Arm's length pricing requires prescribed methods; unsupported consideration reallocation fails, while treaty dividend relief awaits authoritative resolution.
Arm's length price adjustments must use a prescribed method and be supported by comparable, valuation or economic analysis; an ad hoc reallocation of consideration cannot rewrite independently negotiated agreements absent sham, collusion or non-arm's-length dealings. The transfer-pricing adjustment was therefore deleted. Treaty-rate relief for dividend distribution tax under the India-Belgium treaty requires determination in line with the pending Supreme Court resolution, and the refund claim was remitted accordingly. Interest for delayed return filing was deleted because an e-filing portal malfunction beyond the taxpayer's control caused the delay.
Issues: (i) Validity of the transfer-pricing adjustment on reallocation of consideration from the sale of an identified pharmaceutical business; (ii) Entitlement to treaty-rate relief and refund of excess dividend distribution tax; (iii) Levy of interest for delayed filing of return.
Issue (i): Validity of the transfer-pricing adjustment on reallocation of consideration from the sale of an identified pharmaceutical business.
Analysis: Section 92C(1) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 requires determination of arm's length price through the most appropriate prescribed method. Rule 10AB of the Income-tax Rules, 1962 requires the Other Method to rest on prices in comparable uncontrolled circumstances. The attribution of 99% of the combined consideration to the assessee, based principally on its advertisement, marketing and promotion expenditure, was unsupported by a prescribed method, comparable analysis, valuation, or economic analysis.
Analysis: The separate business-transfer and intellectual-property assignment agreements with the unrelated purchaser were independently negotiated. In the absence of a finding of collusion, sham, or non-arm's-length dealing, their commercial allocation could not be rewritten. Marketing expenditure did not by itself establish economic ownership of the global intellectual property. The assessee's contribution analysis, which matched the actual consideration split, was more credible than the ad hoc allocation. The jurisdictional defect arising from non-application of a prescribed method did not warrant a fresh opportunity to the transfer-pricing authority.
Conclusion: The transfer-pricing adjustment is deleted in favour of the assessee.
Issue (ii): Entitlement to treaty-rate relief and refund of excess dividend distribution tax.
Analysis: The claim invokes the more beneficial treaty rate under Section 90(2) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 read with Article 10(2) of the India-Belgium Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, instead of the rate under Section 115-O of the Income-tax Act, 1961. As the governing legal controversy is pending before the Supreme Court, the claim requires implementation according to that outcome.
Conclusion: The treaty-rate and refund claim is remitted to the Assessing Officer for determination in accordance with the outcome of the pending Supreme Court proceedings, with opportunity of hearing to the assessee.
Issue (iii): Levy of interest for delayed filing of return.
Analysis: Although the return acknowledgement reflected filing shortly after the due date, the delay resulted from a technical malfunction of the e-filing portal when the return was ready for filing by the due date. Interest under Section 234A of the Income-tax Act, 1961 is not warranted where the delay is attributable to circumstances beyond the assessee's control.
Conclusion: Interest under Section 234A is deleted in favour of the assessee.
Final Conclusion: The unsupported transfer-pricing reallocation and the interest levy cannot be sustained, while the dividend distribution tax treaty claim must await the authoritative resolution of the pending legal controversy.
Ratio Decidendi: An arm's length price adjustment cannot be made through an ad hoc allocation outside the prescribed transfer-pricing methods, particularly where it rewrites genuine independently negotiated commercial arrangements without findings of sham or collusion.