ADIT, Dehradun V. M/s. Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. as representative assessee of M/s. Fugro Robertson Ltd., UK, Dehradun

ITA 304/DEL/2012

• Counselvise Citation: [2016] 132 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 7630 (ITAT-DELHI)
• Duration Of Justice: 4 year(s) 3 month(s) 28 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 16-05-2016
• Appeal Filed By: Department
• Order Result: Dismissed
• Bench Allotted: E
• Next Hearing Date: 16-05-2016
• Assessment Year: 2007-2008
• Appeal Filed On: 19-01-2012
• Result in Favour of: Assessee
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Department Lawyers: P DAM KANUNJNA
• Keywords: Retrospective amendment; Tax effect
• Section: 12A

Judgement Text

IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL DELHI BENCH E , NEW DELHI BEFORE SH. N. K. SAINI, AM AND SH. KULDIP SINGH , JM ITA NO. 304/DEL/2012 : ASSTT. YEAR : 200 7 - 08 ASSTT. DIRECTOR OF INCOME T AX, INTERNATIONAL TAXATION, DEHRADUN VS OIL & NATURAL GAS CORPORATION LTD., AS REPRESENTATIVE ASSESSEE OF M/S FUGRO ROBETRTSON LTD., UK, ONGC LTD., CORPORATE TAX DIVISION, ROOM NO. 244, TEL BHAWAN, DEHRADUN (APPELLANT) (RESPONDENT) PAN NO. ASSESSEE BY : SH. GAURAV JAIN, ADV. REVENUE BY : SH. P. DAM KANUNJNA, SR. DR DATE OF HEARING : 16 .0 5 .201 6 DATE OF PRONOUNCE MENT : 16.05 .201 6 ORDER PER N. K. SAINI, AM : THIS IS AN APPEAL BY THE D EPARTMENT AGAINST THE ORDER DATED 01.11 .2011 OF LD. CIT(A) - I I , DEHRADUN . 2. DURING THE COURSE OF HEARING, THE LEARNED COUNSEL FOR THE ASSESSEE AT THE VERY OUTSET STATED THAT THE TAX EFFECT IN THIS APPEAL IS LESS THAN RS.10,00,000/ - , THEREFORE, THE DEPARTM ENT OUGHT NOT TO HAVE FILED THIS APPEAL IN VIEW OF THE CIRCULAR ISSUED BY THE CBDT AND THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN SECTION 268A OF THE INCOME TAX ACT, 1961 (HEREINAFTER TO BE REFERRED AS THE ACT). ITA NO . 304 /DE L/2012 OIL & GAS CORPORATION LTD. 2 3. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE LD. D.R., ALTHOUGH SUPPORTED THE ORDER OF THE ASSESSING OFFICER, BUT COULD NOT CONTROVERT THIS FACT THAT TAX EFFECT IN THIS APPEAL IS LESS THAN RS.10,00,000/ - . 4. AFTER CONSIDERING THE SUBMISSIONS OF BOTH THE PARTIES AND THE MATERIAL AVAILABLE ON RECORD, IT IS NOTICED THAT SECTION 268A HAS BEEN INSERTED BY THE FINANCE ACT, 2008 WITH RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT FROM 01/04/99. THE SAID SECTION 268 OF THE ACT PROVIDES THAT THE BOARD MAY ISSUE INSTRUCTION OR DIRECTIONS TO THE OTHER INCOME - TAX AUTHORITIES FIXING MONETARY LIMITS FOR NOT FILING THE AP PEALS BEFORE THE APPELLATE TRIBUNAL OR THE COURTS, SAID INSTRUCTIONS/DIRECTIONS ARE BINDING ON THE INCOME TAX AUTHORITIES. 5. IT IS NOTICED THAT THE CBDT HAS ISSUED CIRCULAR NO.21 OF 2015 DATED 10.12.2015, VIDE WHICH IT HAS REVISED THE MONETARY LIMIT TO R S.10,00,000/ - FOR NOT FILING THE APPEAL BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL. THE RELEVANT PORTION OF THE SAID CIRCULAR READS AS UNDER: .. ... 3. HENCEFORTH, APPEALS/ SLPS SHALL NOT BE FILED IN CASES WHERE THE TAX EFFECT DOES NOT EXCEED THE MONETARY LIMI TS GIVEN HEREUNDER: ITA NO . 304 /DE L/2012 OIL & GAS CORPORATION LTD. 3 S. NO APPEALS IN INCOME - TAX MATTER 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. 9. THE MONETARY LIMITS SPECIFIED IN PARA 3 ABOVE SHALL NOT APPLY TO WRIT MATTERS AND DIREC T TAX MATTERS OTHER THAN INCOME TAX. FILING OF APPEALS IN OTHER DIRECT TAX MATTERS SHALL CONTINUE TO BE GOVERNED BY RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF STATUTE & RULES. FURTHER, FILING OF APPEAL IN CASES OF INCOME TAX, WHERE THE TAX EFFECT IS NOT QUANTIFIABLE OR NOT IN VOLVED, SUCH AS THE CASE OF REGISTRATION OF TRUSTS OR INSTITUTIONS UNDER SECTION 12A OF THE IT ACT, 1961, SHALL NOT BE GOVERNED BY THE LIMITS SPECIFIED IN PARA 3 ABOVE AND DECISION TO FILE APPEAL IN SUCH CASES MAY BE TAKEN ON MERITS OF A PARTICULAR CASE. 10. THIS INSTRUCTION WILL APPLY RETROSPECTIVELY TO PENDING APPEALS AND APPEALS TO BE FILED HENCEFORTH IN HIGH COURTS/ TRIBUNALS. PENDING APPEALS BELOW THE SPECIFIED TAX LIMITS IN PARA 3 ABOVE MAY BE WITHDRAWN/ NOT PRESSED. APPEALS BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT, OPERATIVE AT THE TIME WHEN SUCH APPEAL WAS FILED. 6. FROM CLAUSE 10 OF THE ABOVE SAID CIRCULAR IT IS CLEAR THAT THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE PENDING APPEALS ITA NO . 304 /DE L/2012 OIL & GAS CORPORATION LTD. 4 ALSO AND AS PER CLAUSE 3, THE RE IS CLEAR CUT INSTRUCTION TO THE DEPARTMENT TO WITHDRAW OR NOT TO PRESS THE APPEALS FILED BEFORE THE ITAT WHEREIN TAX EFFE CT IS LESS THAN RS.10,00,000/ - . THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE OPERATIVE RETROSPECTIVELY TO THE PENDING APPEALS. 7. KEEPING IN VIEW THE CBD T CIRCULAR NO.21 OF 2015 DATED 10.12.2015 AND ALSO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 268A OF INCOME TAX ACT, 1961, WE ARE OF THE VIEW THAT THE REVENUE SHOULD NOT HAVE FILED THE INSTANT APPEAL BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL. 8. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, WITHOUT GOING INTO MERI TS OF THE CASE, WE DISMISS THE APPEAL FILED BY THE DEPARTMENT. 9 . IN THE RESULT, APPEAL OF THE DEPARTMENT IS DISMISSED. ( ORDER PRON OUNCED IN THE COURT ON 16/05 / 2016 ) SD/ - SD/ - ( KULDIP SINGH ) ( N. K. SAINI ) JUDICIAL MEMBER ACCOUNTANT MEMBER DATED: 16/05 /2016 *SUBODH* COPY FORWARDED TO: 1. APPELLANT 2. RESPONDENT 3. CIT 4. CIT(APPEALS) 5. DR: ITAT ASSISTANT REGISTRAR