SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2022 Supreme(Raj) 135

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR
AKIL ABDUL HAMID KURESHI, MADAN GOPAL VYAS, JJ.
Shri Pal Raj Lodha And Sons Huf, Through Authorized Signatory/karta Mr. Shri Pal Lodha and Sons - Appellant
Versus
Union of India and Ors. - Respondent
D.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1753/2022
Decided on : 03-02-2022

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant :Mohit Singhvi, Advocate
For the Respondent: Kamal Kishore Bissa, AGC

Headnote:

Finance Act, 2021- Section 148A,149 and 149(1) - Relaxation Act, 2020 – Section 3(1) - Re-assessment for assessment year - Tax escaping assessment - Petitioner has challenged notice of re-assessment for assessment year 2013-14, which notice was issued - Learned counsel for petitioner pointed out that the issues involved in petition are squarely covered by recent judgment of Division Bench in case of Sudesh Taneja v. Income Tax officer and others, in which the Division Bench in identical circumstances quashed impugned notices of re-assessment - In this context court have perused the provisions of reassessment contained in Finance Act, 2021 - Court have noticed earlier major departure that the new scheme of reassessment has made under these provisions - Time limits for issuing notice for reassessment have been changed - Concept of income chargeable to tax escaping assessment on account of failure on the part of assessee to disclose truly or fully all material facts is no longer relevant- Whether the case is fit for issuing notice under Section 148 – Held, In this context court have perused the provisions of reassessment contained in Finance Act, 2021 – Court have noticed earlier the major departure that the new scheme of reassessment has made under these provisions - Time limits for issuing notice for reassessment have been changed - Concept of income chargeable to tax escaping assessment on account of failure on the part of the assessee to disclose truly or fully all material facts is no longer relevant - As noted, two Division Benches of Allahabad and Delhi High Courts have taken similar view - As noted earlier court are conscious that Single Judge of Chhattisgarh High Court in Palak Khatuja (supra) has taken a different view - View of the High Court was that impugned notices were valid since by virtue of notifications application of Section 148 which was originally existing before amendment was deferred – Court are unable to persuade ourselves to accept this analysis of situation - In court understanding by virtue of notifications issued by CBDT substitution of reassessment provisions framed under Finance Act, 2021 were not deferred nor could they have been deferred - Date of such amendments coming into effect remained - In the result court find that the notices impugned in the respective petitions are invalid and bad in law - Same are quashed and set aside - Petition is disposed of accordingly.

JUDGMENT :

1. The petitioner has challenged the notice of re-assessment for the assessment year 2013-14, which notice was issued on 06.04.2021. Learned counsel for the petitioner pointed out that the issues involved in the petition are squarely covered by the recent judgment of the Division Bench dated 27.01.2022 in the case of Sudesh Taneja v. Income Tax officer and others [D.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 969/2022], in which the Division Bench in identical circumstances quashed the impugned notices of re-assessment making following observations:-

    "37. In this context we have perused the provisions of reassessment contained in the Finance Act, 2021. We have noticed earlier the major departure that the new scheme of reassessment has made under these provisions. The time limits for issuing notice for reassessment have been changed. The concept of income chargeable to tax escaping assessment on account of failure on the part of the assessee to disclose truly or fully all material facts is no longer relevant. Elaborate provisions are made under Section 148A of the Act enabling the Assessing officer to make enquiry with respect to material suggesting that income has escaped assessment, issuance of notice to the assessee calling upon why notice under Section 148 should not be issued and passing an order considering the material available on record including response of the assessee if made while deciding whether the case is fit for issuing notice under Section 148. There is absolutely no indication in all these provisions which would suggest that the legislature intended that the new scheme of reopening of assessments would be applicable only to the period post 01.04.2021. In absence of any such indication all notices which were issued after 01.04.2021 had to be in accordance with such provisions. To reiterate, we find no indication whatsoever in the scheme of statutory provisions suggesting that the past provisions would continue to apply even after the substitution for the assessment periods prior to substitution. In fact there are strong indications to the contrary. We may recall, that time limits for issuing notice under Section 148 of the Act have been modified under substituted Section 149. Clause (a) of sub-section (1) of Section 149 reduces such period to three years instead of originally prevailing four years under normal circumstances. Clause (b) extends the upper limit of six years previously prevailing to ten years in cases where income chargeable to tax which has escaped assessment amounts to or is likely to amount to 50 lacs or more. Sub-section (1) of Section 149 thus contracts as well as expands the time limit for issuing notice under Section 148 depending on the question whether the case falls under clause (a) or clause (b). In this context the first proviso to Section 149(1) provides that no notice under Section 148 shall be issued at any time in a case for the relevant assessment year beginning on or before 01.04.2021 if such notice could not have been issued at that time on account of being beyond the time limit specified under the provisions of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of Section 149 as they stood immediately before the commencement of the Finance Act, 2021. As per this proviso thus no notice under Section 148 would be issued for the past assessment years by resorting to the larger period of limitation prescribed in newly substituted clause (b) of Section 149(1). This would indicate that the notice that would be issued after 01.04.2021 would be in terms of the substituted Section 149(1) but without breaching the upper time limit provided in the original Section 149(1) which stood substituted. This aspect has also been highlighted in the memorandum explaining the proposed provisions in the Finance Bill. If according to the revenue for past period provisions of section 149 before amendment were applicable, this first proviso to section 149(1) was wholly unnecessary. Looked from both angles, namely, no indication o

Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon telegram-icon
whatsapp-icon Back to top