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2000 Supreme(Ker) 243

Judges : J.B.KOSHY
Shoukathali - Appellant
Versus
Tahsildar - Respondent
Case No : O.P.No.22482 of 1999
Decided On : 05/31/2000
Advocates Appeared :
Abdul Salam For Petitioner Government Pleader (V.M. Kurien) For Respondents

Headnote:

Kerala Building Tax Act 1975 Section5 - Division Bench - Power of Rectification- Building Taxable - Construction - Petitioner constructed a building and construction was completed per Building Tax Act building is taxable event on completion of construction - Therefore petitioner filed return and building was assessed by Petitioner had paid amount in installments - Thereafter notice was issued followed by order rectifying assessment on ground that on date of assessment rate tax was changed - Normally assessment should be based on rate as fixed on taxable event - Here taxable event is on date of completion of the building and assessment was made correctly -Held, Therefore has no application at all and assessment can be made on basis of taxable event - In connection Court refer to judgment of court Apart from the above power of rectification is not power of appeal - It is only correction of an error apparent on the face of record was - Division Bench of Court that rate of tax is note matter where power of rectification can be made by authority - On that ground also rectification order will not stand - Petition allowed

Judgment :-

J.B. Koshy, J.

Petitioner constructed a building and construction was completed in 1995. As per the Building Tax Act the building is a taxable event on the completion of the construction. Therefore, petitioner filed return and building was assessed by Ext P1. Petitioner had paid the amount in instalments. Thereafter, Ext P3 notice was issued followed by Ext P4 order rectifying the assessment under S.15(3) of the Act on the ground that on the date of assessment rate of tax was changed. Normally, assessment should be based on the rate as fixed on the taxable event Here the taxable event is on the date of completion of the building and assessment was made correctly.

2. The Revenue relied on S.5(2) of the Act. But S.5(2) is applicable only for the buildings constructed before the appointed day when method of appointment was changed. The assessments were pending for whatever reason including filing of appeal Here, admittedly, the building was constructed after the appointed day and therefore, S.5(2) has no application at all and assessment can be made on the basis of taxable event. In this connection, I refer to the judgment of this court in O.P. No. 1631 of 1999. Apart from the above, the power of rectification is not a power of appeal. It is only correction of an error apparent on the face of record. In W.A. No. 1613 of 1988 it was held by a Division Bench of this Court that rate of tax is not a matter where power of rectification can be made by the authority. On that ground also the rectification order will not stand.

The Original Petition is allowed and Exts. P3 and P4 are set aside.

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