2011 (3) TMI 1392
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.... 2. The facts of the case stated briefly are that in respect of the assessment year 1987-88, the petitioner was charged interest under section 139 as also under section 215 of the Act and penalty was also levied under sections 271(1)(a) and 273(1)(b) of the Act. The petitioner made an application under section 273 of the Act on 30.11.1992, inter alia, stating that the petitioner had fulfilled all the conditions mentioned in section 273A of the Act for total waiver of the interest and penalties. It was also stated in the application that the petitioner had voluntarily and in good faith made full and true disclosure of her income prior to the issue of notice under section 139(2) of the Act and had cooperated in the inquiry relating to the ....
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....the Commissioner was required to consider the relevant factors as envisaged thereunder even in case where the assessee had paid the tax and interest payable in consequence of the order in respect of which the application under section 273A had been filed. It was, accordingly, submitted that the second ground for rejecting the application, viz., the payment of entire interest and penalty demanded under the order in respect of which the application had been filed had already made, and therefore, there was nothing to waive, is contrary to the provisions of the section 273A of the Act under which the Commissioner has exercised powers. It was submitted that under the circumstances, the impugned order being inconsistent with the provisions of sec....
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.... imposable on a person under clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 271; or reduce or waive the amount of interest paid or payable under sub-section (8) of section 139 or section 215 or section 217 or the penalty imposed or imposable under section 273, if he is satisfied that such person- (a) in the case referred to clause (i), has, prior to the issue of a notice to him under sub-section (2) of section 139, voluntarily and in good faith made full and true disclosure of his income; (b) in the case referred to in clause (ii), has, prior to the detection by the Income-tax officer, of the concealment of particulars of income or of the inaccuracy of particulars furnished in respect of such income, volu....
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....out reasonable cause, to furnish the return of total income which he was required to furnish under sub-section (1) of section 139. Thus, the question of waiver would arise in a case where there is failure without reasonable cause to furnish return of total income as required under sub section (1) of section 139 of the Act. In the circumstances, the question as to whether there was a reasonable cause for failure in furnishing return of total income under section 139(1) would have been considered at the time of levying penalty under clause(i) of sub-section (1) of section 271 of the Act and it is only when the adjudicating authority finds that there is no reasonable cause for such failure that penalty would have been levied. In view of the pr....
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....true disclosure of his income and has paid the tax on the income so disclosed. The Commissioner is also required to be satisfied that such person has co-operated in any enquiry relating to the assessment of his income. He is also required to be satisfied that such person has either paid or made satisfactory arrangements for the payment of any tax or interest payable in consequence of an order passed under the Act in respect of the relevant assessment year. Thus, while considering the application under section 273A, the Commissioner is required to be satisfied as aforesaid. A perusal of the impugned order shows that two factors have weighed with the Commissioner while rejecting the said application. Firstly that the reasons advance....
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....rovisions of the said statute. In the present case, as discussed hereinabove, the Commissioner instead of recording satisfaction or otherwise in respect of the grounds prescribed under section 273A of the Act, has rejected the petition on irrelevant grounds, firstly, on the ground that there was no reasonable cause for failure in filing the return of income belatedly, and secondly, on the ground that the petitioner had already paid the tax payable in consequence of the order of penalty, which ground in view of the provisions of section 273A of the Act should have, in fact, weighed in favour of the petitioner. Thus, the Commissioner has not exercised discretion as required under section 273A of the Act and as such the impugned order suffers ....
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