Administrative, employee and selling costs held revenue expenses under AS-2 and ICAI Guidance; Section 14A disallowance deleted

ITAT MUMBAI - AT upheld the CIT(A)'s deletion of additions: administrative, employee and selling/marketing costs were correctly charged to P&L and not capitalized to WIP under AS-2 and the ICAI Guidance Note, so these were allowable revenue expenditures. The tribunal also confirmed deletion of the Section 14A addition, finding available interest-free funds exceeded the investment, negating disallowance. Both issues decided in favor of the assessee.

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Issues Involved:
1. Confirmation of addition made by ACIT by not accepting the method of accounting adopted by the assessee.
2. Addition made by ACIT without appreciating the consistent accounting policy of the assessee.
3. Initiation of penalty proceedings under section 271(1)(c) of the Act.
4. Deletion of addition made under Section 14A of the Act by CIT(A).

Issue 1: Confirmation of Addition by ACIT
The assessee argued that the CIT(A) erred in confirming the addition made by ACIT by not accepting the method of accounting adopted, which is in conformity with the Accounting Standards and the Guidance Note on Accounting for Real Estate Transactions issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. The assessee follows the percentage completion method of accounting and debits expenses directly attributable to the project to work in progress, while other expenses are debited to the Profit & Loss Account. The Tribunal noted that the assessee's method is supported by the "Expert Advisory Committees Report" and the "Guidance Note on Accounting for Real Estate Transactions." It was found that the method adopted by the assessee is consistent and has been accepted in preceding and succeeding years. The Tribunal concluded that the revenue expenditure in the nature of employee cost, administrative expenses, and selling and marketing expenses cannot be capitalized as per the Accounting Standards and judicial pronouncements.

Issue 2: Addition by ACIT Without Appreciating Consistent Accounting Policy
The assessee contended that the CIT(A) upheld the addition made by the ACIT without appreciating the consistent accounting policy for determining the work-in-progress and profitability of its construction development project. The Tribunal observed that the accounting method followed by the assessee is in compliance with the accounting principles framed by the ICAI, specifically AS 2 and the "Guidance Note on Accounting for Real Estate Transactions." The Tribunal emphasized that administrative expenses not related to bringing inventories to their present location and condition, and selling costs should not be included in work-in-progress. The Tribunal found that the assessee's method of excluding such expenses from work-in-progress and debiting them to the Profit & Loss Account is justified and consistent with recognized accounting principles.

Issue 3: Initiation of Penalty Proceedings Under Section 271(1)(c)
The assessee argued that the ACIT erred in initiating penalty proceedings under section 271(1)(c) of the Act. The Tribunal did not specifically address this issue in the detailed analysis provided, focusing instead on the substantive issues related to the accounting method and the nature of expenses.

Issue 4: Deletion of Addition Under Section 14A by CIT(A)
The Revenue appealed against the deletion of the addition made under Section 14A of the Act by CIT(A). The CIT(A) deleted the addition based on the observation that the assessee had received Rs. 54.01 crores on account of security premium, and the maximum outstanding investment was Rs. 36.50 crores. The CIT(A) relied on the decision of the Hon'ble Bombay High Court in the case of Reliance Utilities and Power Ltd., which held that if there are sufficient interest-free funds available, a presumption arises that investments are made out of interest-free funds. The Tribunal upheld the CIT(A)'s decision, noting that the Revenue did not provide any cogent material to controvert the finding regarding the availability of interest-free funds.

Conclusion:
The Tribunal allowed the appeal filed by the assessee, confirming that the accounting method adopted by the assessee is in line with recognized accounting principles and judicial pronouncements. The Tribunal dismissed the Revenue's appeal, upholding the deletion of the addition under Section 14A by the CIT(A). The order was pronounced in the open court on 27/12/2018.

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