Residency and treaty tie-breaker tests favoured India; draft assessment stood, but refund computation required correction.

Section 6(1)(c) applied because the assessee stayed in India for 141 days in the relevant year and more than 365 days in the preceding four years; Explanation 1(b) was confined to Indian citizens or persons of Indian origin on a visit to India, and Explanation 1(a) did not apply because the departure for employment occurred in an earlier year. Under Article 4 of the India-Singapore DTAA, the tie-breaker tests pointed to India: the assessee had homes in both countries, but personal and economic ties, including Indian properties, investments and business links, were closer to India. The draft assessment procedure under section 144C was treated as valid because the proposed variation was prejudicial to the assessee, while the demand computation was required to be corrected for the refund amount.

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Issues: (i) Whether the assessee was a resident in India for the relevant previous year under section 6(1)(c) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, and whether Explanation 1(a) or Explanation 1(b) to that provision extended the period of stay to 182 days; (ii) Whether, on the facts, the assessee was entitled to treaty residence in Singapore under Article 4 of the India-Singapore Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement; (iii) Whether the draft assessment order and consequent final assessment were invalid on the ground that the assessee was not an eligible assessee under section 144C of the Income-tax Act, 1961; (iv) Whether the demand computation required correction in respect of the refund amount.

Issue (i): Whether the assessee was a resident in India under section 6(1)(c), and whether Explanation 1(a) or Explanation 1(b) applied.

Analysis: The assessee stayed in India for 141 days in the relevant previous year and had stayed in India for more than 365 days in the preceding four years. The statutory conditions in section 6(1)(c) were therefore satisfied. Explanation 1(b) was held to be a relaxation intended for Indian citizens or persons of Indian origin who are already outside India and come on a visit to India, and not for a person who was resident in the immediately preceding year. Explanation 1(a) was also held inapplicable because the assessee had left India for employment in an earlier previous year, not in the relevant previous year.

Conclusion: The assessee was held to be a resident of India for the relevant year, and no benefit was allowed under Explanation 1(a) or Explanation 1(b).

Issue (ii): Whether the assessee was entitled to be treated as resident of Singapore under Article 4 of the India-Singapore DTAA.

Analysis: On the permanent home test, the assessee was found to have residential accommodation in both India and Singapore. On the centre of vital interests test, the Tribunal held that the assessee's personal and economic ties were closer to India, having regard to the Indian properties, investments, business nexus, and the substantial Indian connection of the overall factual matrix. The habitual abode test also did not shift the conclusion away from India.

Conclusion: The tie-breaker provisions did not assist the assessee, and treaty residence was held to be in India.

Issue (iii): Whether the draft assessment order was invalid for want of jurisdiction under section 144C on the ground that the assessee was not an eligible assessee.

Analysis: The assessee had filed the return as a non-resident, and the Assessing Officer proposed a variation prejudicial to the assessee by treating him as a resident. On that basis, the matter was held to fall within section 144C and the draft assessment procedure was treated as valid. The challenge based on limitation therefore failed.

Conclusion: The draft assessment order and the final assessment order were upheld as valid.

Issue (iv): Whether the demand computation required correction for the refund amount.

Analysis: The Tribunal accepted the grievance that the refund amount used in the computation had not been received by the assessee and directed the Assessing Officer to verify the position and issue refund afresh if required.

Conclusion: Relief was granted to the assessee on the refund computation issue.

Final Conclusion: The appeal succeeded only to the limited extent of the refund computation dispute, while the core challenges to residential status, treaty residence, and validity of the assessment procedure were rejected.

Ratio Decidendi: The day-count test in section 6(1)(c) applies unless the assessee strictly satisfies the statutory conditions for the specific Explanation invoked, and treaty residence under Article 4 turns on the sequential factual tests of permanent home, centre of vital interests, habitual abode, and nationality.

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