2010 (1) TMI 806 - AT - Income Tax

Tribunal rejects addition in transfer pricing dispute, emphasizes focus on net profit margins

Addl. CIT Versus Tej Diam

The Tribunal upheld the CIT (Appeals) decision to delete the addition made by the Assessing Officer in a transfer pricing dispute. The Tribunal found ... Arm's length price of the international transaction - assessee filed a audited report in Form No. 3CEB, and adopted CUP method for computing the arm's length price - PO on the ground that, the assessee has not given any comparables, had rejected the method - whether TNM Method allows the Assessing Officer to take the profits at enterprises level - Held that:- section 92C read with rule 10B(1)(e) deals with Transactions Net Margin Method (TNMM) and it refers to only net profit margin realised by an enterprise from an international transaction or a class of such transaction, but not operational margins of enterprises as a whole, TPO as well as the Assessing Officer have committed an error by wrongly applying Transaction Net Margin Method. appeal of the Revenue is dismissed. Issues:Transfer Pricing Adjustment under section 92CA(3) of the Income-tax Act, 1961.Analysis:The appeal was filed against the order of the CIT (Appeals)-XVII, Mumbai for the assessment year 2004-05. The assessee, a partnership firm engaged in import and export of diamonds, entered into an international transaction with a related entity. The assessee adopted the CUP method for determining the arm's length price, but the TPO rejected this method and suggested an adjustment under the Transaction Net Margin Method (TNMM). The Assessing Officer concurred with the TPO's recommendation, leading to an addition of Rs. 44 lakhs. The first appellate authority, however, deleted this addition, stating that no adjustment was necessary as per the Board's Circular, as the price variation was less than 5 percent after excluding non-operational profits. The Revenue appealed this decision, arguing that the addition should not have been deleted.The learned DR contended that the rejection of the CUP Method was not challenged, and the TNMM was erroneously applied by the CIT (Appeals) by not excluding the highest comparables. The Assessing Officer's authority to adopt gross margins at the enterprise level under TNMM was also questioned. On the other hand, the assessee's counsel argued that even under the Assessing Officer's method, errors existed as non-operational profits were not excluded, leading to a variation below 5 percent. The counsel also disputed the Assessing Officer's approach of taking profits at the enterprise level under TNMM, stating it was contrary to the Act.The Tribunal analyzed the provisions related to arm's length price and transactional net margin method (TNMM). It emphasized that TNMM requires comparing net profit margins from international transactions and not operational margins of enterprises as a whole. Citing a precedent, the Tribunal held that TNMM focuses on the net profit margin realized from international transactions, not overall operational margins. Consequently, it concluded that both the TPO and the Assessing Officer erred in applying TNMM. The Tribunal upheld the CIT (Appeals) decision to delete the addition, albeit for different reasons, and dismissed the Revenue's appeal.