Tax tribunal decision: delay condoned, interest disallowance deleted, PF payment disallowed. COVID-19 lockdown not counted.

The tribunal partially allowed the assessee's appeal by condoning the delay in filing, deleting the disallowance of interest under Section 36(1)(iii), and upholding the disallowance of the delayed Provident Fund payment under Section 36(1)(va). The tribunal justified the procedural delay in pronouncing the order due to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, excluding the lockdown period from the computation of the 90-day limit.

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Issues Involved:
1. Delay in filing the appeal.
2. Disallowance of interest under Section 36(1)(iii).
3. Disallowance of delayed payment of Employee’s Contribution to Provident Fund under Section 36(1)(va).

Issue-wise Detailed Analysis:

1. Delay in Filing the Appeal:
The assessee's appeal faced a delay of approximately 50 days. The delay was attributed to the late receipt of the appellate order by the authorized representative, which delayed the preparation and filing of the appeal. The tribunal found the explanation genuine and condoned the delay, noting no intentional lapse on the part of the assessee.

2. Disallowance of Interest under Section 36(1)(iii):
The main issue was the disallowance of interest amounting to Rs. 23,36,125/- under Section 36(1)(iii). The assessee argued that the disallowance was unjustified as the interest-bearing funds were not used for making interest-free advances. The assessee had sufficient own interest-free funds, which were used for business purposes. The tribunal referred to a previous judgment in the assessee's favor for the assessment year 2012-13, where it was established that the assessee had sufficient surplus funds. The tribunal noted that the assessee’s own funds were utilized for advances, and the revenue could not question the reasonableness of the expenditure once the nexus between the expenditure and the business purpose was established. The tribunal found no reason to deviate from the earlier judgment and deleted the disallowance of Rs. 23,36,125/-.

3. Disallowance of Delayed Payment of Employee’s Contribution to Provident Fund under Section 36(1)(va):
The assessee admitted to a delayed payment of Rs. 3,650/- towards the Employee’s Contribution to Provident Fund. The tribunal upheld the disallowance, citing the Gujarat High Court's judgment in the case of CIT vs. Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation, which mandates that such expenses are not allowable if paid after the due date under the Provident Fund Act.

Additional Observations:
The tribunal also addressed the procedural issue of pronouncing the order beyond the 90-day period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It referred to the Supreme Court and Bombay High Court's directives extending the limitation period due to the lockdown. The tribunal excluded the lockdown period from the computation of the 90-day limit, thus pronouncing the order within the permissible time frame.

Conclusion:
The tribunal allowed the assessee's appeal partly by condoning the delay in filing, deleting the disallowance of interest under Section 36(1)(iii), and upholding the disallowance of the delayed Provident Fund payment under Section 36(1)(va). The procedural delay in pronouncing the order was justified due to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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