Section 80G(5) of the Income Tax Act
The decision most relied on for Section 80G(5) is Sree Meenakshi Mills Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax (31 ITR 28), cited in 137 of the 1,182 judgments on BharatTax that turn on this section.
Leading authorities on Section 80G(5)
Expenditure incurred for commercial expediency, even without a direct or immediate benefit but indirectly facilitating business, is deductible as laid out wholly and exclusively for trade. The scope of reference jurisdiction under Section 66 is limited to questions of law, allowing challenges to Tribunal findings of fact only if they are perverse, unreasonable, or lack evidence.
A trust's objects, even if based on religious tenets, can qualify as charitable for tax exemptions if its benefits are not exclusively restricted to a particular religious community or caste.
Whether there was sufficient cause for delay in making applications for registration under section 12A and 80G is always a question of fact, and contumacious conduct by the assessee must be established for levying penalty under section 271C for non-deduction of TDS.
The Income-tax Appellate Tribunal performs a judicial function under the Indian Income-tax Act, invested with authority to finally determine all questions of fact. When deciding an appeal, the Tribunal must consider all material facts with due care, record findings on all contentions, and maintain a judicial balance between the revenue and taxpayer claims. The power to condone delay by enacting section 5 of the Limitation Act of 1963 enables courts, including the Tribunal, to do substantial justice, with "sufficient cause" being an elastic expression.
Where a trust application has a curable defect, the assessee should be allowed an opportunity to explain and rectify the defect before the CIT (Exemption). The appellate tribunal may allow the appeal and direct the CIT to reconsider the application.
Registration under Section 12A and approval under Section 80G are distinct from assessment; issues relevant to assessing income under Section 11 cannot be grounds for rejecting an application for registration or approval.
Section 13(1)(b) of the Income Tax Act is applicable at the stage of granting exemption, not during the process of granting registration under section 12A/12AB, provided the trust's objects are charitable in character for the general public at large and not solely for the benefit of a particular religious community.
The delay in filing an application for approval under section 10(23C) cannot be condoned by the CIT (Exemption) if it is filed beyond the prescribed time limit, as this decision was affirmed by the Kolkata Tribunal in Bishnupur Public Education Institute.
Registration under Section 12A or 12AB of the Income-tax Act is a mandatory pre-condition for obtaining approval under Section 80G of the Act. Consequently, if an assessee lacks valid registration under Section 12A/12AB, their application for approval under Section 80G is liable to be rejected.
The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal functions judicially and must decide all questions of fact and law before it. The Tribunal may act upon probabilities and use presumptions to bridge gaps in evidence, especially when conclusive proof is not available due to delays or the nature of transactions.
Judgments on Section 80G(5)
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