TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2013 (6) TMI 545
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....making the disallowance whatever expenses claimed by the appellant are already disallowed by the AO separately. 2. That on the facts in the circumstances of the case the CIT(A) has failed to appreciate the fact that before proceeding for inviting the provision of section 14A read with Rule 8D(2)(iii) the AO has conducted necessary examination and ground work, which are evident from the recordings of note-sheet." 3. We have heard rival submissions and gone through facts and circumstances of the case. Brief facts leading to the above issue are that during the course of assessment proceedings AO noticed that assessee has earned dividend income of Rs.32,43,231/- and claimed the same as exempt u/s. 10(34) of the Act. The AO required the assessee to furnish the details of expenditure incurred for earning this dividend income. The assessee in reply stated that no expenditure has been incurred to earn this dividend income because no new investment was made during the year and no interest at all is paid on the investments made for earning this dividend income. Further, it was clarified by the assessee that no loans were taken for making this investment for earning this dividend income....
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.... Before us, Ld. Sr. DR only relied on the assessment order. We find that the AO has not brought on record anything which proves that there is any expenditure incurred towards earning of this dividend income. This issue is covered by the decision of Mumbai Tribunal in the case of J. K. Investors (Bombay) Ltd. Vs. ACIT in ITA No.7858/Mum/2011, AY 2008-09 dated 13.03.2013, wherein it has been held as under: 11. We have heard the arguments of the parties and have perused the material placed before us. The issue as carved out by the AR is with respect to Rs.10,000 only, but on the contrary, the issue before us is on the applicability of Rule 14A and computation of disallowance as per Rule 8D. The relevant portion read out by the AR from the decision in the case of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd vs. DCIT (supra) in Para 70 of the order pertains to the correctness of computation of disallowance and giving valid reasons for such computation. The crux of argument of AR is with reference to Section 14(2) which is as under: "The Assessing Officer shall determine the amount of expenditure incurred in relation to such income which does not form part of the total income under this Act in acco....
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....pinion was expressed by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in the case of Maxopp Investment Ltd and Others v. CIT 247 CTR 162 wherein reliance was placed on the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of CIT vs. Walfort Share & Stock Brokers Pvt. Ltd 326 ITR 1 (SC) and the decision of the Hon'ble Bombay High Court in the case of Godrej and Boyce Company Ltd vs. DCIT (328 ITR 81). The relevant portions of the judgment of Hon'ble Delhi High Court are as under:- 29. Sub-section (2) of Section 14 A of the said Act provides the manner in which the Assessing Officer is to determine the amount of expenditure incurred in relation to income which does not form part of the total income. However, if we examine the provision carefully, we would find that the Assessing Officer is required to determine the amount of such expenditure only if the Assessing Officer, having regard to the accounts of the assessee, is not satisfied with the correctness of the claim of the assessee in respect of such expenditure in relation to income which does not form part of the total income under the said Act. In other words, the requirement of the Assessing Officer embarking upon a determination of the amou....
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....above that by virtue of Notification No.45/2008 dated 24/03/2008, the Central Board of Direct Taxes introduced Rule 8D in the said Rules. The said Rule 8D also makes it clear that where the Assessing Officer, having regard to the accounts of the assessee of a previous year, is not satisfied with (a) the correctness of the claim of expenditure made by the assessee; or (b) the claim made by the assessee that no expenditure has been incurred in relation to income which does not form part of the total income under the said Act for such previous year, the Assessing Officer shall determine the amount of the expenditure in relation to such income in accordance with the provisions of sub-rule (2) of Rule 8D. We may observe that Rule 8D(1) places the provisions of Section 14A(2) and (3) in the correct perspective. As we have already seen, while discussing the provisions of Sub-sections (2) and (3) of Section 14A, the condition precedent for the Assessing Officer to himself determine the amount of expenditure is that he must record his dissatisfaction with the correctness of the claim of expenditure made by the assessee or with the correctness of the claim made by the assessee that no expend....
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....h does not or shall not form part of the total income, is taken. ............... 41. Sub-section (2) of section 14A, as we have seen, stipulates that the Assessing Officer shall determine the amount of expenditure incurred in relation to income which does not form part of the total income "in accordance with such method as may be prescribed". of course, this determination can only be undertaken if the Assessing Officer is not satisfied with the correctness of the claim of the assessee in respect of such expenditure. This part of section 14A(2) which explicitly requires the fulfillment of a condition precedent is also implicit in section 14A(1) [as it now stands] as also in its initial avatar as section 14A. It is only the prescription with regard to the method of determining such expenditure which is new and which will operate prospectively. In other words, section 14A, even prior to the introduction of sub-sections (2) and (3) would require the assessing officer to first reject the claim of the assessee with regard to the extent of such expenditure and such rejection must be for disclosed cogent reasons. It is then that the question of determination of such expenditure by th....
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....pt income cannot be allowed and the expenses shall be allowed only to the extent they are related to the earning of taxable income. If there is expenditure directly or indirectly incurred in relation to exempt income, the same cannot be claimed against the income, which is taxable as it is held by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in case of Commissioner of Income-tax v. Walfort Share and Stock Brokers P. Ltd. reported in 326 ITR 1 that for attracting the provisions of section 14 A, there should be proximate cause for disallowance which as relationship with the tax exempt income. 5.1 The expenditure incurred in relation to the income which does not form part of total income has to be disallowed. However, it should be proximate relationship between the expenditure and the income, which does not form part of total income. Once such proximity relationships exist, the disallowance is to be effected. In case the assessee had claimed that no expenditure has been incurred for earning the exempt income, it was for the assessing officer to determine as to whether the assessee had incurred any expenditure in relation to income which did not form part of total income and if so to quantify the exte....
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....acity. The A.O. also has not disallowed any expenditure of personal nature out of the income from business or profession in the computation of income in the assessment order. In view of this, we are of the opinion that the expenditure claimed in the business of share dealings cannot be correlated to the incomes earned in personal capacity that too on dividend, PPF interest and tax free interest on RBI bonds. In view of this, we are of the opinion that estimation of expenditure of `.20,000/- out of business expenditure claimed in business activity cannot be considered for being incurred for this earning of tax free income of above nature. In view of this disallowance so made under section 14A of `.2O,OOO/- is deleted. Not only that the CIT(A) directed the A.O. to consider the allowance invoking Rule 8D. The Hon'ble Bombay High Court in the case of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. vs. DCIT 328 ITR 81 has considered Rule 8D to be applicable prospective and since the assessment year involved is before the introduction of sub section (2) & (3) of section 14A, there is no question of disallowing the amounts invoking Rule8D. Therefore, the CIT(A)'s direction on this is set aside and the addit....
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....nce u/s. 14A as per Rule 8D without rendering any opinion on the correctness or otherwise of the assessee's claim in this regard. We, therefore, set aside the impugned order on this issue and restore the matter to the file of AO to re-compute disallowance, if any, in accordance with our above observations after duly examining the assessee's claim in this regard." 6. In view of the above discussion and facts and circumstances of the case, we are of the considered opinion that no disallowance under section 14A is called for when the assessee has not incurred and claimed any expenditure for earning the exempt income. 16. Similar views were also expressed by the Coordinate Benches in the case of Relaxo Footwears Ltd, vs. Addl. CIT (2012) 50 SOT 102 and Priya Exhibitors (P) Ltd vs. ACIT (2012) 54 SOT 356. In the case of Relaxo Footwears Ltd, it was held as under:- "The Assessing Officer should have considered the claim of the assessee that no expenditure has been incurred in relation to earning the exempt income. If the claim was not found to be in consonance with the facts on record, it could have been rejected and disallowance could have been made as per rule 8D. However, it ....