Final Assessment Without Draft Order Under Section 144C Invalid: ITAT New Delhi

The New Delhi Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) on 10 April, held that the Assessing Officer's failure to issue a draft assessment order under Section 144C(1) of the Income Tax Act renders the final order void. The Bench comprising Judicial Member C N Prasad and Accountant Member M Balaganesh allowed the appeals filed by Sumitomo Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. against the assessment orders passed by the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax. The Tribunal held: “the Final...

Pre-2002 Transfer Of Self-Generated Trademarks With No Cost Of Acquisition Not Taxable: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court on 12 March, held that consideration of Rs.29.10 crore received by Zydus Lifesciences Limited on assignment of self-generated trademarks prior to 1 April 2002 is not chargeable to tax either as capital gains or as business income under the Income Tax Act, 1961. A Division Bench of Justices A.S. Supehia and Justice Pranav Trivedi dismissed the Revenue's appeal and affirmed the Tribunal's view that, in the absence of an ascertainable cost of acquisition, the charging...

Share Buyback Not Acquisition Of Property: Delhi High Court Deletes ₹16.33 Crore Tax Addition Against Globe Capital

The Delhi High Court has upheld the deletion of a Rs 16.33 crore addition against Globe Capital Market Ltd., holding that a company's buyback of its own shares does not amount to acquisition of “property” and Section 56(2)(x) of the Income Tax Act has no application to such transactions. A Division Bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vinod Kumar dismissed the appeal filed by the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, affirming the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal's decision, which had upheld relief...

ITAT Mumbai Allows Co-operative Society Tax Deduction On Interest Income From Co-op Banks

The Mumbai Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has granted relief to a co-operative society by holding that deduction under Section 80P(2)(d) is allowable on interest income earned from deposits with co-operative banks, noting that the issue is already covered by judicial precedents including Pathare Prabhu Cooperative Housing Society Ltd. v. ITO. “As the issue is squarely covered in favour of the Assessee by the aforesaid judgment referred to above, thus, the addition under...

Bombay HC Quashes SCNs Against Foreign Exporter, Says Customs Act Had No Extra-Territorial Reach Pre-2018

The Bombay High Court has quashed show cause notices issued by customs authorities against a German textile machinery manufacturer and its Indian subsidiary, holding that the notices were without jurisdiction and that a foreign exporter cannot be made liable for alleged misdeclaration by Indian importers for a period prior to the 2018 amendment to the Customs Act. A Bench of Justice G. S. Kulkarni and Justice Aarti Sathe held that proceedings initiated against a foreign entity situated outside...

Bombay High Court Orders Fresh Review of V Ships' GST Refund Plea, Says Nature Of Service Not Determined

The Bombay High Court has recently set aside orders rejecting GST refund claims of V Ships India Pvt. Ltd., holding that the appellate authority failed to examine the terms of the service agreement before deciding whether the company's services were exports or intermediary services. A Bench of Justice G. S. Kulkarni and Justice Aarti Sathe said the absence of any findings on the agreement, which was relevant to determining the nature of services, vitiated the appellate orders. V Ships India...

Revenue Cannot Disallow Trademark Depreciation Once Accepted In Initial Year: ITAT Mumbai

The Mumbai Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) on 10 April held that depreciation on a trademark arising out of an amalgamation, once allowed in the initial year, cannot be disallowed in subsequent years in the absence of any change in facts. A Bench comprising Accountant Member Om Prakash Kant and Judicial Member Sandeep Singh Karhail delivered the ruling while deciding Revenue's appeals and Transworld Furtichem Private Limited's cross-objections for multiple assessment years. It...

ITAT New Delhi Dismisses Revenue Appeal Against Bharat Kalia, Finds No 50CA Violation In Share Sale

The Delhi Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) on 10 April dismissed the Revenue's appeal against Bharat Kalia and held that no addition under Section 50CA of the Income Tax Act, 1961 can be made where the sale consideration of unquoted shares exceeds the fair market value determined under the prescribed rules. Section 50CA applies when a taxpayer transfers unquoted shares at a price lower than their fair market value (FMV), triggering substitution of the consideration for tax...

ITAT Mumbai Grants Relief To Sachin Khedekar, Holds Delay In Filing Form 67 Not Fatal For FTC Claim

The Mumbai Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) on 10 April allowed an appeal filed by actor Sachin Shrikant Khedekar and held that delay in filing Form No. 67 is a procedural lapse and cannot justify denial of foreign tax credit under Section 90 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. A Bench of Judicial Member Sandeep Singh Karhail and Accountant Member Bijayananda Pruseth held: “.....mere delay in filing Form No. 67 as per the provisions of Rule 128(9), as they stood during the year...

Rajasthan High Court Grants Electricity Duty Exemption For UltraTech's Captive Power Under Solar Policy 2019

The Rajasthan High Court has held that electricity duty exemption on captive consumption of solar power promised under the Solar Policy, 2019 cannot be withdrawn retrospectively so as to divest accrued rights, ruling that UltraTech Cement Ltd. and other petitioners are entitled to the benefit for projects commissioned prior to the amendment.A Division Bench of Justice Arun Monga and Justice Sunil Beniwal delivered the judgment. The dispute traces back to the State's amendment of the Solar...

Delhi High Court Declines Writ Against GST SCN Corrigendum Allegedly Expanding Tax Period, Cites Appeal Remedy

The Delhi High Court has recently declined to entertain a challenge to a corrigendum allegedly expanding the scope of a show cause notice by including an additional financial year, holding that such issues require factual examination and are not suited for adjudication under Article 226 when an efficacious statutory remedy is available. A Division Bench of Justices Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Ajay Digpaul dismissed a writ petition filed by Manpar Icon Technologies challenging a show cause notice...

CBDT Delay Condonation Circular For 'Genuine Hardship' Applies Irrespective Of Assessment Year: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that a beneficial circular issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) allowing delay condonation in cases of “genuine hardship” cannot be restricted to specific assessment years and must be applied uniformly to all bona fide cases.A Division Bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vinod Kumar passed the ruling while allowing a writ petition filed by VRG Electronics Pvt. Ltd., challenging the rejection of its application for condonation of delay in filing...