Galaxy Engineers and Contractors, Visakhapatnam V. Income-Tax Officer, Ward-1(2), Visakhapatnam

ITA 190/VIZ/2021

• Counselvise Citation: [2022] 105 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 4362 (ITAT-VISAKHAPATNAM)
• Duration Of Justice: 6 month(s) 1 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 18-04-2022
• Appeal Filed By: Assessee
• Order Result: Allowed
• Bench Allotted: DB
• Assessment Year: 2019-2020
• Appeal Filed On: 17-10-2021
• Result in Favour of: Assessee
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Section: 43B

Judgement Text

आयकरअपीलीयअधिकरण, धिशाखापटणम पीठ, धिशाखापटणम IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL, VISAKHAPATNAM BENCH, VISAKHAPATNAM श्री द ु व्वूरु आर एल रेड्डी, न्याधयक सदस्य एिं श्री एस बालाकृ ष्णन, लेखा सदस्य के समक्ष BEFORE SHRI DUVVURU RL REDDY, HON’BLE JUDICIAL MEMBER & SHRI S BALAKRISHNAN, HON’BLE ACCOUNTANT MEMBER आयकर अपील सं./I.T.A.No.190/Viz/2021 (ननधधारण वर्ा / Assessment Year : 2019-20) Galaxy Engineers and Contractors 188/4B 2 Part, Industrial Area Lankelapalem, Paravada Visakhapatnam [PAN : AAKFG4880E] Vs. Income Tax Officer Ward-1(2) Visakhapatnam (अपीलार्थी/ Appellant) (प्रत्यर्थी/ Respondent) अपीलधथी की ओर से/ Appellant by : Shri I Kama Sastry, AR प्रत्यधथी की ओर से / Respondent by : Shri Karthik Manickam, DR सुनवधई की तधरीख / Date of Hearing : 12.04.2022 घोर्णध की तधरीख/Date of Pronouncement : 19.04.2022 आदेश /O R D E R Per Shri Duvvuru RL Reddy, Judicial Member : This appeal is filed by the assessee against the order of the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) [CIT(A)], National Faceless Appeal Centre (NFAC), Delhi in DIN & Order No.ITBA/NFAC/S/250/ 2021-22/1036290962(1) dated 11.10.2021 for the Assessment Year (A.Y.) 2019-20. 2 I.T.A. No.190/Viz/2021, A.Y.2019-20 Galaxy Engineers and Contractors, Visakhapatnam 2. The assessee has raised certain grounds however, the crux of the issue is that: “The Ld. CIT (A) has erred in confirming the disallowance of expenditure incurred towards payment made for employees’ contribution to PF & ESI though they were remitted in the Government Treasury within the due date of filing the income tax return.” 3. At the outset, we find the issue before us is settled by the Memorandum Explaining the Provisions in Finance Bill, 2021, wherein it is stated that amendment to section 36(1)(va) and section 43B of the Act will take effect from 01.04.2021. The relevant portion of the Memorandum is extracted herein below for reference. Rationalisation of various Provisions “Payment by employer of employee contribution to a fund on or before due date Clause (24) of section 2 of the Act provides an inclusive definition of the income. Sub-clause (x) to the said clause provide that income to include any sum received by the assessee from his employees as contribution to any provident fund or superannuation fund or any fund set up under the provisions of ESI Act or any other fund for the welfare of such employees. Section 36 of the Act pertains to the other deductions. Sub-section (1) of the said section provides for various deductions allowed while computing the income under the head ‘Profits and gains of business or profession’. Clause (va) of the said sub-section provides for deduction of any sum received by the assessee from any of his employees to which the provisions of sub-clause (x) of clause (24) of section 2 apply, if such sum is credited by the assessee to the employee's account in the relevant fund or funds on or before the due date. Explanation to the said clause provides that, for the purposes of this clause, "due date” to mean the date by which the assessee is required as an employer to credit 3 I.T.A. No.190/Viz/2021, A.Y.2019-20 Galaxy Engineers and Contractors, Visakhapatnam an employee's contribution to the employee's account in the relevant fund under any Act, rule, order or notification issued there-under or under any standing order, award, contract of service or otherwise. Section 43B specifies the list of deductions that are admissible under the Act only upon their actual payment. Employer's contribution is covered in clause (b) of section 43B. According to it, if any sum towards employer's contribution to any provident fund or superannuation fund or gratuity fund or any other fund for the welfare of the employees is actually paid by the assessee on or before the due date for furnishing the return of the income under sub-section (1) of section 139, assessee would be entitled to deduction under section 43B and such deduction would be admissible for the accounting year. This provision does not cover employee contribution referred to in clause (va) of sub-section (1) of section 36 of the Act. Though section 43B of the Act covers only employer‘s contribution and does not cover employee contribution, some courts have applied the provision of section 43B on employee contribution as well. There is a distinction between employer contribution and employee‘s contribution towards welfare fund. It may be noted that employee‘s contribution towards welfare funds is a mechanism to ensure the compliance by the employers of the labour welfare laws. Hence, it needs to be stressed that the employer‘s contribution towards welfare funds such as ESI and PF needs to be clearly distinguished from the employee‘s contribution towards welfare funds. Employee‘s contribution is employee’s own money and the employer deposits this contribution on behalf of the employee in fiduciary capacity. By late deposit of employee contribution, the employers get unjustly enriched by keeping the money belonging to the employees. Clause (va) of sub-section (1) of Section 36 of the Act was inserted to the Act vide Finance Act 1987 as a measures of penalizing employers who mis-utilize employee‘s contributions. Accordingly, in order to provide certainty, it is proposed to – (i) amend clause (va) of sub-section (1) of section 36 of the Act by inserting another explanation to the said clause to clarify that the provision of section 43B does not apply and deemed to never have been applied for the purposes of determining the due date under this clause; and (ii) amend section 43B of the Act by inserting Explanation 5 to the said section to clarify that the provisions of the said section do not apply and deemed to never have been applied to a sum received by the assessee from any of his employees to which provisions of sub-clause (x) of clause (24) of section 2 applies. These amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2021 and will accordingly apply to the assessment year 2021-22 and subsequent assessment years.” 4. In the case of the assessee it is not disputed that the amount of employees’ contribution was deducted by the assessee and remitted in 4 I.T.A. No.190/Viz/2021, A.Y.2019-20 Galaxy Engineers and Contractors, Visakhapatnam the Government Treasury within the due date of filing the return of income under the Income Tax Act, 1961. Since the case of the assessee relates to assessment year 2019-20 and the amendment though clarificatory in nature has come into effect from 01.04.2021, for the relevant year under consideration it would suffice that the employees’ contribution deducted by the assessee is remitted in the Government Treasury within the due date of filing of the return of income as prescribed under the Act. Therefore, the disallowance made by the Ld. Revenue Authorities is deserved to be deleted. Hence, we hereby direct the Ld. AO to delete the addition made in the hands of the assessee under appeal towards disallowance of payment made in regard to the employees’ contribution to PF & ESI fund. 5. In the result, all the appeal of the assessee is allowed. Order pronounced in the open court on 19 th April, 2022. Sd/- Sd/- (एस बालाकृ ष्णन) (द ु व्वूरु आर.एल रेड्डी) (S.BALAKRISHNAN) (DUVVURU RL REDDY) लेखा सदस्य/ACCOUNTANT MEMBER न्याधयक सदस्य/JUDICIAL MEMBER Dated : 19.04.2022 L.Rama, SPS 5 I.T.A. No.190/Viz/2021, A.Y.2019-20 Galaxy Engineers and Contractors, Visakhapatnam आदेश की प्रतितिति अग्रेतिि/Copy of the order forwarded to:- 1. ननधधाऩरती/ The Assessee– Galaxy Engineers and Contractors, 188/4B 2 Part, Industrial Area, Lankelapalem, Paravada, Visakhapatnam 2. रधजस्व/The Revenue – Income Tax Officer, Ward-1(2), Visakhapatnam 3. प्रधान आयकर आयुक्त / The Pr.Commissioner of Income-tax 4. आयकर आयुक्त / The Commissioner of Income Tax, National Faceless Appeal Centre (NFAC), Delhi. 5. नवभधगीय प्रनतनननध, आयकर अपीलीय अनधकरण, नवशधखधपटणम/ DR,ITAT, Visakhapatnam 6.गधर्ा फ़धईल / Guard file आदेशधनुसधर / BY ORDER Sr. Private Secretary ITAT, Visakhapatnam