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2016 (3) TMI 1087

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.... appeals are common, the same have been heard together and are  being disposed of by a single consolidated order.    2.  First we take up the cross appeals for A.Y. 2005-06. The issue  involved in Grounds No. 1 & 2 of the assessee's appeal relates to the  disallowance of Rs. 19,31,16,000/- made by the Assessing Officer and  confirmed by the ld. CIT(Appeals) under section 14A of the Income Tax  Act, 1961.    3. The assessee in the present case is a Government of India  Undertaking, which is engaged in Banking business. The return of income  for the year under consideration was filed by it on 31.10.2005 declaring a  loss of Rs. 6,67,27,05,079/- under normal provisions of the Act and the  negative book profit of Rs. 3,39,63,29,770/- under section 115JB of the  Act. In the said return, dividend income of Rs. 26.10 crores and interest  on tax-free Bonds of Rs. 22.74 crores received during the year under  consideration was claimed to be exempt by the assessee. The  disallowance on account of expenditure incurred in relation to the said  exempt income was offered by the assessee to the extent ....

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....sp;section 36(1)(viii) w.e.f. 1st April, 2008 clearly establishes that prior to  1st April, 2008, the Banks were not entitled to deduction under section  36(1)(viii).    7. We have heard the arguments of both the sides on this issue and  also perused the relevant material available on record. It is observed that  this issue involved in Grounds No. 3 & 4 of the assessee's appeal is  squarely covered in favour of the assessee by the decision of Mumbai  Bench of this Tribunal in the case of Union Bank of India -vs.- ACIT  rendered vide its order dated 30.06.2011 passed in ITA Nos. 4702 to  4706/MUM./2010, wherein a similar issue has been decided by the  Tribunal vide paragraph nos. 9, 10, 11 & 12, which read as under:-   "9. We find that as per Explanation (a) to Sec. 36(1)(viii) 'financial corporation' is defined to include a public company and a Government company. We are of the opinion that any entity incorporated under a statute carrying on the business of financing would come under the definition of financial corporation. The definition is not an exhaustive definition and the  term financial corporation h....

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....tion available to the assessee u/s. 36(1)(viii) the issue is remitted back to the file of the A.O. subject to the above direction the appeal of the assessee on this issue is allowed".    Respectfully following the decision of the Coordinate Bench of this  Tribunal in the case of Union Bank of India (supra), we hold that the  assessee in the present case is entitled for deduction under section  36(1)(viii) and accordingly direct the Assessing Officer to allow the claim  of the assessee for deduction under section 36(1)(viii) after verifying the  quantum thereof in accordance with law. Grounds No. 3 & 4 of the  assessee's appeal for A.Y. 2005-06 are accordingly treated as allowed.    8. The issue involved in Ground No. 5 of the assessee's appeal for A.Y.  2005-06 relates to the disallowance of Rs. 2,31,42,83,800/- made by the  Assessing Officer and confirmed by the ld. CIT(Appeals) by restricting the  claim of the assessee for deduction under section 36(1)(viia) of the Act  for provision for bad and doubtful debts.    9. In the return of income, deduction under section 36(1)(viia) on  account of p....

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....involved in this  context is whether the provisions of section 115JB are applicable to the  assessee-Bank and the same is squarely covered in favour of assessee,  inter alia, by the decision of the Hon'ble Kerala High Court in the case of  Kerala State Electricity Board -vs.- DCIT reported in 329 ITR 91, Mumbai  Bench of ITAT in the case of Maharashtra State Electricity Board -vs.-  ACIT reported in 220 ITR 422 and another decision of the Mumbai Bench  of ITAT in the case of Union Bank of India -vs.- ACIT (supra). As held by  the Mumbai Bench of ITAT in the case of Union Bank of India (supra),  provision of section 115JB is not applicable to the Bank as it is not  required to prepare its profit & loss account in accordance with Schedule  6B(i) of the Companies Act, 1956 but it prepares its Profit & Loss Account  as per the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. Respectfully following the ratio  of these judicial pronouncements, we hold that the provision of section  115JB is not applicable in the case of the assesese and accordingly delete  the additions made by the Assessing Officer and confirmed by the ld.  CI....

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....as challenged  by the assessee in the appeal filed before the ld. CIT(Appeals) and after  considering the submission made by the assessee as well as the material  available on record, the ld. CIT(Appeals) deleted the said disallowance  for the following reasons given in his impugned order:-   "I have gone through the submissions of the appellant and also the order of the A.O. According to the Accounting standard 29 issued by the ICAI "provision" is a liability which can be measured only by using a substantial degree of estimation. A "liability" is a present obligation of the enterprise arising from past events, the settlement of which is expected to result in an outflow from the enterprise of resources embodying economic benefits. According to paragraph 14 of (AS) 29, a provision should be recognized when:     A) An enterprise has a present obligation as a result of past event    B) It is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation; and    C) A reliable estimate can be made out of the obligation.    If the above conditions are made, provisi....

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....ction, as rightly  held by the Assessing Officer. He contended that the ld. CIT(Appeals),  however, overlooked these relevant aspects highlighted by the Assessing  Officer and allowed the claim of the assessee by relying on the decisions  of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Bharat Earth Movers (supra)  and Rotork Controls India (P) Limited (supra), which are distinguishable  on facts. He contended that in both these cases decided by the Hon'ble  Supreme Court, the provision was made for the present liability, whereas  in the case of the assessee, the liability on account of salary arrears was  not pertaining to the year under consideration alone, but the same  pertained to A.Y. 2003-04 and 2004-05 also. He has submitted that the  decision of Hyderabad Bench of ITAT in the case of Andhra Pradesh  Gramin Vikas Bank (ITA Nos. 51 & 88/HYD/2015 dated 10.04.2015), on  the other hand, is directly applicable to the facts of the present case and  strongly relied on the same in support of the Revenue's case on this issue.    17. The ld. counsel for the assessee, on the other hand, submitted that  th....

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....sp;   19. In support of the Revenue's case on this issue, the ld. D.R. has relied  on the decision of the Hyderabad Bench of this Tribunal in the case of  Andhra Pradesh Gramin Vikas Bank. It is, however, observed that the  same is distinguishable on facts, inasmuch as, the liability on account of  salary arrears in the said case had arisen as a result of proceedings held  on 24.07.2010, i.e. much later than the closure of the relevant year under  consideration and this being the undisputed position, the Tribunal held  that the said liability having neither arisen nor discharged during the  relevant year was not allowable as deduction.    20. In the case of IBP Company Limited (supra), the fact situation  involved, on the other hand, was similar to the case of the assessee  inasmuch as, the Pay Scale and other benefits of the Officers were due for  revision w.e.f. 1st August, 1997 and the exercise to revise the same was  already in progress. The basis of such revision was ultimately accepted by  the Government and it was on this basis that the assessee-company had  worked out the liability in res....

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....Officer by way of disallowance  of assessee's claim for bad debts written off under section 36(1)(vii) of  the Act.    23. In the Profit & Loss Account, a sum of Rs. 75,00,00,000/- was  debited by the assessee on account of bad debts written off relating to  Non-Rural Branches and the same was claimed as deduction under section  36(1)(vii). In this regard, the Assessing Officer noted that the opening  balance in the provision for bad and doubtful debts made by the assessee  under section 36(1)(viia) was to the extent of Rs. 584.04 crores. Since the  amount of bad debts written off by the assessee and claimed as deduction  under section 36(1)(vii) at Rs. 75,00,00,000/- was less than the opening  balance of provision made as per section 36(1)(viia), the Assessing  Officer held that the assessee was not entitled to any deduction under  section 36(1)(vii). On appeal, the ld. CIT(Appeals) allowed the claim of  the assessee for deduction on account of bad debts written off under  section 36(1)(vii) at Rs. 75,00,00,000/- by following the decision of  Tribunal in assessee's own case for A.Y. 2003-04 rende....

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....ing the year under consideration, the assessee-Bank had  transferred old outstanding balances aggregating to Rs. 104.63 crores  from "Contingency Account - General" to the credit of the Profit & Loss  Account under the head "other income" as per the decision taken by its  Board of Directors. On verification of the same, it was found by the  Assessing Officer that the amounts transferred by the assessee from  flabby accounts (i.e. bills payable, Debit Note payable, etc.) to the extent  of Rs. 43.12 croes and from sundry creditors to the extent of Rs. 1.97  crores were in the nature of cessation of liability as covered by the  provisions of section 41(1) of the Act. He, accordingly, invoked the said  provision and made addition of Rs. 45.09 crores to the total income of the  assessee. On appeal, the ld. CIT(Appeals) confirmed the said addition  made by the Assessing Officer for the following reasons given in his  impugned order:-   "l have gone through the submissions of the appellant and also the order of the AO. In the assessment order at Para 9, AO after analysing the credits made to the profit and loss accoun....

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....He has urged that an opportunity may, therefore, be  given to the assessee to establish that the said amounts had not been  claimed by it as deduction in any of the earlier years and the provisions  of section 41(1) thus are not applicable. Although the ld. D.R. has strongly  opposed to this request of the ld. counsel for the assessee, we consider it  fair and reasonable and in the interest of justice to accede to the said  request. Accordingly, the impugned order of the ld. CIT(Appeals) on this  issue is set aside and the matter is restored to the file of the Assessing  Officer for the limited purpose of giving the assessee an opportunity to  establish its case that no deduction on account of the amounts in question  was claimed by it while computing the total income of any of the earlier  years. Ground No. 3 of the assessee's appeal for A.Y. 2006-07 is  accordingly treated as allowed for statistical purposes.    29. As regards Ground No. 4 of the assessee's appeal for A.Y. 2006-07,  it is observed that the issue involved therein relating to the disallowance  made by the Assessing Officer and confirme....