Arason Autos India Pvt. Ltd., Tirunelveli V. ITO, Tirunelveli

ITA 1101/CHNY/2017

• Counselvise Citation: [2017] 127 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 6166 (ITAT-CHENNAI)
• Duration Of Justice: 4 month(s) 17 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 20-09-2017
• Appeal Filed By: Assessee
• Order Result: Allowed
• Bench Allotted: B
• Assessment Year: 2012-2013
• Appeal Filed On: 03-05-2017
• Result in Favour of: Assessee
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Department Lawyers: MRS RU GEORGE
• Assessee Lawyers: G BASKAR
• Keywords: Difference of opinion; Change of opinion

Judgement Text

, , IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL B BENCH: CHENNAI . , ' , % & BEFORE SHRI ABRAHAM P.GEORGE, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER AND SHRI GEORGE MATHAN, JUDICIAL MEMBER ./ ITA NO.1101/MDS/2017 %' ' /ASSESSMENT YEAR: 2012-13 M/S.ARASON AUTOS INDIA PVT. LTD., 986/36, MADURAI ROAD, THACHANALLUR, THACHANALLUR, THIRUNELVELI-627 358. VS. THE INCOME TAX OFFICER, WARD-1, THIRUNELVELI. [PAN: AAFCA 0697 K ] ( ( /APPELLANT) ( )*( /RESPONDENT) ( + / APPELLANT BY : MR.G.BASKAR, ADV. )*( + /RESPONDENT BY : MRS.RUBY GEORGE, CIT + /DATE OF HEARING : 20.09.2017 + /DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT : 20.09.2017 / O R D E R PER GEORGE MATHAN , JUDICIAL MEMBER : ITA NO.1101/MDS/2017 IS AN APPEAL FILED BY THE ASS ESSEE AGAINST THE ORDER OF COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX, MADURAI-2, PASSED U/S.263 IN C NO.114/22/PCIT-2/MDU/2016-17 DATED 14.03.2017 FOR T HE AY 2012-13. 2. MRS.RUBY GEORGE, CIT., REPRESENTED ON BEHALF OF THE REVENUE AND MR.G.BASKAR, ADV., REPRESENTED ON BEHALF OF THE ASS ESSEE. ITA NO.1101/MDS/2017 :- 2 -: 3. IT WAS SUBMITTED BY THE LD.AR THAT THE ASSESSEE IS A COMPANY WHICH IS DOING THE BUSINESS OF TRACTOR SALES. IT WAS A S UBMISSION THAT FOR THE RELEVANT AY, THE ASSESSEE HAD FILED HIS RETURN OF I NCOME FOR THE RELEVANT AY ON 02.10.2012. THE ASSESSMENT U/S.143(3) CAME T O BE COMPLETED ON 09.03.2015 WHEREIN VARIOUS ADDITIONS HAD BEEN MADE TO THE RETURNED INCOME. IT WAS A SUBMISSION THAT PENALTY PROCEEDIN GS U/S.271(1)(C) OF THE ACT HAD BEEN INITIATED BY ISSUANCE OF NOTICE U/ S.274 R.W.S.271 ON 09.03.2015. IT WAS A SUBMISSION THAT THE ASSESSEE HAD RESPONDED TO THE SHOW CAUSE NOTICE VIDE A LETTER DATED 13.04.2015. IT WAS A SUBMISSION THAT SUBSEQUENTLY NO ACTION WAS TAKEN BY THE AO. I T WAS A SUBMISSION THAT ON 14.03.2017, THE ASSESSEE WAS ISSUED A SHOW CAUSE NOTICE U/S.263 BY THE LD.CIT, MADURAI-2, ASKING THE ASSESSEE TO SH OW CAUSE AS TO WHY PENALTY U/S.271(1)(C) OF THE ACT WAS NOT LEVIABLE AND THAT THE ORDER PASSED BY THE AO DROPPING THE PENALTY PROCEEDINGS I NITIATED U/S.271(1)(C) OF THE ACT WAS ERRONEOUS AND PREJUDICE TO THE INTER EST OF THE REVENUE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ORDER U/S.263 CAME TO BE PASSED O N 31.03.2017 DIRECTING THE AO TO RE-INITIATE THE PENALTY PROCEED INGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW. IT WAS A SUBMISSION THAT AT THE OUTSET, T HERE WAS NO ERROR MUCH LESS ERROR WHICH CAUSED PREJUDICE TO THE INTEREST O F THE REVENUE AS REQUIRED U/S.263. IT WAS A SUBMISSION THAT THE AO HAD AFTER CONSIDERING THE RESPONSE OF THE ASSESSEE IN RESPECT OF THE PENA LTY PROCEEDINGS INITIATED HAD DROPPED THE PENALTY PROCEEDINGS. THE DIRECTIONS GIVEN BY THE LD.CIT FOR INITIATING FRESH PROCEEDINGS U/S.271(1)( C) OF THE ACT WAS PURELY BASED ON A CHANGE OF OPINION WHICH WAS NOT PERMITTE D UNDER THE REVISION ITA NO.1101/MDS/2017 :- 3 -: U/S.263. IT WAS A SUBMISSION THAT THE ORDER OF THE LD.CIT WAS LIABLE TO BE QUASHED. 4. IN REPLY, LD.CIT & THE LD.DR VEHEMENTLY SUPPORTE D THE ORDER PASSED U/S.263. 5. WE HAVE CONSIDERED THE RIVAL SUBMISSIONS. ADMIT TEDLY, A PERUSAL OF THE ASSESSMENT ORDER IN THE ASSESSEES CASE PASSED U/S.143(3) ON 09.03.2015 SHOWS THAT MOST OF THE DISALLOWANCES WHI CH HAD BEEN MADE IN THE ASSESSMENT ORDER, WERE DISALLOWANCES WHICH HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE ASSESSEE. NO EVIDENCE HAS BEEN FOUND TO SHOW T HAT THE ASSESSEE HAS CONCEALED ANY PARTICULARS OF THE INCOME OR FURNISHE D INACCURATE PARTICULARS OF HIS INCOME IN THE COURSE OF THE ASSESSMENT. A P ERUSAL OF THE ASSESSMENT ORDER ALSO SHOWS THAT PENALTY PROCEEDING S HAD BEEN INITIATED AND SHOW CAUSE NOTICE ISSUED AND THE ASSESSEE ALSO FILED HIS REPLY. THE AO SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN DROPPED PENALTY PROCEEDINGS A FTER CONSIDERING THE REPLY FILED BY THE ASSESSEE, THUS IT IS A CONSCIOUS ACT DONE BY THE AO. A PERUSAL OF THE PROVISIONS OF SEC.271(1)(C) OF THE A CT SHOWS THAT THE WORDS USED ARE SATISFACTION OF THE AO. ADMITTEDLY, THE A O HAS DROPPED THE PENALTY PROCEEDINGS AFTER CONSIDERING THE REPLY OF THE ASSESSEE AND IT SHOWED THAT THE AO WAS NOT SATISFIED TO PROCEED WIT H THE PENALTY PROCEEDINGS MORE SO, THE AO WAS NOT SATISFIED THAT THERE WAS A CONCEALMENT OF INCOME OR FURNISHING OF INACCURATE P ARTICULARS BY THE ASSESSEE. NOW, LD.CIT HAS INVOKED POWERS U/S.263 T O DIRECT THE AO TO ITA NO.1101/MDS/2017 :- 4 -: INITIATE THE PENALTY PROCEEDINGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW. THE AO HAVING ONCE RECORDED HIS SATISFACTION IN RESPECT OF THE ADDITIONS AND HAVING DROPPED THE PENALTY PROCEEDINGS, IT WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE CHANGE OF OPINION FOR THE LD.CIT TO DIRECT THE AO TO DRAW SATISFACTION AGAIN. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE FIND NO ERROR IN THE ORDER OF THE AO MUCH LESS ERROR WHICH HAS CAUSED PREJUDICE TO THE REVENUE FOR THE PURPOSE OF INVOKING THE PROVISIONS OF SEC.263 OF THE ACT. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE ARE OF THE VIEW THAT THE ORDER PASSED U/S.263 IS UN SUSTAINABLE AND CONSEQUENTLY QUASHED THE SAME. 6. IN THE RESULT, THE APPEAL FILED BY THE ASSESSEE STANDS ALLOWED. ORDER PRONOUNCED IN THE OPEN COURT ON SEPTEMBER 20 , 2017, AT CHENNAI. SD/- SD/- ( . ) ( ABRAHAM P GEORGE, ) /ACCOUNTANT MEMBER ( ' ) (GEORGE MATHAN) % /JUDICIAL MEMBER /CHENNAI, 2 /DATED: SEPTEMBER 20, 2017. TLN + )%34 54 /COPY TO: 1. ( /APPELLANT 4. 6 /CIT 2. )*( /RESPONDENT 5. 4 )%% /DR 3. 6 ( ) /CIT(A) 6. ' /GF