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<h1>Tribunal affirms assessee's claim for deduction under sections 10A/10B for assessment years 2002-05</h1> <h3>Asst. Commissioner of Income Tax 10 (2), Mumbai Versus Meridian Enterprises Computing Solutions P Ltd.</h3> The Tribunal upheld the CIT(A)'s decision, allowing the assessee's claim for deduction under sections 10A/10B for the assessment years 2002-03 to 2004-05. ... - Issues Involved:1. Eligibility for deduction u/s 10A/10B for AY 2002-03 to 2004-05.Summary:Issue 1: Eligibility for deduction u/s 10A/10B for AY 2002-03 to 2004-05Facts and AO's Findings:- The assessee company claimed deduction u/s 10A/10B for AY 2003-04, which was denied by the AO amounting to Rs. 82.20 lacs.- The AO, guided by the ACIT's opinion, concluded that the assessee was not eligible for deduction u/s 10A/10B as the company did not have a regular running office in the Software Technology Park (STP) and was merely supplying manpower, not developing software.- The AO observed that the agreement with M/s Alpharma was for manpower supply, not software development, and the company was referred to as 'the supplier' in the agreement.- The AO also noted that the negotiations were not recorded, and the consultant was the son of the directors, leading to the denial of the deduction claim.Assessee's Arguments:- The assessee argued that it satisfied all conditions for exemption u/s 10A/10B, including being a 100% export-oriented unit (EOU) and exporting computer software onsite.- The assessee provided bank advices and a report in the prescribed form F-56G signed by a Chartered Accountant to support its claim.- The assessee relied on Explanation 3 to sec. 10A/10B, which allows onsite software development carried out outside India, and notification no. 11521 dated 26.9.2000, which includes IT-enabled services for deduction u/s 10A/10B.- The assessee contended that having only one employee does not negate the company's existence or its eligibility for deduction.CIT(A)'s Findings:- The CIT(A) found that the assessee complied with all prerequisites stipulated in section 10A/10B and that the main contention of the AO regarding the nature of services was unfounded.- The CIT(A) noted that the agreement was for IT consulting services, and procuring manpower was incidental to rendering these services.- The CIT(A) highlighted that the company had possession of the premises approved by the Customs Department and that the projections given to STPI were not relevant for determining eligibility.- The CIT(A) concluded that the contract was not for manpower supply but for software services, and the assessee was entitled to the benefit of exemption u/s 10A/10B.Tribunal's Decision:- The Tribunal upheld the CIT(A)'s order, finding no infirmity in the CIT(A)'s conclusions.- The Tribunal noted that the CIT(A) had considered each objection raised by the AO and provided detailed reasoning for allowing the deduction.- The Tribunal referenced a similar case (Information Architects) where the assessee was allowed deduction u/s 80HHE, which is similar to u/s 10A/10B.- The Tribunal confirmed the CIT(A)'s order for AY 2002-03 and 2004-05 based on the same reasoning.Conclusion:- The appeals filed by the department were dismissed, and the assessee was allowed the deduction u/s 10A/10B for the assessment years in question.