M/s Vaibhavlaxmi Financial Advisory Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata V. Commissioner of Income-tax-I, Kolkata, Kolkata

ITA 2592/KOL/2013

• Counselvise Citation: 259223514 RSA 2013
• Duration Of Justice: 1 year(s) 11 month(s) 20 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 03-11-2015
• Appeal Filed By: Assessee
• Bench Allotted: B
• Assessment Year: 2009-2010
• Appeal Filed On: 13-11-2013
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Department Lawyers: S SRIVASTAVA
• Assessee Lawyers: A K TIBREWAL
• Keywords: Period of limitation; Block assessment; Time period of passing order
• Section: 143(3); 133(6); 147; 68; 148; 2

Judgement Text

1 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL KOLKATA BENCHES : D : KOLKATA BEFORE SHRI R.S. SYAL, AM & SHRI N.V. VASUDEVAN, JM ITA NO.2592/KOL/201 3 ASSESSMENT YEAR 2009-1 0 M/S. VAIBHAVLAXMI FINANCIAL ADVISORY PVT.LTD., 29A, RABINDRA SARANI, 4 TH FLOOR, KOLKATA-700073. PAN : AACCV 7938 B VS. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX, KOLKATA-I, AAYAKARBHAWAN, P-7, CHOWRINGHEE SQUARE, KOLKATA 700 069. ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 ASSESSMENT YEAR 2009-1 0 RAJMANDIR ESTATES PVT. LTD., 229, A.J.C.BOSE ROAD, CRESCENT TOWER (9 TH FLOOR) KOLKATA-700020. PAN: AABCR 2422 H VS. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX, KOLKATA-III, AAYAKARBHAWAN, P-7, CHOWRINGHEE SQUARE, KOLKATA 700 069. (APPELLANTS) (RESPONDENTS) ASSESSEE BY : MR.AK.TIBREWAL, FCA DEPARTMENT BY : SHRI S.SRIVASTAVA, CIT, DR. DATE OF HEARING : 03.11.2015 DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT : 03 .11.2015 ORDER PER BENCH THROUGH THESE TWO APPEALS, DIFFERENT ASSESSES ASSA IL THE CORRECTNESS OF SEPARATE ORDERS PASSED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF I NCOME-TAX (CIT) U/S 2 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 263 OF THE INCOME-TAX ACT, 1961 (HEREINAFTER ALSO C ALLED THE ACT) IN RELATION TO THE CAPTIONED ASSESSMENT YEARS. SINCE T HESE APPEALS ARE BASED ON LARGELY SIMILAR FACTS AND COMMON GROUNDS OF APPE AL, WE ARE PROCEEDING TO DISPOSE THEM OFF BY THIS CONSOLIDATED ORDER FOR THE SAKE OF CONVENIENCE. 2. BRIEFLY STATED THE FACTS OF ALL THE CASES IN THIS BATCH ARE SIMILAR INASMUCH AS RETURNS WERE FILED BY SUCH COMPANIES WI TH MEAGRE INCOME; INTIMATIONS WERE ISSUED U/S 143(1); THEREAFTER NOTI CES U/S 148 WERE ISSUED EITHER AT THE INSTANCE OF SUCH COMPANIES DIV ULGING A PALTRY ESCAPEMENT OF INCOME OR OTHERWISE ; ASSESSMENT ORD ERS WERE PASSED U/S 143(3) READ WITH SECTION 147 AFTER MAKING NOMINAL A DDITIONS AND THE AOS, DURING THE COURSE OF SUCH ASSESSMENT PROCEEDIN GS, MADE SOME FORMAL ENQUIRIES ABOUT SHARES ISSUED BY SUCH COMPAN IES AT HUGE PREMIUM BY ISSUING NOTICES U/S 133(6) TO SOME OF TH E SHAREHOLDERS AND GETTING SATISFIED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INVESTIGATION . THE JURISDICTIONAL CITS HAVE PASSED ORDERS U/S 263 IN ALL SUCH CASES, WHICH HAVE BEEN ASSAILED BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL. 3 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 3. WE HAVE HEARD THE RIVAL SUBMISSIONS AND PERUSED THE RELEVANT MATERIAL ON RECORD. IT IS RELEVANT TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE DISPOSED OF MORE THAN 500 CASES INVOLVING SAME ISSUE THROUGH CE RTAIN ORDERS WITH THE MAIN ORDER HAVING BEEN PASSED IN A GROUP OF CAS ES LED BY SUBHLAKSHMI VANIJYA PVT. LTD. VS. CIT (ITA NO.1104 /KOL/2014) DATED 30.7.2015 FOR THE A.Y. 2009-10. 4. BOTH THE SIDES HAVE FAIRLY ADMITTED THAT FACT S AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASES UNDER CONSIDERATION ARE MUTATIS MUTANDIS SIMILAR TO THOSE DECIDED EARLIER, EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN ISSUES WHICH WE WILL ADVERT TO A LITTLE LATER. IN OUR AFORESAID ORDER IN SUBHLAKSHMI VANIJY A PVT. LTD., VS. CIT (ITA NO. 1104/KOL/2014 A.Y. 2009-10), WE HAVE DRAWN THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS: - A. CONTENTION OF THE ASSESSEE THAT SINCE THE AO OF TH E ASSESSEE- COMPANY WAS NOT EMPOWERED TO EXAMINE OR MAKE ANY AD DITION ON ACCOUNT OF RECEIPT OF SHARE CAPITAL WITH OR WITHOUT PREMIUM BEFORE AMENDMENT TO SECTION 68 BY THE FINANCE ACT, 2012 W. E.F. A.Y. 2013-14 AND HENCE THE CIT BY MEANS OF IMPUGNED ORDE R U/S 263 COULD NOT HAVE DIRECTED THE AO TO DO SO, IS UNSUSTA INABLE. B. FAILURE OF THE AO TO GIVE A LOGICAL CONCLUSION TO THE ENQUIRY CONDUCTED BY HIM GIVES POWER TO THE CIT TO REVISE S UCH ASSESSMENT ORDER, BY HOLDING THAT :- 4 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 I) THE ENQUIRY CONDUCTED BY THE AO IN SUCH CASES CA NT BE CONSTRUED AS A PROPER ENQUIRY; II) CIT U/S 263 CAN SET ASIDE THE ASSESSMENT ORDER AND DIRECT THE AO TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH ENQUIRY, NOTWITHSTANDI NG THE JURISDICTION OF THE AO IN MAKING ENQUIRIES ON THE I SSUES OR MATTERS AS HE CONSIDERS FIT IN TERMS OF SECTION 142 (1) AND 143(2) OF THE ACT, WHICH IS RELEVANT ONLY UP TO THE COMPLETION OF ASSESSMENT ; III) INADEQUATE INQUIRY CONDUCTED BY THE AO IN THE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES IS AS GOOD AS NO ENQUIRY AND AS SUCH, THE CIT WAS EMPOWERED TO REVISE THE ASSESSMENT ORDER ; IV) THE ORDER OF THE CIT IS NOT BASED ON IRRELEVANT CONSIDERATIONS AND FURTHER IN THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTA NCES, HE WAS NOT OBLIGED TO POSITIVELY INDICATE THE DEFICIEN CIES IN THE ASSESSMENT ORDER ON MERITS ON THE QUESTION OF ISSUE OF SHARE CAPITAL AT A HUGE PREMIUM ; AND V) THE AO IN THE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES CANT BE SAID TO HAVE TAKEN A POSSIBLE VIEW AS THE REVISION IS SOUGHT TO BE DONE ON THE PREMISE THAT THE AO DID NOT MAKE ENQUIRY THEREB Y RENDERING THE ASSESSMENT ORDER ERRONEOUS AND PREJUD ICIAL TO THE INTEREST OF THE REVENUE ON THAT SCORE ITSELF. C. IN THE GIVEN FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF ALL SUCH CASES, THE NOTICES U/S 263 WERE PROPERLY SERVED THROUGH AFFIX TURE OR OTHERWISE. FURTHER THE LAW DOES NOT REQUIRE THE SER VICE OF NOTICE U/S 263 STRICTLY AS PER THE TERMS OF SECTION 282 OF THE ACT. THE ONLY REQUIREMENT ENSHRINED IN THE PROVISION IS TO GIVE A N OPPORTUNITY OF HEARING TO THE ASSESSEE, WHICH HAS BEEN COMPLIED WI TH IN ALL SUCH CASES. D. LIMITATION PERIOD FOR PASSING ORDER IS TO BE COUNT ED FROM THE DATE OF PASSING THE ORDER U/S 147 READ WITH SEC. 14 3(3) AND NOT THE DATE OF INTIMATION ISSUED U/S 143(1) OF THE ACT, WH ICH IS NOT AN 5 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 ORDER FOR THE PURPOSES OF SECTION 263. IN ALL THE CASES, THE ORDERS HAVE BEEN PASSED WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT. E. THE CIT HAVING JURISDICTION OVER THE AO WHO PASSED ORDER U/S 147 READ WITH SECTION 143(3), HAS THE TERRITORIAL J URISDICTION TO PASS THE ORDER U/S 263 ANDNOT OTHER CIT. F. ADDITION IN THE HANDS OF A COMPANY CAN BE MADE U/S 68 IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF INCORPORATION. G. AFTER AMALGAMATION, NO ORDER CAN BE PASSED U/S 263 IN THE NAME OF THE AMALGAMATING COMPANY. BUT, WHERE THE INTENTI ON OF THE ASSESSEE IS TO DEFRAUD THE REVENUE BY EITHER FILING RETURNS, AFTER AMALGAMATION, IN THE OLD NAME OR OTHERWISE, THEN TH E ORDER PASSED IN THE OLD NAME IS VALID. H. ORDER PASSED U/S 263 ON A NON-WORKING DAY DOES NOT BECOME INVALID, WHEN THE PROCEEDINGS INVOLVING THE PARTICI PATION OF THE ASSESSEE WERE COMPLETED ON AN EARLIER WORKING DAY. I. ORDER U/S 263 CANNOT BE DECLARED AS A NULLITY FOR THE NOTICE HAVING NOT BEEN SIGNED BY THE CIT, WHEN OPPORTUNITY OF HEARING WAS OTHERWISE GIVEN BY THE CIT. J. REFUSAL BY THE REVENUE TO ACCEPT THE WRITTEN SUBMIS SIONS OF THE ASSESSEE SENT AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF HEARING CANNO T RENDER THE ORDER VOID AB INITIO . AT ANY RATE, IT IS AN IRREGULARITY. K. SEARCH PROCEEDINGS DO NOT DEBAR THE CIT FROM REVI SING ORDER U/S PASSED U/S 147 OF THE ACT. 5. IT IS NOTICED THAT ALL OR SOME OF THE ABOVE CO NCLUSIONS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE APPEALS IN THIS BATCH. 6. THE LD. AR RAISED FRESH TWIN OBJECTIONS ON THE APPLICABILITY OF SECTION 68 OF THE ACT. HIS FIRST OBJECTION WAS THAT SECTION 68 CAN BE TAKEN 6 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 RECOURSE TO BY THE AO ALONE AND THE LD. CIT WAS NOT JUSTIFIED IN INVOKING IT IN THE REVISION PROCEEDINGS. WE DO NOT FIND ANY SUBSTANCE IN THE ARGUMENT. THE OBVIOUS REASON IS THAT THE LD. CIT, W HILE REVISING THE ASSESSMENT ORDER NOTICED THAT THE AO HAD NOT CONSID ERED THE ISSUE CORRECTLY IN THE CONTEXT OF SECTION 68, WHICH HE OU GHT TO HAVE. IT IS BUT NATURAL FOR CIT TO RESORT TO REVISION OF THE ASSESS MENT ORDER, IF ANY OF THE RELEVANT ISSUES OF THE ASSESSMENT ARE NOT PROPERLY CONSIDERED BY THE AO, WHICH MANIFESTLY INCLUDE THE CORRECT APPLICATION OF SECTION 68. THE LD. CIT IN THE INSTANT CASE HAS RIGHTLY NOTICED THIS AS PECT OF THE MATTER, WHICH FALLS WITHIN HIS DOMAIN IN REVISION PROCEEDIN GS. ARGUING THAT THE CIT IN REVISION PROCEEDINGS U/S 263 CANNOT EXAMINE THE CORRECTNESS OF THE ACTION OF THE AO IN APPLYING SECTION 68, AMOUNT S TO DENYING THE AUTHORITY FROM DISCHARGING HIS STATUTORY OBLIGATION , WHICH HE IS LAWFULLY BOUND TO DO. IT IS FURTHER RELEVANT TO NOTE THAT TH E LD. CIT HAS NOT APPLIED SECTION 68 BY MAKING AN ADDITION. HE SIMPLY SET ASI DE THE ASSESSMENT ORDER AND DIRECTED THE AO TO CONSIDER THE APPLICABI LITY OF THIS SECTION IN CORRECT PERSPECTIVE. THIS OBJECTION, THEREFORE, FAI LS. 7 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 7. THE SECOND OBJECTION OF THE LD. AR WAS THAT THE PROVISO TO SECTION 68 CANNOT BE CONSIDERED AS RETROSPECTIVE IN VIEW OF SEVERAL JUDGMENTS INCLUDING CIT VS. VATIKA TOWNSHIP P. LTD. (2014) 367 ITR 466 (SC), IN WHICH THE LEVY OF SURCHARGE ON INCOME TAX IN CASE O F BLOCK ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN HELD AS PROSPECTIVE. WE DO NOT FIND ANY SU BSTANCE IN THE ARGUMENT FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST REASON IS THAT THIS JUDGMENT DOES NOT DEAL WITH PROVISO TO SECTION 68 BUT WITH THE LEVY O F SURCHARGE ON INCOME TAX IN CASE OF BLOCK ASSESSMENT. THERE IS A LOT OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO PROVISIONS. THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL UNIMPEACHED R ULE THAT NO AMENDMENT CAN BE CONSTRUED AS RETROSPECTIVE. IT DEP ENDS UPON THE NATURE OF PROVISION AND THE AMENDMENT AS TO WHETHER IT IS RETROSPECTIVE OR PROSPECTIVE. THE SECOND REASON FOR OUR NOT SOUNDING A CONCURRING NOTE TO THE ARGUMENT OF THE LD. AR IS THAT THIS ISSUE HA S ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED THREADBARE IN OUR ORDER IN SUBHLAKSHMI VANIJYA PVT. LTD. (SUPRA). RELEVANT DISCUSSION HAS BEEN MADE IN PARAS 13.U. T O 13.AE. AFTER MAKING AN ELABORATE ANALYSIS OF THE NATURE OF AMENDMENT, MEMORANDUM EXPLAINING THE PROVISIONS OF THE FINANCE BILL, 2012, AND 8 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 LEGAL POSITION AS EMANATING FROM VARIOUS JUDGMENTS FROM THE HONBLE SUMMIT COURT GOVERNING THE RETROSPECTIVE OR PROSPEC TIVE EFFECT OF AN AMENDMENT, IT HAS BEEN HELD THAT INSERTION OF PROVI SO TO SECTION 68 IS RETROSPECTIVE. AS SUCH, THIS ARGUMENT, BEING DEVOID OF ANY MERIT, DESERVES TO MEET THE FATE OF DISMISSAL. WE ORDER AC CORDINGLY. 8. IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING DISCUSSION AND FOLL OWING THE VIEW TAKEN IN SUBHLAKSHMI VANIJYA PVT. LTD. (SUPRA) , WE UPHOLD ALL THE IMPUGNED ORDERS. 9. IN THE RESULT, ALL THE APPEALS ARE DISMISSE D. THE ORDER PRONOUNCED IN THE OPEN COURT ON 03.11.20 15. SD/- SD/- [N.V. VASUDEVAN] [R.S. SYAL] JUDICIAL MEMBER ACCOUNTANT MEMBER DATED, 3 RD NOVEMBER, 2015. RG 9 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 COPY FORWARDED TO: APPELLANT RESPONDENT CIT CIT (A) DR, ITAT AR, ITAT, KOLKATA. 10 ITA NO.2592/KOL/2013 & ITA NO.882/KOL/2013 *