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Issues: (i) Whether disallowances under Section 43B for unpaid bonus provisions could be sustained where the amount was offered to tax in the succeeding year; (ii) whether provisions made against standard assets were deductible; (iii) whether a provision for income tax already added back in the computation could be disallowed again; (iv) whether brought-forward unabsorbed depreciation was available for set-off after recomputation of the preceding year; and (v) whether ex-gratia payments were allowable as business expenditure.
Issue (i): Validity of disallowance of bonus provisions under Section 43B and prevention of double taxation.
Analysis: A bonus provision charged to the profit and loss account is subject to disallowance under Section 43B in the year in which it is claimed if the statutory payment condition is not met. However, where the same amount has subsequently been offered to tax, retaining both adjustments would result in double taxation. Verification was therefore directed to determine whether the amount was offered in the succeeding assessment year.
Conclusion: The disallowance for the relevant year was sustained, subject to reduction from the assessee's income if the amount had been offered to tax in the succeeding year.
Issue (ii): Deductibility of provisions made against standard assets under Section 36(1)(viia) and Section 36(1)(vii) of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
Analysis: Following the applicable Special Bench ruling, the provisions made against standard assets were held eligible for deduction under the statutory framework governing provisions for bad and doubtful debts.
Conclusion: The disallowances relating to provisions against standard assets were deleted.
Issue (iii): Whether a provision for income tax already added back in the computation of income could be disallowed again.
Analysis: The computation of income showed that the provision for income tax debited to the profit and loss account had already been added back. A further disallowance by the Assessing Officer would constitute a duplicate adjustment.
Conclusion: The disallowance of the provision for income tax was deleted.
Issue (iv): Whether brought-forward unabsorbed depreciation could be carried forward and set off after recomputation of the preceding assessment year.
Analysis: The Tribunal directed recomputation of the preceding year's total income after giving effect to the relief granted. Any loss or unabsorbed depreciation remaining thereafter was held eligible for carry forward and set-off against the income of the following assessment year.
Conclusion: The claim for carry forward and set-off of unabsorbed depreciation was allowed for statistical purposes, subject to recomputation.
Issue (v): Whether ex-gratia payments to employees could be disallowed under Section 37(1) on the ground that the liability related to an earlier year.
Analysis: Ex-gratia payments made pursuant to the bank's employee incentive policy were treated as salary or incentive payments rather than statutory bonus. The payments were allowable business expenditure in the year of payment and could not be disallowed under Section 37(1) merely because the liability had accumulated over earlier years.
Conclusion: The disallowance of the ex-gratia payment was deleted.
Final Conclusion: Relief was granted on the disallowances relating to standard-asset provisions, the already-added-back income-tax provision, ex-gratia payments, and the consequential depreciation claim, while the bonus-provision adjustment remained subject to verification to prevent duplicate taxation.
Ratio Decidendi: An amount disallowed under the applicable statutory provision cannot be taxed again when it has been offered to tax in a succeeding year; provisions against standard assets may qualify for deduction under the applicable bad-debt provision, and ex-gratia employee incentives are allowable business expenditure when incurred in the year of payment.
Duplicate taxation prevention requires adjustment where unpaid bonus provisions are later offered to tax, while qualifying employee incentives remain deductible.
Unpaid bonus provisions are disallowable in the year claimed unless the statutory payment condition is met, but the corresponding income must be reduced if the same amount was offered to tax in the succeeding year, preventing duplicate taxation. Provisions against standard assets may qualify for deduction under the framework for bad and doubtful debts. A provision for income tax already added back in the computation cannot be disallowed again. Following recomputation of the preceding year, any remaining unabsorbed depreciation may be carried forward and set off in the following year. Ex-gratia employee incentives paid under an employee incentive policy are allowable business expenditure in the year of payment and are not disallowable merely because the liability accumulated earlier.
Deduction for provision against standard assets - Disallowance of unpaid bonus provision - Ex gratia employee payment as salary incentive - Set-off of recomputed unabsorbed depreciation - Double taxation of income already offered Disallowance of unpaid bonus provision - Double taxation of income already offered - Disallowance of bonus provision for non-payment in Assessment Year 2013-14 where the excess provision was reversed and offered to tax in the succeeding year - HELD THAT: - A bonus provision charged to the profit and loss account is liable to disallowance for non-payment in the year in which it is claimed. However, the same income cannot be subjected to tax again merely because the excess provision was reversed and offered in the succeeding year. [Paras 8] The disallowance was sustained, subject to verification and reduction from the succeeding year's income if the amount had already been offered to tax. Deduction for provision against standard assets - Deduction for provisions made by a co-operative bank against standard assets - HELD THAT: - Following the Special Bench decision in Malwa Gramin Bank Vs DCIT, Circle Sangrur (Punjab) [2026 (5) TMI 947 - ITAT CHANDIGARH] deduction was held allowable for provision made against standard assets. [Paras 10, 24] The disallowances of provisions for standard assets for both assessment years were deleted. Double disallowance of income-tax provision - Disallowance of provision for income tax already added back by the assessee in computing total income for Assessment Year 2013-14 - HELD THAT: - As the provision debited to the profit and loss account had already been added back in the computation of income, a further disallowance would result in a double addition. [Paras 14] The disallowance was deleted. Set-off of recomputed unabsorbed depreciation - Set-off in Assessment Year 2014-15 of unabsorbed depreciation arising after recomputation of the preceding year's income - HELD THAT: - The availability of carry-forward loss or unabsorbed depreciation depended upon recomputation of the income for Assessment Year 2013-14 after giving effect to the Tribunal's order. [Paras 17] The Assessing Officer was directed to recompute the preceding year's income and allow carry-forward and set-off of any resultant loss or unabsorbed depreciation. Disallowance u/s 43B on account of payment of Ex-gratia payment - Allowability of prior-period employee incentive on payment basis - HELD THAT: - Ex gratia payments made as employee incentives, distinct from statutory bonus, are in the nature of salary or incentive and are not governed by the disallowance applicable to unpaid bonus. Though accumulated over different years, they were allowable in the year of payment and could not be disallowed as prior-period liability. [Paras 22] The disallowance of ex gratia payment was deleted. Final Conclusion: The appeals were partly allowed. The Tribunal sustained the unpaid bonus disallowance for Assessment Year 2013-14 subject to avoidance of double taxation, while deleting the disallowances relating to standard-asset provisions, income-tax provision and ex gratia employee payments, and directing recomputation for carry-forward depreciation.