2003 (3) TMI 743 - AT - Income Tax

Assessees' Appeals Granted for Recomputation

Priti Pithawala Versus Income-Tax Officer

Priti Pithawala Versus Income-Tax Officer - TMI Issues involved: The judgment revolves around the computation of interest charged u/s 234A of the Income-tax Act, 1961.Comprehensive Details:1. Consolidation of Appeals: All appeals by the assessees, revolving around identical issues, were consolidated and disposed of by a common order.2. Grounds Not Pressed: Ground Nos. 1 to 7 were not pressed as per the decision in a previous case, resulting in their dismissal.3. Key Issue: The only issue pressed pertains to the computation of interest charged u/s 234A of the Income-tax Act, 1961.4. Assessee's Argument: Assessee's counsel conceded to the levy of interest but argued that it should be charged only for a period of two years, citing relevant precedents.5. Department's Submission: The Departmental Representative argued that interest under section 234A is mandatory and that the assessee could have filed the return even beyond two years with a request for regularization.6. Legal Precedents: Reference was made to legal principles such as 'Lex non cogit ad impossibilia' in relation to the chargeability of interest under section 234C of the Act.7. Interpretation of Filing Returns: The Tribunal's decision emphasized that filing a valid return is crucial, and laches on the part of the assessee cannot convert an invalid return into a valid one.8. Section 234A Provisions: The section prescribes the computation of interest for defaults in filing returns after the due date, with specific guidelines on the period and amount for which interest is charged.9. Amending Act, 1987: The amendment simplified the interest payment procedure for defaults in filing returns, emphasizing the importance of 'regular assessment' in the computation of interest.10. Assessees' Case: Since the assessees did not furnish the returns, they did not fall within the ambit of section 234A(1)(a) of the Act.11. Application of Section 234A(1)(b): As the assessments under section 144 were not completed, section 234A(1)(b) could not be applied in the present case.12. Computation of Interest: The section provides guidelines for the computation of interest based on the total income as determined under section 143 or regular assessment, reduced by advance tax paid or tax deducted at source.13. Concession of Liability: The assessees' counsel conceded to the liability of paying interest u/s 234A, eliminating the need to further examine the levy of interest.14. Judgment: The Assessing Officer was directed to recompute the interest considering the arguments presented, and the matter was restored for fresh computation after providing the assessees with an opportunity to be heard.15. Outcome: The appeals of the assessees were partly allowed based on the reevaluation of the interest computation.