HC allowed the appeal, set aside the AAR ruling, and held that...

HC allowed the appeal, set aside the AAR ruling, and held that DDT is, in pith and substance, a tax on dividend income of the shareholder, though collected from the distributing company. Consequently, DDT falls within the scope of "tax on dividends" under Article 11 of the India-UK DTAA. By virtue of Section 90(2), the Appellant is entitled to apply the more beneficial treaty rate, limiting Indian tax on such dividends to 10%. Retention of DDT collected in excess of 10% is impermissible. The Department is, however, permitted to gross up the tax appropriately.