in order to indirectly facilitate, carrying on of business may yet be expended wholly and exclusively for the purpose of the trade; and it appears to me that the findings of the CIT in the present case, bring the payment in and 1222/Mum/2015 Assessment years: 2009-10, 2010-11 Page 31 of 32 question within that description. They found (in words which I have already quoted) that payment was made for the sound commercial purpose of enabling the company to retain the existing and future members of staff and for increasing the efficiency of the staff; and after referring to the contention of the Crown that the sum of Sterling Pound 31,784 was not money wholly and exclusively laid out for the purpose of the trade under the rule above referred to, they found deduction was admissible-thus in effect, though not in terms, negativing the Crowns contentions. I think that there was ample material to support the findings of the CIT, and accordingly hold that this prohibition does not apply."

"It has to be observed here that the expression "wholly and exclusively" used in s. 10(2)(xv) of the Act does not mean "necessarily

. Ordinarily, it is for the assessee to decide whether any expenditure should be incurred in the course of his or its business. Such expenditure may be incurred voluntarily and without any necessity and if it is incurred for promoting the business and to earn profits, the assessee can claim deduction under s. 10(2)(xv) of the Act even though there was no compelling necessity to incur such expenditure. It is relevant to refer at this stage to the legislative history of s. 37 of the IT Act, 1961, which corresponds to s. 10(2)(xv) of the Act. An attempt was made in the IT Bill of 1961 to lay down the necessity" of the expenditure as a condition for claiming deduction under s.