HITESHBHAI CHHANABHAI AHIR,,SURAT vs. INCOME TAX OFFICER, WARD-2(1)(2),, SURAT

Facts as extracted from the orders of the lower authorities are that the land of aforesaid individual assessees were acquired by Special Land Acquisition Officer, Surat for M/s Essar Steel Ltd. The Revenue / Assessing Officer made re-opening in all cases under section 147 of the Act. Assessment was completed under section 143(3) r.w.s. 147 of the Act in cases of all different assessees. The Assessing Officer while passing the separate assessment orders made addition on account of Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG) on transfer of land, capital gain on the certain amount received for permanent (pacca) structure was treated as income from other sources and in some cases the agriculture income was treated as income from undisclosed sources. The assessing officer levied penalty under section 271(1)(c) on various additions. The Assessing officer levied penalty @100% of tax sought to be evaded. On appeal the Ld. CIT(A) upheld the action of assessing officer. Thus, further aggrieved the assessee(s) have filed present appeal before this Tribunal. 4 ITA No(s). 55 to 60, 62 ,63,221 &222/SRT/2017 3. None appeared on behalf of assessee in appeal(s) mentioned at serial No. 1 to 8, despite the service of notice of hearing.

Sh. Rasesh Shah learned authorised representative (AR) of the assessee appeared in appeal at serial No. 9 & 10. We have heard the submissions of learned authorised representative of the assessee(s) and the learned departmental representative for the revenue and have gone through the orders of the lower authorities. The ld AR of the assessee submits that in all quantum assessment appeals of the Hazira land appeals/ cases either the additions has been deleted or in some cases the additions on accounts of capital gain for the receipt against the pucca structure has been sustained only on estimation basis. The penalty in lead case of Ambaben J Patel has also been deleted. Thus, the grounds of appeal

raised by him in two cases are covered. The ld AR for the assessee further submits that in other penalty appeals under section 271(1)(c), all penalty has been delated vide order dated 26.04.2022 in 15 similar appeals.

On further appeal before Tribunal, the Tribunal held that addition of capital gain on account of transfer of land/ acquisition of land is not taxable as the said land / impugned land is not ‘capital asset’ as defined under section 2(14)(iii)(a) of the Act. The land transferred by individual assessee(s) does not falls in the Municipal Area. Hazira Notified area is not a 6 ITA No(s). 55 to 60, 62 ,63,221 &222/SRT/2017 Municipal area or deemed municipal area, therefore, the receipt/ gain on transfer of land is not taxable under Income tax Act. Further, the assessees on their alternative pleas were also held eligible for exemption under section 10(37) of the Act as the land was compulsorily acquired by Government of Gujarat by completing statutory formalities under Land Acquisition Act, 1882. The land was used for agriculture purpose for two years prior to its acquisition. And the assessee(s) fulfilled all the requisite condition for seeking exemption under section 10(37) of the Act. The other addition made under the head “capital gains” against the cost of pucca structure, the assessee’s were allowed 60% as cost of acquisition or cost of improvement, against the relief of 50% as allowed by Ld. CIT(A). Further, in some cases, the agricultural income offered by assessee(s) were treated as “income from other sources” has been held as “income from agricultural activities”. Thus, in quantum appeals all the assessee was granted substantial relief in deleting major part of additions and only part of capital gains only on account of cost of improvement on pucca structure was partly upheld on estimation basis. 7