Year-wise capital-gains taxation applies to separate sale deeds, while valuation, deductions and duplicate-tax relief require fresh determination.
Capital gains from independently registered sale deeds accrue in the respective assessment years of transfer, rather than collectively in one year. Reassessment may be sustained where returns were only processed under section 143(1) and subsequent scrutiny information indicates transfers in other years. Stamp-duty valuation, indexed cost and proportionate capital-gains computation require fresh factual examination. Deduction claims for eligible reinvestment may be considered in appellate proceedings despite no revised return. Tax relief is required to prevent the same capital gains being taxed twice across assessment years. Concealment penalties do not apply where transactions were disclosed, the year of taxability was debatable, and additions partly arose from deeming valuation.
Issues: (i) Whether reassessment under section 147 for AYs 2013-14 and 2015-16 was valid; (ii) Whether capital gains on transfers under separate sale deeds were taxable wholly in AY 2014-15 or in the respective years of transfer; (iii) Whether capital-gains computation under section 50C required fresh adjudication, including valuation objections and proportionate computation; (iv) Whether deductions under sections 54D, 54F and 54G could be examined despite absence of a revised return; (v) Whether relief must be granted to prevent double taxation of the same income across assessment years; (vi) Whether penalties under section 271(1)(c) were leviable for AYs 2013-14 and 2015-16.
Issue (i): Whether reassessment under section 147 for AYs 2013-14 and 2015-16 was valid.
Analysis: The returns for the relevant years had only been processed under section 143(1), without scrutiny assessment. Information obtained during scrutiny for AY 2014-15 regarding transfers effected in other years provided a basis for reopening.
Conclusion: The reassessments for AYs 2013-14 and 2015-16 were valid. This issue is against the assessee.
Issue (ii): Whether capital gains on transfers under separate sale deeds were taxable wholly in AY 2014-15 or in the respective years of transfer.
Analysis: The property was transferred through independently registered sale deeds executed in different financial years. Under sections 45 and 2(47), each such transfer gives rise to capital gains in the year in which that transfer occurs; the transactions could not be treated as one composite transfer taxable only in AY 2014-15.
Conclusion: Capital gains are taxable in the respective assessment years in which the separate transfers took place. This issue is against the assessee.
Issue (iii): Whether capital-gains computation under section 50C required fresh adjudication, including valuation objections and proportionate computation.
Analysis: Objections were raised to adoption of stamp-duty/DVO valuation, the opportunity afforded in valuation proceedings, and computation of the indexed cost. Since the allocation of gains to the respective years was settled, the valuation-based computation required fresh factual examination.
Conclusion: The computation of capital gains and application of section 50C were remitted to the Assessing Officer for fresh adjudication after reasonable opportunity to the assessee.
Issue (iv): Whether deductions under sections 54D, 54F and 54G could be examined despite absence of a revised return.
Analysis: The restriction on making a fresh claim without a revised return applies to the Assessing Officer and does not restrict consideration of such a claim in appellate proceedings. The deduction claims consequently required examination on their merits.
Conclusion: The deduction claims under sections 54D, 54F and 54G were restored to the Assessing Officer for adjudication on merits. This issue is in favour of the assessee.
Issue (v): Whether relief must be granted to prevent double taxation of the same income across assessment years.
Analysis: Although gains are assessable in the correct years of transfer, the same income cannot be subjected to tax more than once.
Conclusion: Appropriate relief must be granted to eliminate any double taxation. This issue is in favour of the assessee.
Issue (vi): Whether penalties under section 271(1)(c) were leviable for AYs 2013-14 and 2015-16.
Analysis: The entire transaction had been disclosed, while the dispute concerned the year of taxability. The issue was debatable, and part of the addition resulted from the deeming valuation mechanism under section 50C.
Conclusion: Penalties under section 271(1)(c) for both assessment years were deleted. This issue is in favour of the assessee.
Final Conclusion: The reassessment jurisdiction and year-wise allocation of capital gains remain intact, while valuation and deduction issues require fresh determination, any duplicate levy must be eliminated, and the concealment penalties do not survive.
Ratio Decidendi: Capital gains from independently registered sale deeds accrue for tax purposes in the assessment year corresponding to each respective transfer.