DCIT,Circle-9, Kolkata, Kolkata V. M/s. Inter Veritas (P)Ltd, Kolkata

ITA 1147/KOL/2012

• Counselvise Citation: [2016] 133 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 5162 (ITAT-KOLKATA)
• Duration Of Justice: 3 year(s) 5 month(s) 8 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 18-01-2016
• Appeal Filed By: Department
• Bench Allotted: C
• Assessment Year: 2008-2009
• Appeal Filed On: 09-08-2012
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Keywords: Audit objection; Tax effect
• Section: 147

Judgement Text

IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL C BENCH: KOL KATA [BEFORE SHRI MAHAVIR SINGH, JM & SHRI WASEEM AHMED , AM] ITA NO. &A.Y. (1) REVENUE/REP. BY (2) V S 3 ASSESSEE/PAN/REP. BY (4) QUANTUM INVOLVED (5) TAX EFFECT INVOLVED (6) 1147/KOL/2012 AY. 2008-09 DCIT, CIR-9, KOLKATA REP. BY SHRI SUDIPTO GUHA, JCIT M/S. INTER VERITAS PVT. LTD. AAACI5622D, REP. BY NONE 42/1, STRAND ROAD, TAPARIAH HOUSE, KOLKATA-700007. RS.1870122 RS.635841 758/KOL/2013 AY. 2009-10 ACIT, CIR-53, KOLKATA REP. BY SHRI SUDIPTO GUHA, JCIT M/S. JATINDRA NATH RAKSHIT JEWELLERS, AAEFJ2372E, REP. BY MS. VARSHA JALAN, ADVOCATE, B- 174, GARDEN REACH ROAD, KOLKATA- 700024. RS.2429770 RS.750798 DATE OF HEARING: 18.01.2016 DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT: 18.01.2016 ORDER PER BENCH THESE APPEALS OF THE REVENUE ARISE OUT OF THE VARIO US ORDERS OF THE LEARNED CIT(A) AGAINST THE ORDERS OF ASSESSMENT FRAMED U/S 147 / 1 43(3) / 144 OF THE INCOME TAX ACT, 1961 (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE ACT). 2. AT THE OUTSET, IT IS SEEN THAT THE TAX EFFECT O N THE DISPUTED ADDITIONS BEFORE US IS LESS THAN RS. 10 LACS. AS THE TAX EFFECT IN ALL THESE APPEALS ARE LESS THAN RS 10 LACS (AS MENTIONED IN COLUMN NO. 6), THESE APPEALS ARE TAKEN UP TOGETHER AND DISPOSED OFF BY THIS COMMON ORDER FOR THE SAKE OF CONVENIENCE. 3. AFTER PERUSING THE MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON RECOR D, IN ALL THESE APPEALS, IT IS SEEN FROM THE RECORDS THAT THE TOTAL TAX EFFECT IN EACH OF THE AP PEALS, ON THE ADDITIONS DISPUTED BEFORE US IS BELOW THE TAX EFFECT LIMIT PRESCRIBED BY CBDT VIDE CIRCULAR NO. 21 / 2015 DATED 10.12.2015 FOR PREFERRING APPEALS BEFORE TRIBUNAL BY THE REVENUE. IT WILL BE PERTINENT TO REPRODUCE THE RELEVANT PORTION OF THE SAID CIRCULAR NO. 21 / 2015 DATED 10 .12.2015:- 3. HENCEFORTH, APPEALS / SLPS SHALL NOT BE FILED I N CASES WHERE THE TAX EFFECT DOES NOT EXCEED THE MONETARY LIMITS GIVEN HEREUNDER:- S.NO. APPEALS IN INCOME TAX MATTERS MONETARY LIMIT (IN RS) 1 BEFORE APPELLATE TRIBUNAL 10,00,000/- 2 BEFORE HIGH COURT 20,00,000/- 3 BEFORE SUPREME COURT 25,00,000/- IT IS CLARIFIED THAT AN APPEAL SHOULD NOT BE FILED MERELY BECAUSE THE TAX EFFECT IN A CASE EXCEEDS THE MONETARY LIMITS PRESCRIBED ABOVE. FILING OF APPEAL IN SUCH CASES IS TO BE DECIDED ON MERITS OF THE CASE. 2 2 4. FOR THIS PURPOSE, TAX EFFECT MEANS THE DIFFERE NCE BETWEEN THE TAX ON THE TOTAL INCOME ASSESSED AND THE TAX THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGEABLE HAD SUC H TOTAL INCOME BEEN REDUCED BY THE AMOUNT OF INCOME IN RESPECT OF THE ISSUES AGAINST WHICH APPEA L IS INTENDED TO BE FILED (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS DISPUTED ISSUES). HOWEVER, THE TAX WILL NOT INCLUDE ANY INTEREST THEREON, EXCEPT WHERE CHARGEABILITY OF INTEREST ITSELF IS IN DISPUTE. IN CASE THE CHARGEABILITY OF INTEREST IS THE ISSUE UN DER DISPUTE, THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST SHALL BE THE TAX EF FECT. IN CASES WHERE RETURNED LOSS IS REDUCED OR ASSESSED AS INCOME, THE TAX EFFECT WOULD INCLUDE NO TIONAL TAX ON DISPUTED ADDITIONS. IN CASE OF PENALTY ORDERS, THE TAX EFFECT WILL MEAN QUANTUM O F PENALTY DELETED OR REDUCED IN THE ORDER TO BE APPEALED AGAINST. 5. THE ASSESSING OFFICER SHALL CALCULATE THE TAX EF FECT SEPARATELY FOR EVERY ASSESSMENT YEAR IN RESPECT OF THE DISPUTED ISSUES IN THE CASE OF EVERY ASSESSEE. IF, IN THE CASE OF AN ASSESSEE, THE DISPUTED ISSUES ARISE IN MORE THAN ONE ASSESSMENT Y EAR , APPEAL, CAN BE FILED IN RESPECT OF SUCH ASSESSMENT YEAR OR YEARS IN WHICH THE TAX EFFECT IN RESPECT OF THE DISPUTED ISSUES EXCEEDS THE MONETARY LIMIT SPECIFIED IN PARA 3. NO APPEAL SHA LL BE FILED IN RESPECT OF AN ASSESSMENT YEAR OR YEARS IN WHICH THE TAX EFFECT IS LESS THAN THE MONE TARY LIMIT SPECIFIED IN PARA 3. IN OTHER WORDS, HENCEFORTH, APPEALS CAN BE FILED ONLY WITH REFERENC E TO THE TAX EFFECT IN THE RELEVANT ASSESSMENT YEAR. HOWEVER, IN CASE OF A COMPOSITE ORDER OF AN Y HIGH COURT OR APPELLATE AUTHORITY, WHICH INVOLVES MORE THAN ONE ASSESSMENT YEAR AND COMMON I SSUES IN MORE THAN ONE ASSESSMENT YEAR, APPEAL SHALL BE FILED IN RESPECT OF ALL SUCH ASSESS MENT YEARS EVEN IF THE TAX EFFECT IS LESS THAN TH E PRESCRIBED MONETARY LIMITS IN ANY OF THE YEAR(S), I F IT IS DECIDED TO FILE APPEAL IN RESPECT OF THE YEAR(S) IN WHICH TAX EFFECT EXCEEDS THE MONETARY LIMIT PRESCRIBED. IN CASE WHERE A COMPOSITE ORDER / JUDGEMENT INVOLVES MORE THAN ONE ASSESSEE, EACH ASSESSEE SHALL BE DEALT WITH SEPARATELY. 8. ADVERSE JUDGEMENTS RELATING TO THE FOLLOWING ISS UES SHOULD BE CONTESTED ON MERITS NOTWITHSTANDING THAT THE TAX EFFECT ENTAILED IS LES S THAN THE MONETARY LIMITS SPECIFIED IN PARA 3 ABOVE OR THERE IS NO TAX EFFECT: (A) WHERE THE CONSTITUTIONAL VALIDITY OF THE PROVISIONS OF AN ACT OR RULE ARE UNDER CHALLENGE, OR (B) WHERE BOARDS ORDER, NOTIFICATION, INSTRUCTION OR C IRCULAR HAS BEEN HELD TO BE ILLEGAL OR ULTRA VIRES, OR (C) WHERE REVENUE AUDIT OBJECTION IN THE CASE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT, OR (D) WHERE THE ADDITION RELATES TO UNDISCLOSED FOREIGN A SSETS / BANK ACCOUNTS. 10. THIS INSTRUCTION WILL APPLY RETROSPECTIVELY TO PENDING APPEALS AND APPEALS TO BE FILED HENCEFORTH IN HIGH COURTS/ TRIBUNALS. PENDING APPE ALS BELOW THE SPECIFIED TAX LIMITS IN PARA 3 ABOVE MAY BE WITHDRAWN / NOT PRESSED. APPEALS BEFO RE THE SUPREME COURT WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT, OPERATIVE AT THE TIME WHEN SUCH APPEAL WAS FILED. 4. WE FIND THAT INTENTION BEHIND THE CIRCULAR NO.21 /2015 DATED 10-12-2015 NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD IN THE FOLLOWING PERSPECTIVE:- BY PASSAGE OF TIME, THE MONEY VALUE HAS GONE DOWN, THE COST OF LITIGATION EXPENSES HAS GONE UP, NUMBER OF ASSESSES ON THE FILES OF THE DE PARTMENT HAVE BEEN INCREASED AND CONSEQUENTLY, THE BURDEN ON THE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO INCREASED TO A TREMENDOUS EXTENT. THE CORRIDORS OF THE SUPERIOR COURTS ARE CHOKED WITH HU GE PENDENCY OF CASES. IN THIS VIEW OF THE MATTER, THE CBDT HAS RIGHTLY TAKEN A DECISIO N TO REVISE THE MONETARY LIMITS IN TUNE WITH THE PRESENT VALUE OF MONEY AND WITH A VIEW TO REDUCE THE LITIGATION AND OFFERING RELIEF TO SMALL TAX PAYERS. THIS IS ALSO IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT TIME AND ENERGY OF THE 3 3 DEPARTMENT COULD BE USED MORE PRODUCTIVELY AND EFFI CIENTLY TO CATCH HOLD OF BIG FISHES, WHO IN TURN WOULD CONTRIBUTE MORE TO THE DEVELOPMEN T OF THE COUNTRY. 5. ON PERUSAL OF THE CIRCULAR NO. 21 / 2015 DATED 1 0.12.2015 AND THE MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON RECORD, WE COULD NOT SEE WHETHER THE IMPUGNED CASE FALLS UNDER ANY OF THE EXCEPTIONS CONTEMPLATED IN THE SAID CIRCULAR. WE ALSO FIND TH AT THE CIRCULAR MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE REVISED MONETARY LIMITS SHALL APPLY RETROSPECTIVELY TO PENDING APPEALS ALSO. WE FIND THAT THE CIRCULAR IS BINDING ON THE TAX AUTHORITIES. THIS PO SITION HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE HONBLE APEX COURT IN THE CASE OF COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS VS IND IAN OIL CORPORATION LTD REPORTED IN 267 ITR 272 (SC) WHEREIN THEIR LORDSHIPS EXAMINED THE EARLIER DECIS IONS OF THE APEX COURT WITH REGARD TO BINDING NATURE OF THE CIRCULARS AND LAID DOWN THAT WHEN A CIRCULAR ISSUED BY THE BOARD REMAINS IN OPERATION THEN THE REVENUE IS BOUND BY I T AND CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO PLEAD THAT IT IS NOT VALID OR THAT IT IS CONTRARY TO THE TERMS OF THE ST ATUTE. HENCE, WE HOLD THAT THE APPEAL(S) OF THE REVENUE DESERVE TO BE DISMISSED IN TERMS OF LOW TAX EFFECT VIDE CIRCULAR NO.21 / 2015 DATED 10.12.2015. ACCORDINGLY, THESE BEING A LOW TAX EFF ECT CASE, WE DISMISS ALL THE APPEALS OF REVENUE IN LIMINE, AS UNADMITTED, WITHOUT GOING INT O THE MERITS OF THE CASE. 6. IN THE RESULT, ALL THE APPEALS OF THE REVENUE AR E DISMISSED INLIMINE. ORDER PRONOUNCED IN THE OPEN COURT. SD/- SD/- (WASEEM AHMED) (MAHAVIR SINGH) ACCOUNTANT MEMBER JUDICIAL MEMBER DATED : 18 TH JANUARY, 2016 JD. SR. P.S COPY OF THE ORDER FORWARDED TO: 1. APPELLANT 2. RESPONDENT 3. CIT(A) , KOLKATA 4. CIT , KOLKATA 5. DR, KOLKATA BENCHES, KOLKATA / TRUE COPY, BY ORDER, ASSTT. REGISTRAR .