“most appropriate method”

Transfer PricingSection 92CSection 92C1,345 judgments

The decision most relied on for most appropriate method is CIT v. Cushman & Wakefield (India) (P.) Ltd. (367 ITR 730), cited in 120 judgments on BharatTax.

Leading authorities on most appropriate method

CIT v. Cushman & Wakefield (India) (P.) Ltd.

367 ITR 730 · 2014 · High Court

120

citing judgments

This case determines the Arm's Length Price (ALP) for intra-group services and reimbursements, clarifying when charges constitute services warranting a mark-up versus mere pass-through costs. It provides guidance on the circumstances under which an ALP adjustment, including an ALP of 'nil', is appropriate for such transactions.

Dresser-Rand India (P.) Ltd. v. Addl. CIT

13 Taxmann.com 82 · 2011 · High Court

citing judgments

An Assessing Officer cannot disregard an assessee's decision to avail services from associated enterprises, even if the assessee has internal expertise, as the determination of necessity is the assessee's prerogative. The Transfer Pricing Officer's role is to determine the arm's length price, not the need for the service itself.

CIT v. EHPT India P Ltd.

350 ITR 41 · 2013 · High Court

citing judgments

The headcount method is an appropriate allocation key for indirect expenses between eligible and non-eligible units when it has been consistently accepted by revenue authorities and there is no just cause for abandoning it. Deviation from a consistently followed and accepted method can disturb or distort profits.

Mobis India Ltd. v. Dy. CIT

38 Taxmann.com 231 · 2013 · ITAT

citing judgments

A working capital adjustment is unreliable if it is based on broad approximations, estimations, and assumptions, and the assessee fails to demonstrate how the adjustment was arrived at.

LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. v. ACIT

29 Taxmann.com 300 · 2013 · High Court

citing judgments

The 'bright line test' is not an appropriate method for determining the existence of an international transaction for calculating arm's length price. This ruling overrules prior special bench decisions on AMP expenses.

Magneti Marelli Powertrain India Pvt. Ltd. v. DCIT

389 ITR 469 · 2016 · High Court

citing judgments

The Assessing Officer (AO) or Transfer Pricing Officer (TPO) cannot dispute the application of the TNMM method if they have already accepted it as the most appropriate method for certain international transactions, especially when other transactions are intrinsically linked.

Skoda Auto India (P) Ltd. v. ACIT, Aurangabad

30 SOT 319 · 2009 · ITAT

citing judgments

The Tribunal may allow adjustments for differences between the tested party and comparable companies to eliminate material differences, provided accurate and credible evidence is furnished.

Principal Commissioner of Income-tax-6 v. Matrix Cellular International Services (P.) Ltd.

90 Taxmann.com 54 · 2018 · High Court

citing judgments

The Resale Price Method (RPM) is the most appropriate method for determining the arm's length price of a distributor who does not add significant value to the goods purchased.

Judgments citing most appropriate method

Lintas India Private Limited, Mumbai vs. DCIT, Circle 16(1), Mumbai

The appeal of the assessee is partly allowed for statistical purposes

ITA 5889/MUM/2024[2021-22]Status: DisposedITAT Mumbai19 Nov 2025AY 2021-22

Bench: Shri Narender Kumar Choudhry & Shri Prabhash Shankarassessment Year: 2021-22 M/S. Lintas India Private Assessment Unit, Limited, Income Tax Department Or A Wing, 16Th Floor, Deputy Commissioner Of Parinee Crescenzo, Income Tax, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Circle 16(1), Bandra (East), 1) National Faceless Mumbai – 400 051 Assessment Centre (Nafac), Vs. Pan: Aaacl0124F Delhi 2)Aayakar Bhawan, Maharshi Karve Road, New Marine Lines, Churchgate, Mumbai – 400020 (Appellant) (Respondent) Present For: Assessee By : Shri Ajit Jain, Ld. A.R. Shri Karnik Kansara, Ld. A.R Ms. Neha Rai, Ld. A.R. Ms. Sakshi Chimanani, Ld. A.R. Revenue By : Shri Kiran Unavekar, Ld. Sr. D.R. Date Of Hearing : 22.08.2025 Date Of Pronouncement : 19.11.2025 O R D E R Per : Narender Kumar Choudhry: This Appeal Has Been Preferred By The Assessee Against The Order Dated 15.05.2023, Impugned Herein, Passed By The Ld. Commissioner Of Income Tax (Dispute Resolution Panel-1) (In Short Ld. Commissioner) U/S 144C(5) Of The Income Tax Act, 1961 (In Short ‘The Act’) For The A.Y. 2021-22. 2 M/S. Lintas India Private Limited

For Appellant: Shri Ajit Jain, Ld. A.RFor Respondent: Shri Kiran Unavekar, Ld. Sr. D.R

Section 144Section 144CSection 144C(5)Section 92C

assessee as a tested party by the TРО. We are also in agreement with the TPO regarding adoption of Any other method" as Most Appropriate Method and for adopting the "NEED-EVIDENCE-BENEFIT TEST" for benchmarking the Intra Group services availed by the assessee from ... collected and consistently applied to all entities including the assessee. The assessee has selected the transaction under net margin method (TNMM) as the most appropriate method and considering no markup has been charged by the AE to assessee, the payment of GIS services by assessee was considered

Shell India Markets Private Limited, Mumbai vs. Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax Circle 3(4), Mumbai

ITA 4828/MUM/2024[2020-21]Status: DisposedITAT Mumbai19 Nov 2025AY 2020-21

Bench: SHRI AMIT SHUKLA, JUDICIAL MEMBER\n&\nMS. PADMAVATHY S (Accountant Member)

Section 143(3)Section 144BSection 144C(1)Section 144C(13)Section 144C(5)Section 270ASection 40Section 92C

facts of the case 4.4 Rejecting the economic analysis ('at cost Principle') undertaken by the appellant using CUP method as the most appropriate method to determine the arm's length price for provision of technical services in relation to upstream/E&P business: 4.5 Applying the same benchmark for determining ... motu mark-up of 12%, the assessee, in its contemporaneous transfer pricing study, adopted the Transactional Net Margin Method (TNMM) as the most appropriate method, with Operating Profit to Operating Cost (OP/OC) as the Profit Level Indicator (PLI), and selected itself as the tested party. Since the SBO IT Bengaluru

Sap India Private Limited, Bangalore vs. Jurisdictional Assessing Officer - Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax Circle 6(1)(1), Bangalore

The appeal of the assessee is allowed to the extent indicated above

ITA 1519/BANG/2024[2020-21]Status: DisposedITAT Bangalore17 Nov 2025AY 2020-21

Bench: Shri Prashant Maharishi & Shri Soundararajan K, Jm

Section 143Section 144BSection 144C

With the respect to the total international transactions of ₹ 4096 crores, the assessee adopted transactional net margin method as the most appropriate method. The assessee computed the independent margin in its distribution activity and consultancy at operating profit/operating revenue at 6.76% and operating profit/total cost 88.88% respectively. As the assessee

Sempertrans India Private Limited, Roha vs. Income-Tax Officer, Panvel

In the result, appeal filed by the assessee is partly

ITA 1778/PUN/2024[AY 2020-21]Status: DisposedITAT Pune14 Nov 2025

Bench: Dr.Manish Borad & Ms. Astha Chandraआयकर अपील सं. / Ita No.1778/Pun/2024

For Appellant: Shri Ajit Jain andFor Respondent: Shri Prakash L. Pathade

Section 144Section 144CSection 144C(8)Section 153Section 37(1)Section 92CSection 92D

High Court, the issue could not be restored to the file of the TPO to determine the arm's length price by applying most appropriate method out of the prescribed methods under the provisions of law." Copy of the judgment is attached as Annexure 1. 14. Further, ld. Counsel ... comparable uncontrolled price method ("CLIP" method), for the subject transactions being most direct method for determining arm's length price and chosen as most appropriate method in this case by TPO, therefore, cannot be faulted with. We, therefore, do not find any error in rejecting the TNMM method applied

My Home Industries Private Limited, Hyderabad vs. DCIT., Circle-5(1), Hyderabad

In the result, the appeal of the assessee is partly allowed for statistical purposes

ITA 289/HYD/2024[2018-2019]Status: DisposedITAT Hyderabad14 Nov 2025AY 2018-2019

Bench: Shri Ravish Sooda N D Shri Madhusudan Sawdiaआ.अपी.सं /Ita No.289/Hyd/2024 (िनधा"रण वष"/Assessment Year: 2018-19) My Home Industries Vs. Dy.Cit Private Limited, Hyderabad Circle 5(1) Pan: Aabcm9480C Hyderabad (Appellant) (Respondent) िनधा""रती "ारा/Assessee By: Advocate A.V. Raghuram राज" व "ारा/Revenue By:: Dr. Narendra Kumar Naik, Cit (Dr) सुनवाई की तारीख/Date Of Hearing: 28/10/2025 घोषणा की तारीख/Pronouncement: 14/11/2025 आदेश/Order Per Madhusudan Sawdia, A.M.: This Appeal Is Filed By My Home Industries Private Limited, (“The Assessee”), Feeling Aggrieved By The Assessment Order Passed By The Learned Commissioner Of Income Tax (Appeals)-10, Hyderabad (“Ld. Cit(A)”) Dated 29.01.2024 For The A.Y 2018-19. 2. The Assessee Has Raised The Following Grounds Of Appeal:

For Appellant: Advocate A.V. RaghuramFor Respondent: : Dr. Narendra Kumar Naik, CIT (DR)

Section 143(2)Section 143(3)Section 144CSection 14ASection 92C

price in relation to an international transaction or a specified domestic transaction shall be determined by any of the following methods, being the most appropriate method, in the following manner, namely :— Page 13 of 22 ITA No 289 of 2024 My Home Industries P Ltd (i) the price charged

Pcl Foods Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon vs. Addi CIT, National E- Assesment Centre, New Delhi

In the result, this appeal of the assessee is partly allowed

ITA 442/DEL/2021[2016-17]Status: DisposedITAT Delhi14 Nov 2025AY 2016-17

Bench: Ms. Madhumita Roy & Shri Brajesh Kumar Singh[Assessment Year: 2016-17] Pcl Foods Private Limited, Additional / Joint/ Unit No.-219, Plot No. 2, Deputy/Assistant Vardhman Crown Mall, Lsc, Vs Commissioner Of Income Sector 19, Dwarka, New Tax/ Income Tax Officer, Delhi-110075. National E-Assessment Centre, Delhi. Pan- Aahcp3493L Assessee Revenue

Section 143(3)Section 92C

transfer pricing study initially identified only one comparable, namely M/s Sakuma Exports Ltd., and applied the Transactional Net Margin Method (TNMM) as the most appropriate method. The TPO observed that the assessee's business of rice trading is not of such a unique or specialized nature as to warrant only

Precision Camshafts Limited, Pune vs. DCIT Circle 1, Solapur

In the result, appeal of the assessee is partly allowed

ITA 2744/PUN/2024[2021-22]Status: DisposedITAT Pune12 Nov 2025AY 2021-22

Bench: Shri Rama Kanta Panda & Shri Vinay Bhamoreआयकर अपऩल सं. / Ita No.2744/Pun/2024 निर्धारण वषा / Assessment Year: 2021-22 Precision Camshafts Limited, V Assessment Unit, E-102/103, Akkalkot Road S Income Tax Department Midc, Solapur – 413006. (National Faceless Maharashtra. Assessment Center), Jurisdiction : Pne C(1), Range 63, Deputy Commissioner Of Income Tax („Dcit‟), Circle-1, Solapur. Pan: Aabcp1086B Appellant/ Assessee Respondent / Revenue Assessee By Shri Nikhil S Pathak - Ar Revenue By Shri Prakash L Pathade – Cit(Dr) Date Of Hearing 21/08/2025 Date Of Pronouncement 12/11/2025 आदेश/ Order Per Vinay Bhamore, Jm: This Is An Appeal Filed By Assessee Against The Assessment Order Under Section 143(3) R.W.S 144C(13) Read With Section 144B Of The Act, 1961 Dated 24.10.2024 For A.Y.2021-22 Emanating From Dispute Resolution Panel‟S Order Passed Under Section 144C(5) Of

Section 143(3)Section 144BSection 144C(1)Section 144C(5)Section 153Section 92B

charged interest @ 1.90% being the actual rate charged by independent third party lender and the assessee had considered the Other Method as the most appropriate method and hence, there was no reason to make any further addition in respect of the interest income on the above referred loan given ... Everest Kanto Cylinders Ltd (INCOME TAX APPEAL NO.1165 OF 2013), "such other method as mentioned in section 92C(f) is considered as most appropriate method to benchmark this transaction As per Rule 10AB. the determination of ALP in relation to international transaction shall be the price which has been charged

Concur Technologies (India) Private Limited, Bangalore vs. Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax Circle 2(2)(1), Bangalore

Appeal of the assessee is partly allowed as indicated above

ITA 2550/BANG/2024[2021-22]Status: DisposedITAT Bangalore11 Nov 2025AY 2021-22

Bench: Shri Prashant Maharishi & Shri Soundararajan K.Assessment Year : 2021-22

For Appellant: Shri Chavali Narayan, CAFor Respondent: Dr Divya K J, CIT(DR)(ITAT), Bengaluru

Section 144Section 144BSection 144C

subsumed within the arm's length price determination of the principal transactions itself using the transactional net margin method ("TNMM") as the most appropriate method in the TP study report. The learned AO/ TPO has also erred in law and facts by treating outstanding receivables as a separate international transaction ... also paid various other charges to its associated enterprises. The assessee has adopted the transactional net margin method as the most appropriate method for benchmarking its international transactions the reference was made to determine the arm's-length price of the international transaction. 5. The assessee is performing the functions

Sap India Private Limited, Bangalore vs. Deputy Commissioner of Income-Tax, Circle 6(1)(1), Bangalore

In the result appeal filed by the assessee is partly allowed

ITA 704/BANG/2023[2019-20]Status: DisposedITAT Bangalore11 Nov 2025AY 2019-20

Bench: Shri Prashant Maharishi & Shri Soundararajan K, Jm

Section 115Section 143Section 144BSection 144CSection 234DSection 37Section 92C

profit level indicator of operating profit to operating cost was computed at 34.71%. The assessee adopted the transactional net margin method as the most appropriate method, for software distribution services it selected eleven comparable and contended that the international transaction is at arm's-length. 9. The learned transfer pricing

Ecoenergy Insights Ltd ( Formerly Known As Chubb Alba Control Systems P.Ltd), New Delhi vs. DCIT, Circle-4(2), New Delhi

In the result, the appeal filed by the assessee is partly allowed as indicated above

ITA 2321/DEL/2022[2018-19]Status: DisposedITAT Delhi10 Nov 2025AY 2018-19

Bench: Shri S. Rifaur Rahman & Shri Anubhav Sharmaecoenergy Insights Ltd., Vs. Dcit, (Formerly Known As Chubb Alba Control Circle 4 (2), Systems P. Ltd.), New Delhi. Ground Floor, 18, Netaji Subhash Marg, Daryaganj, New Delhi – 110 002. (Pan :Aaaca0031C) (Appellant) (Respondent) Assessee By : Shri Nageshwar Rao, Advocate Shri Parth, Advocate Shri Pratik Rath, Advocate Revenue By : Shri S.K. Jadhav, Cit Dr Date Of Hearing : 12.08.2025 Date Of Order : 10.11.2025 O R D E R Per S. Rifaur Rahman: 1. This Appeal Preferred By The Assessees Is Directed Against The Assessment Order Dated 25.07.2022Passed By The Assessment Unit, Income Tax Department Under Section 147 Read With Section 144C(13) R.W.S. 144B Of The Income-Tax Act, 1961 (For Short ‘The Act”) For Ay 2018-19 Pursuant To The Directions Of The Dispute Resolution Panel U/S 144C(5) Of The Act.

For Appellant: Shri Nageshwar Rao, AdvocateFor Respondent: Shri S.K. Jadhav, CIT DR

Section 143(2)Section 144C(13)Section 144C(5)Section 147Section 92C

TPO/AO/DRP has misconstrued the functional profile of the Appellant and has thereby erred in selecting Transaction Net Margin Method ("TNMM") as the Most Appropriate Method ("MAM") to benchmark the impugned international transaction instead of Resale Price Method ("RPM", which was more suitable in the case. 17. Without prejudice ... extracted in TP order from pages 10 to 24 of Appeal Set. Ld. TPO summarised objections on page 24 but rejected RPM as Most appropriate method (MAM) and adopted TNMM at entity level for benchmarking this transaction overruling Appellant’s objections. Reference to page 26 (just above para 6.2) would

Dgs Technical Services Private Limited, Hyderabad vs. DCIT., Circle-8(1), Hyderabad

In the result, the appeal filed by the assessee is partly allowed for statistical purposes

ITA 1095/HYD/2024[2021-22]Status: DisposedITAT Hyderabad31 Oct 2025AY 2021-22

Bench: SHRI VIJAY PAL RAO, HON’BLE (Vice President), SHRI MANJUNATHA G, HON’BLE (Accountant Member)

Section 143(3)Section 144C(5)Section 92C

assessee has conducted a Transfer Pricing study by adopting Transactional Net Margin Method (TNMM) as 5 DGS Technical Services Private Limited the most appropriate method with OP/OC @ (-)0.02%. The assessee company has selected 8 comparable with the 35th percentile (-)1.05% and the 65th percentile of 3.52% and claimed that

Bundy India Limited, Vadodara vs. The Dy. CIT., Circle-1(1), Baroda

In the result, Ground Number 6 of the assessee’s appeal is allowed for statistical purposes

ITA 1403/AHD/2016[2009-10]Status: DisposedITAT Ahmedabad30 Oct 2025AY 2009-10

Bench: Annapurna Gupta & Shri Siddhartha Nautiyalआयकर अपील सं /Ita No.1403/Ahd/2016 िनधा"रण वष" /Assessment Year : 2009-10 Bundy India Limited The Dy.Cit बनाम/ Plot No.2, Circle-1(1) V/S. Gidc Industrial Estate, Baroda Makarpura Vadodaria - 390 010 "थायी लेखा सं./Pan: Aaacb 3039 M (अपीलाथ"/ Appellant) ("" यथ"/ Respondent) Assessee By : Shri S.N. Soparkar, Sr. Advocate Revenue By : Shree Veerbadram Vislavath, Sr.Dr सुनवाई की तारीख/Date Of Hearing : 31/07/2025 घोषणा की तारीख /Date Of Pronouncement: 30/10/2025 आदेश/O R D E R Per Siddhartha Nautiyal, Jm:

For Appellant: Shri S.N. Soparkar, Sr. AdvocateFor Respondent: Shree Veerbadram Vislavath, Sr.DR

Section 133(6)Section 250Section 92CSection 92C(1)Section 92C(3)

benchmarking the international transactions. 5.3. The Id. AO/CIT(A) erred in law and on facts in applying comparable uncontrolled price (CUP) method as most appropriate method under Rule10B(1)(a) of Income Tax Rules, 1962 r.w.s. Section 92C(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. 5.4. The Id. AO/CIT ... erred in law and on facts in applying CUP method as most appropriate method without providing any comparable instances. 5.5. The Id. AO/CIT(A) erred in law and on facts, in holding that benefit received by the appellant on paying management fees is not commensurate with the volumes and quality