MOTILAL P. JAIN, MUMBAI V. ITO 19(2)(3), MUMBAI

ITA 4293/MUM/2018

• Counselvise Citation: [2019] 115 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 8729 (ITAT-MUMBAI)
• Duration Of Justice: 1 year(s) 2 month(s) 19 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 11-09-2019
• Appeal Filed By: Assessee
• Order Result: Partly Allowed
• Bench Allotted: SMC
• Assessment Year: 2011-2012
• Appeal Filed On: 22-06-2018
• Result in Favour of: Partly Allowed
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Department Lawyers: CHAITANYA ANJARIA
• Assessee Lawyers: SANJAY KAPADIA
• Keywords: Bogus purchase; Opportunity of being heard; Set aside
• Section: 201

Judgement Text

T HE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL SMC BENCH, MUMBAI BEFORE SHRI SHAMIM YAHYA ( A M) I.T.A. NO. 4293 /MUM/ 201 8 (ASSESSMENT YEAR 20 11 - 1 2 ) SHRI MOTILAL P. JAIN SHOP NO. 6, GROUND FLOOR 192, 9 TH KHETWADI LANE MUMBAI - 400 004. PAN : AAAPJ8785H V S . ITO - 1 9(2)(3) ROOM NO. 219 2 ND FLOOR MATARU MANDIR GRANT ROAD MUMBAI - 400 007. ( APPELLANT ) ( RESPONDENT ) ASSESSEE BY SHRI SANJAY KAPADIA DEPARTMENT BY SHRI CHAITANYA ANJARIA DATE OF HEARING 9 .7 . 201 9 DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT 11.9 . 201 9 O R D E R THIS IS AN APPEAL BY THE ASSESSEE WHEREIN THE ASSESSEE IS AGGRIEVED THAT THE LEARNED CIT - A HAS ERRED IN SUSTAINING 12.5% DISALLOWANCE ON ACCOUNT OF BOGUS PURCHASES, VIDE ORDER DATED 23.3. 2018 PERTAINING TO ASSESSMENT YEAR 20 11 - 1 2 . 2. BRIEF FACTS OF THE CASE ARE THAT THE ASSESSEE IN THIS CASE IS ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF TRADING IN FERROUS AND NON - FERROUS METAL . THE ASSESSMENT IN THIS CASE WAS REOPENED UPON RECEIPT OF INFORMATION FROM THE SALES TAX DEPARTMENT THAT ASSESSEE HAS MADE BOGUS PURCHASES. THE A SSESSEE SUBMITTED THE PURCHASE VOUCHERS AND THE PAYMENTS WERE MADE THROUGH BANKING CHANNEL. HOWEVER THE SUPPLIERS WERE NOT PRODUCED BEFORE THE ASSESSING OFFICER. SALES IN THIS CASE WERE NOT DOUBTED. 3. THE INCOME TAX OFFICER IN THIS CASE HAS MADE 12.5% A DDITION ON ACCOUNT OF BOGUS PURCHASES RESULTING IN DISALLOWANCE OF RS. 9,73,587 / - . UPON ASSESSEES APPEAL LEARNED CIT(A) CONFIRMED THE SAME. SHRI MOTILAL P. JAIN 2 4. AGAINST THE ABOVE ORDER ASSESSEE IS IN APPEAL BEFORE THE ITAT. I HAVE HEARD LEARNED DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATIVE AND PERUSED RECORDS. NONE APPEARED ON BEHALF OF THE ASSESSEE DESPITE NOTICE. 5. UPON CAREFUL CONSIDERATION , I FIND THAT ASSESSEE HAS PROVIDED THE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE FOR THE PURCHASE. ADVERSE INFERENCE HAS BEEN DRAWN DUE TO THE INABILITY OF THE ASSESS EE TO PRODUCE THE SUPPLIERS. I FIND THAT IN THIS CASE THE SALES HAVE NOT BEEN DOUBTED. IT IS SETTLED LAW THAT WHEN SALES ARE NOT DOUBTED, HUNDRED PERCENT DISALLOWANCE FOR BOGUS PURCHASE CANNOT BE DONE. THE RATIONALE BEING NO SALES IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT ACTUA L PURCHASES. THIS PROPOSITION IS SUPPORTED FROM HONOURABLE JURISDICTIONAL HIGH COURT DECISION IN THE CASE OF NIKUNJ EXIMP ENTERPRISES (IN WRIT PETITION NO 2860, ORDER DT. 18.6.2014). IN THIS CASE THE HONOURABLE HIGH COURT HAS UPHELD HUNDRED PERCENT ALLOWAN CE FOR THE PURCHASES SAID TO BE BOGUS WHEN SALES ARE NOT DOUBTED. HOWEVER IN THAT CASE ALL THE SUPPLIES WERE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCY. 6. IN THE PRESENT CASE THE FACTS OF THE CASE INDICATE THAT ASSESSEE HAS MADE PURCHASE FROM THE GREY MARKET. MAKING PURCHAS ES THROUGH THE GREY MARKET GIVES THE ASSESSEE SAVINGS ON ACCOUNT OF NON - PAYMENT OF TAX AND OTHERS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE EXCHEQUER. AS REGARDS THE QUANTIFICATION OF THE PROFIT ELEMENT EMBEDDED IN MAKING OF SUCH BOGUS/UNSUBSTANTIATED PURCHASES BY THE ASSESSE E, I FIND THAT AS HELD BY HONOURABLE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY IN ITS RECENT JUDGEMENT IN THE CASE OF PRINCIPLE COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX VERSUS M HAJI ADAM & CO (ITA NUMBER 1004 OF 2016 DATED 11/2/2019 IN PARAGRAPH 8 THERE OFF) ,THE ADDITION IN RESPECT OF BOG US PURCHASES IS TO BE LIMITED TO THE EXTENT OF BRINGING THE GROSS PROFIT RATE ON SUCH PURCHASES AT THE SAME RATE AS OF OTHER GENUINE PURCHASES. 7. I RESPECTFULLY FOLLOWING THE AFORESAID JUDGEMENT OF THE HONOURABLE HIGH COURT SET ASIDE THE MATTER TO THE FI LE OF THE ASSESSING OFFICER WITH THE DIRECTION TO RESTRICT THE ADDITION AS REGARDS THE BOGUS PURCHASES BY BRINGING THE GROSS PROFIT RATE ON SUCH BOGUS PURCHASES AT THE SAME RATE AS THAT OF THE OTHER SHRI MOTILAL P. JAIN 3 GENUINE PURCHASES. NEEDLESS TO ADD THE ASSESSEE SHOULD BE GRANTED ADEQUATE OPPORTUNITY OF BEING HEARD . LEARNED COUNSEL OF THE ASSESSEE FAIRLY AGREED TO THE ABOVE PROPOSITION. 8. IN THE RESULT ASSESSEE'S APPEAL IS PARTLY ALLOWED. ORDER HAS BE EN PRONOUNCED IN THE COURT ON 11.9 . 201 9 . SD/ - (S H A MIM YAHYA ) ACCOUNTANT MEMBER MUMBAI ; DATED : 11 / 9 / 20 1 9 COPY OF THE ORDER FORWARDED TO : 1. THE APPELLANT 2. THE RESPONDENT 3. THE CIT(A) 4. CIT 5. DR, ITAT, MUMB AI 6. GUARD FILE. BY ORDER, //TRUE COPY// ( ASSISTANT REGISTRAR ) PS ITAT, MUMBAI