1971 (10) TMI 24 - HC - Income Tax

High Court rules property gifted to spouse not part of deceased's estate

The High Court ruled in favor of the accountable person in a dispute over the inclusion of a property in the deceased individual's estate. The Court found ... Estate Duty Act, 1953 - dispute relates to the estate of Shri T.D. Kochhar who died on August 24, 1961. The property in dispute was built between 1931 and 1937, and was registered in the name of the wife of the deceased - source of money spent on this property was the husband who continued to reside in the house till his death. On these facts the Assistant Controller of Estate Duty included the same in the estate of the deceased. The accountable person filed an appeal - Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Appellate Tribunal was right in holding that the value of the Kanpur property was not includible in the estate of the deceased Issues:Interpretation of Section 6 of the Estate Duty Act regarding inclusion of property in deceased's estate.Application of Section 10 of the Estate Duty Act in the case of property gifted by the deceased.Analysis:The judgment by the High Court of Allahabad involved a dispute regarding the estate of a deceased individual, Shri T.D. Kochhar, and the inclusion of a property in Kanpur in his estate. The property in question was built using money gifted by the deceased to his wife and registered in her name, but he continued to reside in it until his death. The Assistant Controller of Estate Duty included the property in the deceased's estate, leading to an appeal by the accountable person.The Zonal Appellate Controller found that as per Section 6 of the Estate Duty Act, the deceased had no disposable interest in the property, and thus it should not be included in his estate. The Appellate Controller also rejected the department's argument for inclusion under Section 10 of the Act. The Tribunal upheld these findings and dismissed the appeal regarding the Kanpur property.In analyzing the case, the High Court considered the provisions of Section 6 of the Estate Duty Act, which deems property disposed of by the deceased at the time of death as part of the estate. It was established that property held benami in another's name requires a court declaration for disposal. The Court also discussed the application of Section 10, which deems property gifted by the donor to pass on their death if not immediately assumed and retained by the donee.The Court referred to a previous decision regarding the retrospective application of the second proviso of Section 10, determining it did not apply in this case as the deceased passed away before its effective date. The main issue revolved around whether Section 10 applied to the property, considering it was built using gifted money but not directly gifted as property. The Court concluded that Section 10 did not apply as the deceased did not retain possession and enjoyment of the gifted property, which was used to construct a separate immovable property.Ultimately, the High Court answered the question in favor of the accountable person, ruling that the Kanpur property was not includible in the deceased's estate. The accountable person was awarded costs, and the decision was made in their favor.In summary, the judgment clarified the interpretation of Sections 6 and 10 of the Estate Duty Act in the context of including a property in a deceased individual's estate, emphasizing the need for possession and enjoyment of gifted property for Section 10 to apply.