TNMM benchmarking of AMP costs bars separate transfer-pricing adjustment when accepted operating margins already absorb those expenditures.
AMP expenditure included in operating costs for interconnected international transactions benchmarked under TNMM cannot be separately subjected to an arm's-length adjustment where accepted net margins already absorb that cost; separate benchmarking without proper segregation would distort the selected method, and the Bright Line Test does not support a protective adjustment. A separate interest adjustment on outstanding receivables requires verification of whether working-capital adjustments already reflected the impact, to prevent duplication. A mismatch between returned income and Form 26AS receipts requires factual examination where receipts are claimed to belong to associated enterprises, including evidence relating to their Indian assessment and mutual agreement procedure.
Issues: (i) Whether advertising, marketing and promotion expenditure, already included in operating costs while benchmarking interconnected international transactions under the Transactional Net Margin Method, could be separately benchmarked and adjusted; (ii) Whether a separate adjustment for interest on outstanding receivables was sustainable despite a claimed working-capital adjustment; (iii) Whether the addition for mismatch between returned income and Form 26AS receipts required verification where the receipts were claimed to belong to associated enterprises and to have been assessed in their hands.
Issue (i): Whether advertising, marketing and promotion expenditure, already included in operating costs while benchmarking interconnected international transactions under the Transactional Net Margin Method, could be separately benchmarked and adjusted.
Analysis: The international transactions concerning agency commission, advertising sales and marketing services had been benchmarked under TNMM, with AMP expenditure forming part of operating costs. The declared margins were accepted as being at arm's length. Under TNMM, once the interconnected transactions and their net margins have been accepted after functional comparability, a horizontal cost item forming part of those transactions cannot be separately benchmarked without segregation. Applying another method to that component would distort the selected most appropriate method. The Bright Line Test was also inapplicable for a separate protective adjustment.
Conclusion: The substantive and protective AMP adjustments were deleted in favour of the assessee.
Issue (ii): Whether a separate adjustment for interest on outstanding receivables was sustainable despite a claimed working-capital adjustment.
Analysis: The assessee asserted that working-capital adjustments had already been made both in its margins charged to associated enterprises and in the comparable companies' financials. The claim required factual verification to determine whether a separate receivables adjustment would result in duplication.
Conclusion: The issue was remitted for verification; if the working-capital-adjustment claim is verified, no separate interest adjustment shall be made.
Issue (iii): Whether the addition for mismatch between returned income and Form 26AS receipts required verification where the receipts were claimed to belong to associated enterprises and to have been assessed in their hands.
Analysis: The assessee produced additional material concerning assessment of the associated enterprises' Indian receipts, including material relating to resolution under the mutual agreement procedure. Since the receipts were asserted not to constitute the assessee's income and the claim required factual examination, the additional evidence was admitted for verification.
Conclusion: The mismatch addition was remitted for verification and fresh decision in accordance with law.
Final Conclusion: Separate transfer-pricing adjustment of AMP expenditure cannot survive where the expense has already been absorbed in accepted TNMM benchmarking, while the receivables and income-mismatch matters require factual verification.
Ratio Decidendi: Where AMP expenditure is included in the operating costs of interconnected international transactions benchmarked and accepted under TNMM, it cannot be separately subjected to an arm's-length adjustment without proper segregation.