2005 (4) TMI 626 - HC - Income Tax

High Court affirms Tribunal on penalty for short tax deduction. Importance of reasonable cause in tax compliance.

Commissioner of Income-tax Versus Hitachi Ltd.

The High Court upheld the Tribunal's decision in the case involving penalty under section 271C for short deduction of tax from salaries. The appellant, ... - Issues:1. Penalty under section 271C for short deduction of tax from salaries.2. Reasonable cause for failure to comply with section 192 of the Income-tax Act.3. Challenge to the findings of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal.Analysis:Issue 1: Penalty under section 271C for short deduction of tax from salariesThe case involved Hitachi Ltd., which had expatriate employees working in India. The assessee failed to consider the salary income paid in Japan for deduction of tax from salaries under section 192 of the Income-tax Act. The Assessing Officer imposed a penalty of Rs. 4,12,49,705 under section 271C for short deduction of tax. The Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) upheld the penalty. However, the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal found merit in the assessee's contentions, citing the case of Azadi Bachao Andolan. The Tribunal held that the appellant was not liable for penalty as it had a bona fide belief that the pay in Japan was not taxable in India, constituting a reasonable cause for the failure.Issue 2: Reasonable cause for failure to comply with section 192 of the Income-tax ActThe Tribunal's findings highlighted that the appellant's belief regarding the non-taxability of pay in Japan constituted a reasonable cause for the failure to deduct tax at source. The Tribunal emphasized that the appellant satisfied the parameters set in previous judgments and should not be treated differently from other Japanese companies in similar situations. The Tribunal concluded that the appellant acted under a bona fide belief, justifying the non-applicability of penalty under section 271C.Issue 3: Challenge to the findings of the Income-tax Appellate TribunalThe Revenue challenged the Tribunal's findings before the High Court under section 260A of the Act. However, the High Court noted that the controversy was covered by a previous judgment in the case of CIT v. Itochu Corpn. The Court emphasized that the Tribunal's finding of fact regarding the reasonable cause for the failure to deduct tax at source was justified. The Court agreed with the Tribunal's conclusion that the appellant acted under a reasonable belief and dismissed the appeal, stating that no substantial question of law arose for consideration.In conclusion, the High Court upheld the Tribunal's decision, emphasizing the importance of a reasonable cause for failure to comply with tax deduction provisions and highlighting the significance of bona fide beliefs in such cases.