Effluent & Water Treatment Engineers Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata V. ITO, Cir.11(1), Kolkata

ITA 70/KOL/2022

• Counselvise Citation: [2022] 105 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 5376 (ITAT-KOLKATA)
• Duration Of Justice: 1 month(s) 28 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 30-03-2022
• Appeal Filed By: Assessee
• Order Result: Allowed
• Bench Allotted: B
• Assessment Year: 2018-2019
• Appeal Filed On: 01-02-2022
• Result in Favour of: Assessee
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Keywords: Question of law; Set aside
• Section: 43B; 139; 250; 139(1); 43

Judgement Text

IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL “B” BENCH KOLKATA Before Shri Sanjay Garg, Judicial Member and Shri Girish Agrawal, Accountant Member I.T.A. Nos.69 & 70/Kol/2022 Assessment Year: 2017-18 & 2018-19 Effluent & Water Treatment Engineers Pvt. Ltd........................................................Appellant P-22, 10 th Floor, CIT Road, Entally, Kolkata – 700014. [PAN: AAACE5484B] vs. DCIT, Circle-11(1), Kolkata................................................................................Respondent Appearances by: Shri Shri Anil Kochar, Advocate appeared on behalf of the Appellant. Smt. Ranu Biswas, Addl. CIT-DR, appeared on behalf of the Respondent. Date of concluding the hearing : March 31, 2022 Date of pronouncing the order : March 31, 2022 ORDER Per Bench: The present two appeals have been preferred by the assessee against the orders both dated 24.11.2021 of the National Faceless Appeal Centre [hereinafter referred to as ‘CIT’] passed u/s 250 of the Income Tax Act (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Act’). Since the common issues are involved in both the appeals, hence the same are taken together for disposal by this common order for the sake of convenience ITA No.69/Kol/2022 is taken as lead case. The assessee in this appeal has taken the following grounds of appeal: “1. For that the orders passed by the lower authorities are arbitrary, erroneous, without proper reasons, invalid and bad-in-law, to the extent to which they are prejudicial to the interests of the appellant. 2. For that the Ld. CIT (A) erred in confirming the action of the CPC on account of addition of delayed payment of PF & ESI amounting to Rs.5,56,992/-. 3. For that the Ld. CIT (A) ought to have appreciated the fact that the entire amount of Rs.5,56,992/- outstanding as on due dates towards PF/ESI was duly deposited before the due date of furnishing of the return u/s 139 of the Act. I.T.A. Nos.69 & 70/Kol/2022 Assessment Year: 2017-18 & 2018-19 Effluent & Water Treatment Engineers Pvt. Ltd. 2 4. For that the Ld. CIT (A) ought to have held that the contribution paid towards PF/ESI before the due date of filing of the return u/s 139(1) is an allowable and ought not to have confirmed the disallowance so made by the CPC. 5. For that the CIT (A) erred in holding that the deduction so claimed is not allowable in spite of the decision of the jurisdictional High Court. 6. For that the appellant craves leave to amend, alter, modify, substitute, add to, abridge and/or rescind any or all of the above grounds.” 2. At the outset, the ld. Counsel for the assessee has submitted that there was a delay in depositing employee’s as well as employer’s contribution to the Employee’s Provident Fund/ESI fund. However, the amount was deposited before the due date of the filing of the return. The ld. Counsel has submitted that this issue is squarely covered by the decision of the Hon’ble Jurisdictional Calcutta High Court in the case of CIT, Kolkata vs. M/s Vijay Shree Limited 43 taxman.com 396(Cal) which has been further followed by the Coordinate Calcutta Bench of this Tribunal in the case of Harendra Nath Biswas vs. DCIT in ITA No.186/Kol/2021 by the order dated 16.07.2021. The ld. DR could not show any decision contrary to the case law cited by the ld. Counsel for the assessee. 3. We find that the issue is covered in favour of the assessee as the assessment year involved is AY 2017-18 and the Explanation-5 inserted by Finance Act, 2021 to section 43B w.e.f. 01.04.2021 is not applicable to the assessment year under consideration. The relevant portion of the Coordinate Bench decision of the Tribunal in the case of Harendra Nath Biswas vs. DCIT (supra) for the sake of reference is reproduced as under: “ 2. The sole grounds of appeal raised by the assessee is against the Ld. CIT(A) in confirming the action of AO who disallowed/added back a sum of Rs. 1,10,62,263/- on account of delayed deposit of employees contribution to PF and ESI u/s 36(1)(va) read with Section 2(24)(x) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 ( hereinafter referred to as the Act) despite the assessee contributing/depositing the same before the due date of filing of return of income u/s 139(1) of the Act. 3. Brief facts of the case is that the CPC while processing the return disallowed/added Rs. 1,10,62,263/- on the ground that employees contribution to employees provident fund (EPF) and ESI fund has been deposited beyond the due date applicable under the provision of ESI Act, 1948 and EPF Act by invoking the provision of Section 36(1)(va) of the Act. Aggrieved by this disallowance, the assessee filed the appeal before the national Faceless Appeal Centre (NFAC), Delhi where the Ld. CIT(A) has taken note of the assessee’s submission that no disallowance was warranted in respect of delayed deposit of employees contribution to EPF /ESI fund since the assessee I.T.A. Nos.69 & 70/Kol/2022 Assessment Year: 2017-18 & 2018-19 Effluent & Water Treatment Engineers Pvt. Ltd. 3 has deposited the employees contribution in respect of both these Acts (EPF & ESI Act) before filing the return of income and relied on the various judicial decision including that of the jurisdictional Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta in the case of CIT vs. Vijayshree Ltd. in [2014] 43 taxman.com 396(Cal). However the Ld. CIT(A) did not accept the contentions of the assessee in this regard and by relying on the Explanation-5 below section 43B which was brought in by Finance Act, 2021 to deny the claim of assessee. Therefore, the assessee is before us by preferring this appeal. 4. We have heard both the parties and perused the record. First of all we do not countenance this action of the Ld. CIT(A) for the simple reason that the Explanation 5 was inserted by the Finance Act, 2021, with effect from 01.04.2021 and relevant assessment year before us is AY 2019-20. Therefore the law laid down by the Jurisdictional Hon’ble High Court will apply and since this Explanation-5 has not been made retrospectively. So we are inclined to follow the same and we reproduce the order of Hon’ble Calcutta High Court in the case of Vijayshree Ltd. supra wherein the Hon’ble Calcutta High Court has taken note of the Hon’ble Supreme Court decision in CIT vs. Alom Extrusion Ltd. reported in 390 ITR 306. The Hon’ble Calcutta High Court’s decision in Vijayshree Ltd. supra is reproduced as under: “This appeal is at the instance of the Revenue and is directed against an order dated 28 th April, 2011 passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, “A” Bench, Kolkata in ITA No. 1091/Kol/2010 relating to assessment year 2006-07 by which the Tribunal dismissed the appeal preferred by the Revenue against the order of CIT(A). The only issue involved in this appeal is as to whether the deletion of the addition by the AO on account of Employees ‘Contribution to ESI and PF by invoking the provision of Section 36(1)(va) read with Section 2(24)(x) of the Act was correct or not. It appears that the Tribunal below, in view of the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Commissioner of Income Tax vs. Alom Extrusion Ltd., reported in 2009 Vol.390 ITR 306, held that the deletion was justified. Being dissatisfied, the Revenue has come up with the present appeal. After hearing Mr. Sinha, learned advocate, appearing on behalf of the appellant and after going through the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Commissioner of Income Tax vs. Alom Extrusion Ltd., we find that the Supreme Court in the aforesaid case has held that the amendment to the second proviso to the Sec 43(B) of the Income Tax Act, as introduced by Finance Act, 2003, was curative in nature and is required to be applied retrospectively with effect from 1st April, 1988. Such being the position, the deletion of the amount paid by the Employees’ Contribution beyond due date was deductible by invoking the aforesaid amended provisions of Section 43(B) of the Act. We, therefore, find that no substantial question of law is involved in this appeal and consequently, we dismiss this appeal. I.T.A. Nos.69 & 70/Kol/2022 Assessment Year: 2017-18 & 2018-19 Effluent & Water Treatment Engineers Pvt. Ltd. 4 Urgent xerox certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties subject to compliance with all requisite formalities.” In the light of the aforesaid discussion we do not accept the Ld. CIT(A)’s stand denying the claim of assessee since assessee delayed the employees contribution of EPF & ESI fund and as per the binding decision of the Hon’ble High Court in Vijayshree Ltd. (supra) u/s 36(1)(va) of the Act since assessee had deposited the employees contribution before filing of Return of Income. Therefore, the assessee succeeds and we allow the appeal of the assessee.” 4. In view of the above proposition of law and the issue being squarely covered in favour of the assessee, the impugned order of the ld. CIT(A) is set aside. The appeal of the assessee is hereby allowed and the impugned addition made by the lower authorities is ordered to be deleted. 5. In the result, both the appeals of the assessee stand allowed. Kolkata, the 31 st March, 2022. Sd/- Sd/- [Girish Agrawal] [Sanjay Garg] Accountant Member Judicial Member Dated: 31.03.2022. RS Copy of the order forwarded to: 1. Effluent & Water Treatment Engineers (P) Ltd. 2. DCIT, Circle-11(1), Kolkata. 3. CIT(A)- 4. CIT- , 5. CIT(DR), //True copy// By order Assistant Registrar, Kolkata Benches