IN THE HIGH COURT OF CALCUTTA
T.S. Sivagnanam, Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, JJ.
Principal Commissioner Of Income Tax-4, Kolkata - Appellant
Versus
Aachman Vanijya Pvt. Ltd. - Respondent
ITAT No. 192 of 2018, IA NO:GA/2/2018[OLD NO:GA/1453/2018]
Decided On : 24-01-2022
Income Tax Act - Jurisdiction of Commissioner under Section 263 - The court found that the Commissioner's assumption of jurisdiction under Section 263 of the Income Tax Act was not justified, as the assessing officer had considered all the books and documents placed before him and completed the assessment based on consistent practices of the assessee. The court held that there was no justification for invoking the power under Section 263, and the order granting relief to the assessee was upheld.
Fact of the Case:
The revenue filed an appeal against the order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, challenging the quashing of the order under Section 263 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, passed by the Commissioner of Income Tax-4, Kolkata, for the assessment year 2011-12.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the assumption of jurisdiction by the Commissioner of Income Tax under Section 263 of the act was not justified, as the assessing officer had considered all the books and documents placed before him and completed the assessment based on consistent practices of the assessee.
Issues: The substantial questions of law raised by the revenue included the application of mind by the assessing officer in the order passed under Section 143(3) of the Income Tax Act, and the quashing of the order under Section 263 by the Tribunal.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the assessing officer had considered all the books and documents placed before him and completed the assessment based on consistent practices of the assessee, thus finding no justification for invoking the power under Section 263 of the act.
Final Decision: The appeal filed by the revenue was dismissed, and the substantial questions of law were answered against the revenue. The order granting relief to the assessee was upheld.
JUDGMENT
T.S. Sivagnanam, J. - This appeal by the revenue filed under Section 260a of the Income Tax act, 1961, (the act, in brevity) is directed against the order dated 4.8.2017 passed by the Income Tax appellate Tribunal, 'B' Bench, Kolkata (Tribunal) in ITa/1248/Kol/2016 for the assessment year 2011-12. The revenue has raised the following substantial questions of law for our consideration.
a. Whether on the facts and the circumstances of the case, the Learned Tribunal has erred in law or in fact in quashing the order under Section 263 of the Income Tax act, 1961 passed by the Commissioner of Income Tax-4, Kolkata in the facts and circumstances of the case while passing the order dated 23rd January, 2014 under Section 143(3) of the Income Tax act, 1961, there was clear non application of mind in the said order passed by the assessing officer?
b. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Learned Tribunal has erred in law or in fact in quashing the order of the Commissioner of Income Tax-4, Kolkata in spite of the assessing officer having not passed a speaking order?
2. We have heard Mr. Tilak Mitra, learned senior standing counsel for the appellant and carefully perused the materials placed on record. The short question involved in this appeal is whether the assumption of jurisdiction by the Commissioner of Income Tax under Section 263 of the act was justified or not. We have perused the order of assessment dated 23.1.2014 under section 143|(3) of the act. From the said order we find that the assessee was put on notice by the assessing officer under Sections 143(2) and 143(1) along with questioners. The assessing officer has recorded that the case was discussed with the authorised representative of the assessee and the assessee has produced the necessary documents as called for, namely, ledger, cash book, brokers contract notes, purchase and sales register, loan confirmations, bank statement, etc. Thereafter the assessing officer has checked those evidences and also considered the reply received to the notice issued under Section 133(6) of the act and then proceeded to complete the assessment. The Commissioner while issuing notice under Section 263 of the act has culled out some materials from the records and was of the opinion that the loss in share credit account was contingent in nature and not allowable. With regard to loss on account of derivative segment, the Commissioner was of the opinion that it is a speculation loss and cannot be set off against other source of income. The assessee submitted a reply to the show cause notice on 29.3.2016. The said reply has not been annexed to the case papers but we find from the order passed by the Commissioner dated 31.3.2016 one paragraph of the reply/written submission has been extracted. On a perusal of the stand taken by the assessee it is seen that in the case of closing stock of shares of the company the valuation was done on the basis of accounting standard and this has been the consistent method applied by the assessee company year after year. The assessee further contended that any loss arising on account of such valuation method followed consistently year after year is allowable business loss as per the provisions of the act. Further, it is not a contingent or notional loss since this will again become opening stock for the next year thereafter nullifying the impact as the debit or expenditure side will be of reduced amount in the next year. The assessee placed reliance on CBDT instruction no.03/2010 dated 23.3.2010 stating that the same applies to foreign exchange derivative transaction and not to delivery based trading business assets like closing stock of tangible items. The Commissioner in his order dated 31.3.2016 has not extracted the remaining portion of the written submission of the assessee. However, we find that the Commissioner has not given any reasons as to why the submission made by the assessee is not accepted. The Commissioner merely dire
The central legal point established in the judgment is that the assumption of jurisdiction by the Commissioner of Income Tax under Section 263 of the Income Tax Act must be justified, and the assessi....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the requirement for the assessing officer to conduct due enquiry and complete the scrutiny assessment, and the need for the Commissioner of Income ....
The court established that the PCIT has the authority to revise assessments under Section 263 when the assessing officer fails to conduct a proper inquiry into claims that may be erroneous and prejud....
Section 263 of the Income-tax Act empowers revision only if an assessment order is both erroneous and prejudicial; mere disagreement with the order is insufficient.
The tribunal held that jurisdiction under Section 263 requires both erroneous and prejudicial conditions, which were not satisfied, thus quashing the Principal Commissioner's order.
The notice under Section 263 does not need to be signed by the Commissioner to be valid, as long as it serves the purpose of providing an opportunity for the assessee to be heard.
Point of Law : Assessment order was passed without making inquiry / verification as regards potential escapement of income mentioned in Board Instructions for relevant period.
The Principal CIT cannot substitute his opinion for that of the Assessing Officer unless the latter's view is legally unsustainable, reaffirming the principle that only real income is taxable.
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