INCOME TAX
Reduction In Share Capital Amounts To Transfer Of Capital Asset Under Income Tax Act : Supreme Court
The Supreme Court (recently on January 02) reiterated that reduction in share capital is covered under Section 2(47) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, which talks about transfer of a capital asset. It explained that such reduction would be come under the expression “sale, exchange or relinquishment of the asset” used in the provision.For reference, the concerned portion of Section 2(47) reads as:“transfer' in relation to a capital asset, includes, (i) the sale, exchange or relinquishment of the...
Twin Conditions U/S 127 Of Income Tax Act For Transferring Assessee's Case From One Officer To Another Are Mandatory: Himachal Pradesh HC
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has elucidated the mandatory twin conditions for transfer of an assessee's case under Section 127 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, from one Assessing Officer to another. Section 127 stipulates that the Commissioner may, after giving the assessee a reasonable opportunity of being heard in the matter and after recording his reasons for doing so, transfer any case from Assessing Officer subordinate to him to any other Assessing Officer also subordinate to him. ...
Uploading Information On Insight Portal Not A Substitute For Handing Over Material To AO For Non-Searched Entity U/S 153C Of IT Act: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court has held that the provision under Section 153C of the Income Tax Act, 1961 for the Assessing officer of a searched person to record 'satisfaction' and handover documents regarding undisclosed income of another person cannot be substituted by merely uploading such information on the Department's insight portal. The provision stipulates that where the Assessing Officer of the person searched is satisfied that records of undisclosed assets relate to another person,...
FAOs And JAOs Have Concurrent Jurisdiction For Assessment, Re-assessment Or Re-Computation U/S 147 Income Tax Act: Madras High Court
The Madras High Court recently clarified that both the Faceless Assessment Officer and Jurisdictional Assessment Officer have concurrent jurisdiction as far as assessment, re-assessment or re-computation under Section 147 of the Income Tax Act. “As far as the assessment, re-assessment or re-computation in terms of the provisions of Section 147 of the IT Act is concerned, both the FAO as well as the JAO will have concurrent jurisdiction,” the court ruled. Justice Krishnan Ramasamy made...
Reassessment U/S 150 Of Income Tax Act Can't Be Initiated On Mere 'Incidental' Findings Of Appellate Authority: Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has held that Section 150 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 can be invoked for reassessment only to give effect to a 'conclusive finding' by an appellate authority regarding escapement of income by an assessee. Section 150 makes provision for cases where assessment is in pursuance of an order on appeal, etc. It empowers an Assessing Officer to issue reassessment notice under Section 148, to give effect to any finding or direction contained in an order passed by any...
Co-Accused Can Apply Separately For Compounding Of Offences Committed By Company Or HUF Under Income Tax Act: Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has held that co-accused are entitled to apply separately for compounding of offences committed by a Company or a Hindu Undivided Family under the Income Tax Act, 1961. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela ruled that the co-accused need not await filing of application for compounding by the company or the HUF. In doing so, it relied upon the guidelines issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes, stipulating that...
Income From Capital Gains On Certain Assets Which Are Excluded U/S 10(38) Of IT Act Must Be Included While Computing Book Profits: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court held that proviso to Sec 10(38) cannot be read in reverse to mean that if gains are not included as book profits u/s 115JB, the same are liable to be included as income for purposes of assessment to tax under the normal provisions.Even though, the gains are required to be excluded from income chargeable to tax u/s 10(38), added the Court. As per Section 10(38) of Income tax Act, in computing the total income of a previous year of any person, any income arising from the...
Belated Filing Of Form 9A Is Not Attributable To Trust: Bombay HC Allows Exemption U/S 11 After Condoning Delay Under IT Act
The Bombay High Court held that bonafide delay in filing Form 9A on part of trust, has to be construed as procedural lapse and shall be condoned by exercising powers u/s 119(2) of Income tax Act.The Division Bench of Justice G S Kulkarni and Justice Advait M Sethna observed that that the jurisdictional AO completely lost sight of the fact that at the time when assessee claimed deductions towards depreciation and capital expenditure u/s 11(1) by filing the revised computation, the time limit for...
S.147 Of IT Act Doesn't Postulate Review Jurisdiction Such That Assessment Can Be Reviewed By AO Intending To Form Different Opinion: Bombay HC
The Bombay High Court ruled that the materials which were already available before AO and which ultimately were considered in passing assessment order u/s 143(3), cannot form basis of reopening, on ground that such materials were ignored in finalizing assessment.Section 147 does not postulate review jurisdiction, so that assessment can be reviewed by the Assessing Officer intending to form different and/or a new opinion, added the Court. The Division Bench of Justice G S Kulkarni and Justice...
Interest Earned On Borrowed Funds Kept For Acquiring Coal Mine Is Not Revenue Receipt If Coal Mine Is Aborted, Borrowings Are Repaid: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court recently accepted that the interest received on borrowed funds, which were temporarily held in interest bearing deposit, is a part of the capital cost and is required to be credited to Capital Work In Progress.The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma observed that if the interest is earned on the amounts temporarily kept in fixed deposits in course of acquisition of coal mine to set up its business, then interest earned would...
ITO Acted On Complete Change Of Opinion On Same Material With Intent To Review Assessment Order Passed By Him: Bombay HC Quashes Reopening
While setting aside the reassessment proceedings, the Bombay High Court held that 'change of opinion' or 'review of already completed assessment', is not permitted to AO.While holding so, the Division Bench of Justice G.S Kulkarni and Justice Advait M Sethna observed that there is no whisper of allegations against the assessee that income that has escaped assessment was attributable to the assessee for not disclosing fully & truly all material facts necessary for assessment.Facts of the...
No Penalty Can Be Levied U/S 271B Of IT Act If No Prejudice Is Caused To Dept On Account Of Belated Furnishing Of Audit Report: Kerala HC
The Kerala High Court held that circumstances under which AO can absolve a taxpayer from payment of penalty u/s 271B are discernible from a reading of Sec 273B, which states that no penalty can be imposed on an assessee u/s 271B for breach of the provisions, if he proves that there was "reasonable cause" for the said failure.The provision of Section 44AB of Income tax Act prescribes a procedure of audit of accounts by certain categories of assessees and deals inter alia with the manner in which...