Income Tax Prosecution Cannot Survive Once Assessment Is Set Aside On Merits: Gauhati High Court

The Gauhati High Court on 2 September held that an income tax prosecution cannot continue when the assessment on which it is based has been set aside on merits, and that separate complaints against company directors for the same alleged offence are not maintainable when the company itself has not been arraigned as an accused. Justice Robin Phukan allowed three petitions filed by Flamingo Breweries Private Limited and its two directors and quashed the criminal complaints pending before the...

Information-Seeking Notice Cannot Be Treated As Show Cause Notice In Transfer Pricing Case: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has ruled that notices issued by a Transfer Pricing Officer seeking information from a taxpayer cannot substitute the show cause notice required before determining the arm's length price.A Division Bench of Justice B.P. Colabawalla and Justice Farhan P. Dubash observed, “Further the notice issued by the Transfer Pricing Officer under Section 92CA(2) of the Act seeking information from an Assessee cannot be said to be a Show Cause Notice issued as per the proviso to Section...

Telangana High Court Sets Aside 20% Pre-Deposit Condition For Tax Demand Stay In VSAIPPL-SMC Case

The Telangana High Court on 20 August set aside orders directing VSAIPPL-SMC (JV) to pay 20% of its outstanding tax demand as a condition for staying recovery of the remaining demand, while allowing three writ petitions concerning Assessment Years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. A Division Bench comprising Justices P. Sam Koshy and Vakiti Ramakrishna Reddy noted that authorities cannot mechanically impose a condition requiring payment of 20% of an outstanding tax demand for granting stay of...

Centre Moves Supreme Court To Transfer Anil Ambani's Black Money Act Challenge From Bombay HC To Delhi HC

The Union Government has approached the Supreme Court seeking transfer of industrialist Anil Ambani's petition pending before the Bombay High Court, challenging provisions of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 to the Delhi High Court.During today's hearing, a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi V. Mohana questioned the Centre's request to transfer the matter. “Why should we prefer one High Court...

Rajasthan High Court Upholds TDS Disallowance Against Hindustan Zinc On UK Know-How Payment

The Rajasthan High Court on 5 September dismissed Hindustan Zinc Limited's appeal against an Income Tax Appellate Tribunal order sustaining the disallowance of a tax deduction claimed by the company for payment made towards technical know-how to a UK-based company. A Division Bench comprising Justices Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Praveer Bhatnagar upheld the disallowance for Assessment Year 1994-95, holding that the payment made to Davy McKee (Stockton) Limited (DML) was subject to tax deduction...

Gujarat High Court Quashes DVO Reference Made A Day Before Assessment Became Time-Barred

The Gujarat High Court has quashed an Assessing Officer's reference to the Departmental Valuation Officer (DVO) made just a day before the assessment was due to become time-barred. The court held that the reference was a colourable exercise aimed at extending the time available to complete the assessment.A bench comprising Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice Vaibhavi D. Nanavati found that the material relating to the company's assets and payments was already available with the Assessing Officer....

Omission Of Specified Domestic Transactions From Transfer Pricing Regime Prospective: ITAT New Delhi

The Delhi Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) on 2 September held that the omission of specified domestic transactions from the transfer pricing regime cannot operate retrospectively where the legislature has expressly provided that the amendment will apply prospectively. A Bench comprising Judicial Member Satbeer Singh Godara and Accountant Member Manish Agarwal upheld the transfer pricing proceedings against Dixon Technologies (India) Ltd. for Assessment Year 2013-14 involving an adjustment...

ITAT Delhi Sets Aside ₹1.53 Crore EDC TDS Demand Against DLF Homes

The Delhi Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has set aside an appellate order upholding a ₹1.53 crore tax demand against DLF Homes Panchkula Private Limited over External Development Charges. The tribunal sent the matter back to the Assessing Officer to verify whether Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA/HSVP) had met the conditions under the Income Tax Act that could protect the developer from being treated as an assessee-in-default.If those conditions are fulfilled, DLF Homes cannot be saddled...

Live Cricket Broadcast Payments Not Taxable as Royalty, Non-Live Broadcast Rights Are: ITAT Delhi

The Delhi Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has reiterated that payments for live cricket broadcasts are not taxable as royalty. However, the portion attributable to repeat or non-live broadcasts can be treated as royalty. Relying on earlier judgments, including the Supreme court's ruling in CIT v. Sri Lanka Cricket, the tribunal ruled:“Accordingly, we hold that the ld. CIT(A) has rightly held the live telecast as not the Royalty u/s 9(1)(vi) of the Act. However, the repeat telecast i.e. non live...

Kerala High Court Sets Aside Income Tax Assessment Treating PG Student's Stipend As Salary

The Kerala High Court on 17 August set aside an income tax assessment order treating the stipend received by a postgraduate medical student as salary, holding that the Assessing Officer failed to consider his claim that stipend paid to a student is exempt from income tax. A Division Bench comprising Justices Devan Ramachandran and Basant Balaji allowed the appeal filed by Nahas Kakkattummal and set aside both the Single Judge's judgment and the assessment order, directing the Assessing Officer...

Gujarat High Court Grants ₹1 Crore Tax Refund To Charitable Trust After Exemption Was Omitted

The Gujarat High Court on 25 August quashed the rejection of the revision application filed by Sheth Shree Karshandas Halu Dharamshala Jamnagar and held that the public charitable trust was entitled to exemption under Section 11(1A) of the Income-tax Act.A Division Bench comprising Justices A.S. Supehia and Vaibhavi D. Nanavati held that a bona fide omission to claim a statutory tax benefit in the original return can be corrected through revisional proceedings under Section 264 of the Act. The...

Supreme Court Dismisses Revenue SLPs In Samsung India's Transfer Pricing Case Over 609 Days Gross Delay

The Supreme Court on 31 August dismissed the Income Tax Department's Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) against the Delhi High Court's judgment in Samsung India Electronics Pvt Ltd's transfer pricing dispute, citing unexplained delays of 609 days and 457 days while keeping the questions of law open. A Division Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran dismissed the petitions on the ground of delay, finding no satisfactory explanation from the Revenue for the gross delays. The Court...