DCIT, New Delhi V. M/s Ariba India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon

ITA 997/DEL/2011

• Counselvise Citation: [2016] 133 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 6430 (ITAT-DELHI)
• Duration Of Justice: 5 year(s) 22 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 14-03-2016
• Appeal Filed By: Department
• Order Result: Dismissed
• Bench Allotted: I1
• Next Hearing Date: 08-03-2016
• Assessment Year: 2006-2007
• Appeal Filed On: 22-02-2011
• Result in Favour of: Assessee
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Department Lawyers: AMRENDRA KUMAR
• Assessee Lawyers: MANONEET DALAL
• Keywords: Retrospective amendment; Tax effect
• Section: 12A

Judgement Text

IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL DELHI BENCH I - 1 , NEW DELHI BEFORE SH. N. K. SAINI, AM AND SMT. BEENA PILLAI , JM IT A NO. 997/DEL/2011 : ASSTT. YEAR : 2006 - 07 D CIT, CIRCLE - 2 (1) , NEW DELHI VS M/S ARIBA INDIA PVT. LTD., DLF GATEWAY TOWER, R - BLOCK, PHASE - III, DLF CITY, GURGAON (APPELLANT) (RESPONDENT) CO NO. 160/DEL/2011 : ASSTT. YEAR : 2006 - 07 M/S ARIBA INDIA PVT. L TD., DLF GATEWAY TOWER, R - BLOCK, PHASE - III, DLF CITY, GURGAON VS DCIT, CIRCLE - 2(1), NEW DELHI (APPELLANT) (RESPONDENT) PAN NO. A A ACF4192P ASSESSEE BY : SH. MANONEET DALAL, CA REVENUE BY : SH. A MRENDRA KUMAR , CIT DR DATE OF HEARING : 08 .0 3 .201 6 DATE OF PRONOUNCE MENT : 14 .03 .201 6 ORDER PER N. K. SAINI, AM : THE A PPEAL FILED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND CROSS O BJECTION BY THE ASSESSEE ARE DIRECTED AGAINST THE ORDER DATED 30.1 2.2010 OF LD. CIT(A) - XX , NEW DELHI . 2. DURING THE COURSE OF HEARING, THE LEARNED COUNSEL FOR THE ASSESSEE AT THE VERY OUTSET STATED THAT THE TAX EFFECT IN ITA NO . 997 & CO 160 /DE L/2011 ARIBA INDI A PVT. LTD. 2 THIS APPEAL IS LESS THAN RS.10,00,000/ - , THEREFORE, THE DEPARTMENT OUGHT NOT TO HAVE FILED THIS APPE AL 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). 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 APPEALS 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 RS.10,00,000/ - FOR NOT FILING THE AP PEAL ITA NO . 997 & CO 160 /DE L/2011 ARIBA INDI A PVT. LTD. 3 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 LIMITS GIVEN HEREUNDER: S. NO APPEALS I N 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 TH E 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 DIRECT 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 INVOLVED, SUCH AS THE CASE OF REGISTR ATION 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. ITA NO . 997 & CO 160 /DE L/2011 ARIBA INDI A PVT. LTD. 4 10. THIS INSTRUCTION WILL APPLY RE TROSPECTIVELY 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 INSTRUCTIO NS 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 ALSO AND AS PER CLAUSE 3, THERE IS CLEAR CUT INSTRUCTION TO THE DEPARTMENT TO WITHDRAW OR NOT TO PRESS THE APPEALS FILED BEFORE THE ITAT WHEREIN TAX EFFECT IS LESS THAN RS.10,00,000/ - . THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE OPERATIVE RETROSPECTIVELY TO THE PENDING APPEALS. 7. KEEPING IN VIEW THE CBDT CIRCULAR NO.21 OF 2015 DATED 10.1 2.2015 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 . AS REGARDS TO THE CROSS OBJECTION FILED BY THE ASSESSEE IS CONCERNED. THE LD. CO UNSEL FOR THE ASSESSEE STATED THAT HE HAS THE INSTRUCTION NOT TO PRESS THE CROSS OBJECTION. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, THE CROSS OBJECTION FILED BY THE ASSESSEE IS DISMISSED AS WITHDRAWN . ITA NO . 997 & CO 160 /DE L/2011 ARIBA INDI A PVT. LTD. 5 9 . IN THE RESULT, THE APPEAL OF THE DEPARTMENT AND CROSS OBJECTION OF TH E ASSESSEE ARE DISMISSED. ( ORDER PRON OUNCED IN THE COURT ON 14 /03 / 2016 ) SD/ - SD/ - ( BEENA PILLAI ) ( N. K. SAINI ) JUDICIAL MEMBER ACCOUNTANT MEMBER DATED: 14 /03 /2016 *SUBODH* COPY FORW ARDED TO: 1. APPELLANT 2. RESPONDENT 3. CIT 4. CIT(APPEALS) 5. DR: ITAT ASSISTANT REGISTRAR