DCIT CC 7(3), MUMBAI V. BENZOIN TRADERS & AGENCIES P.LTD, MUMBAI

ITA 79/MUM/2017

• Counselvise Citation: [2017] 128 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 0067 (ITAT-MUMBAI)
• Duration Of Justice: 5 month(s) 15 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 21-06-2017
• Appeal Filed By: Department
• Order Result: Dismissed
• Bench Allotted: SMC
• Assessment Year: 2009-2010
• Appeal Filed On: 05-01-2017
• Result in Favour of: Assessee
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Keywords: Audit objection; Tax effect
• Section: 12A

Judgement Text

IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL, MUMBAI BENCH SMC, MUMBAI BEFORE SHRI D.T. GARASIA, JUDICIAL MEMBER ITA NOS.78 & 79/M/2017 ASSESSMENT YEARS: 2007-08 & 2009-10 DCIT CC 7(2), ROOM NO.655, AAYAKAR BHAVAN, MUMBAI 400 020 VS. M/S. BENZOIN TRADERS & AGENCIES PVT. LTD., 7-B, 3 GIRIRAJ BUILDING, GR. FLOOR, TUKARAM MARG, IRON MARKET, CARNAC BUNDER, MMBAI 400 009 PAN: AACCB0595J (APPELLANT) (RESPONDENT) PRESENT FOR: ASSESSEE BY : NONE REVENUE BY : SHRI RAJESH KUMAR, D.R. DATE OF HEARING : 13.06.2017 DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT : 21.06.2017 O R D E R PER D.T. GARASIA, JUDICIAL MEMBER: THE ABOVE TITLED APPEALS HAVE BEEN PREFERRED BY THE REVENUE AGAINST THE ORDER DATED 17.10.2016 OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INCOM E TAX (APPEALS) RELEVANT TO ASSESSMENT YEARS 2007-08 & 2009-10. 2. AT THE OUTSET, THE LD. D.R. HAS SUBMITTED THAT T AX EFFECT INVOLVED IN THESE APPEALS IS LESS THAN RS. 10 LACS AND THE CBDT CIRCU LAR NO. 21/2015 IS APPLICABLE TO THESE APPEALS, HENCE, THESE APPEALS B E DISMISSED AS NOT PRESSED IN TERMS OF CBDT CIRCULAR NO.21/2015 DATED 10/12/2015. 3. THE CBDT VIDE CIRCULAR DATED 10/12/2015 (SUPRA) HAS REVISED THE MONETARY LIMITS FOR FILING OF APPEALS BY THE DEPART MENT BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL AND FURTHER VIDE PARA 10 OF THE SAID CIRCULAR IT HA S BEEN CLARIFIED THAT SAID CIRCULAR IS APPLICABLE RETROSPECTIVELY TO THE PENDI NG APPEALS ALSO. THE RELEVANT PORTION OF THE CIRCULAR DATED 10/12/2015 (SUPRA) IS REPRODUCED BELOW:- ITA NOS.78 & 79/M/2017 M/S. BENZOIN TRADERS & AGENCIES PVT. LTD. 2 3.HENCEFORTH APPEALS/SLPS SHALL NOT BE FILED IN CAS ES WHERE THE TAX EFFECT DOES NOT EXCEED THE MONETARY LIMITS GIVEN HEREUNDER:- SL. NO. APPEALS IN INCOME-TAX MATTERS MONETARY LIMI TS (IN RS.) 1. BEFORE APPELLATE TRIBUNAL 10,00,000 2. BEFORE HIGH COURT 20,00,000 3. BEFORE SUPREME COURT 25,00,000 ................................................ ................................................... ....................... 4. FOR THIS PURPOSE, 'TAX EFFECT' MEANS THE DIFFERE NCE BETWEEN THE TAX ON THE TOTAL INCOME ASSESSED AND THE TAX THAT WOULD HAVE B EEN CHARGEABLE HAD SUCH TOTAL INCOME BEEN REDUCED BY THE AMOUNT OF INCOME I N RESPECT OF THE ISSUES AGAINST WHICH APPEAL IS INTENDED TO BE FILED (HEREI NAFTER REFERRED TO AS 'DISPUTED ISSUES'). HOWEVER THE TAX WILL NOT INCLUD E ANY INTEREST THEREON, EXCEPT WHERE CHARGEABILITY OF INTEREST ITSELF IS IN DISP UTE. IN CASE THE CHARGEABILITY OF INTEREST IS THE ISSUE UNDER DISPUTE, THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST SHALL BE THE TAX EFFECT. IN CASES WHERE RETURNED LOSS IS REDUCED OR ASSESSED AS INCOME, THE TAX EFFECT WOULD INCLUDE NOTIONAL TAX ON DISPUTED ADDITIONS. I N CASE OF PENALTY ORDERS, THE TAX EFFECT WILL MEAN QUANTUM OF PENALTY DELETED OR REDUCED IN THE ORDER TO BE APPEALED AGAINST. 8. ADVERSE JUDGMENTS RELATING TO THE FOLLOWING ISS UES SHOULD BE CONTESTED ON MERITS NOTWITHSTANDING THAT THE TAX EFFECT ENTAILED IS LESS THAN THE MONETARY LIMITS SPECIFIED IN PARA 3 ABOVE OR THERE IS NO TAX EFFECT: (A) WHERE THE CONSTITUTIONAL VALIDITY OF THE PROVISIONS OF AN ACT OR RULE ARE UNDER CHALLENGE, OR (B) WHERE BOARD'S ORDER, NOTIFICATION, INSTRUCTION OR C IRCULAR HAS BEEN HELD TO BE ILLEGAL OR ULTRA VIRES, OR (C) WHERE REVENUE AUDIT OBJECTION IN THE CASE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT, OR (D) WHERE THE ADDITION RELATES TO UNDISCLOSED FOREIGN A SSETS/ BANK ACCOUNTS. 9. THE MONETARY LIMITS SPECIFIED IN PARA 3 ABOVE S HALL NOT APPLY TO WRIT MATTERS AND DIRECT TAX MATTERS OTHER THAN INCOME TA X. FILING OF APPEALS IN OTHER DIRECT TAX MATTERS SHALL CONTINUE TO BE GOVER NED BY RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF STATUTE & RULES. FURTHER, FILING OF APPEAL IN CA SES OF INCOME TAX, WHERE THE TAX EFFECT IS NOT QUANTIFIABLE OR NOT INVOLVED, SUC H 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 AN D DECISION TO FILE APPEAL IN SUCH CASES MAY BE TAKEN ON MERITS OF A PARTICULAR C ASE. 10. THIS INSTRUCTION WILL APPLY RETROSPECTIVELY TO PENDING APPEALS AND APPEALS TO BE FILED HENCEFORTH IN HIGH COURTS/ TRIB UNALS. PENDING APPEALS BELOW THE SPECIFIED TAX LIMITS IN PARA 3 ABOVE MAY BE WITHDRAWAL NOT PRESSED. APPEALS BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE ITA NOS.78 & 79/M/2017 M/S. BENZOIN TRADERS & AGENCIES PVT. LTD. 3 INSTRUCTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT, OPERATIVE AT THE TIME WHEN SUCH APPEAL WAS FILED. (UNDERLINED FOR EMPHASIS BY US) 4. THE TAX EFFECT IN DISPUTE IN THE CAPTIONED APPEA LS IS STATED TO BE BELOW THE MONETARY LIMIT OF RS.10.00 LACS AS SPECIFIED IN THE CBDT CIRCULAR DATED 10/12/2015 (SUPRA). THE LD. DR HAS NOT BROUGHT OUT ANY MATERIAL TO SUGGEST THAT THE CAPTIONED APPEALS ARE PROTECTED BY ANY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES PRESCRIBED IN PARA-8 OF THE CIRCULAR DATED 10/12/2015 (SUPRA). HE THEREFORE HAS STATED THAT IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE CIRCULAR OF THE CBDT, THE CAPT IONED APPEALS BE TREATED AS WITHDRAWN/NOT PRESSED. HENCE, WITHOUT GOING INTO T HE MERIT OF THE ISSUES RAISED IN THE PRESENT APPEALS, THESE APPEALS ARE TR EATED AS DISMISSED AS WITHDRAWN/NOT PRESSED AS ITS FILING BEING IN CONTRA VENTION OF THE CBDT CIRCULAR DATED 10/12/2015(SUPRA) READ WITH SECTION 268A OF THE INCOME TAX ACT. 5. IN THE RESULT, BOTH THE APPEALS OF THE REVENUE A RE DISMISSED. ORDER PRONOUNCED IN THE OPEN COURT ON 21.06.2017. SD/- (D.T. GARASIA) JUDICIAL MEMB ER MUMBAI, DATED: 21.06.2017. * KISHORE, SR. P.S. COPY TO: THE APPELLANT THE RESPONDENT THE CIT, CONCERNED, MUMBAI THE CIT (A) CONCERNED, MUMBAI THE DR CONCERNED BENCH //TRUE COPY// [ BY ORD ER DY/ASSTT. REGISTRAR, ITAT, MUMBAI.