TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2017 (1) TMI 1042
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.... documents were found and accordingly appropriate assets / documents were seized. Arguments were based on these seizures, framed in the case of M/s.Flemingo/Bermaco Group u/s.153A. The assessee is one of the group company. Consequent to the search & seizure action, notices u/s.153C of the Act were issued and assessments u/s.153C r.w.s. 143(3) of the Act were completed for AYrs.2004-05 and 2005-06 5. During the course of scrutiny assessment, AO made addition on account of share capital by observing that assessee could not substantiate genuineness of transaction and source of fund. By the impugned order, CIT(A) confirmed the action of the AO against which assessee is in further appeal before us. 6. Before CIT(A), the assessee raised ground with regard to the legality of the assessment framed u/s.153C without recording satisfaction by the AO of the searched person and also on the plea that no incriminating material was found during the course of search so as to make any addition u/s.153C. It was also contended by learned AR that during the course of search proceedings conducted in Bermaco Group, no material was found regarding share application money which was received by the co....
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....h) ITAT Pune Bench in case of ACIT vs. SRJ Peety Steels P. Ltd. [2011] 137 TTJ 627 i) Mumbai Tribunal In the case of Nikki Agarwal vs. ACIT dated 22-01-2014 being ITA No. 879/M/2011 [2014-TIOL-75-ITAT-MUM] j) Mumbai Tribunal in the case of Parag M. Sanghvi vs. ACIT in ITA No. 8027/Mum/2010 dated 30-09-2015 k) Mumbai Tribunal in the case of Zeenat P. Sanghvi vs. DCIT in ITA No. 8026/Mum/2010 dated 19-12-2014 l) Jaipur Tribunal in the case of Jadau Jewellers & Manufacturers Ltd. vs. ACIT in ITA No. 686/JP/2014-[2016j 175 TTJ 344 m) Latest decision of Mumbai Tribunal in the case of Group company of Appellant, M/ s Bermaco Energy Systems Ltd Vs DCIT dated 31 May 2016 [ITA Nos 2198, 2199 & 2202/Mum/2013] - pages 161-211 of paperbook, AY 2004-05 Volume 2 n) Latest decision of Delhi Tribunal in the case of M/s Suncity Projects Pvt Ltd Vs DCIT dated 21 March 2016 [ITA no 14/Del/2012][2016-TIOL-643-ITAT pages 212-234 of paperbook, AY 2004-05 Volume 2 ] 9. Learned AR further submitted that no documents were found in relation to following additions made by AO while passing order u/s.153C LW.S. 143(3) of the Act, 1961: 1. For AY 2004-05 : Disallowance of Rs. 29,00,000/-....
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....nies; v) Confirmations; vi) Balance sheet of those companies; and vii) Copy of Income-tax returns filed by the share applicant companies for relevant Assessment Year. 15. On the other hand, learned DR relied on the order of the lower authorities and contended that assessee could not substantiate genuineness of transaction and creditworthiness of shareholder, therefore, AO was justified in making addition on account of share capital. With regard to legal ground, contention of learned DR was that at para 8.4, CIT(A) has observed that recording of satisfaction is not necessary as there is no need for handing over of the books or documents for the assets seized to another AO, as the AO in the case of assessee company was also the same where search operations were conducted on the basis of joint warrant of authorization. 16. We have considered rival contentions and carefully gone through the orders of the authorities below. We had deliberated on the judicial pronouncements referred by lower authorities in their respective orders as well as cited by learned AR and DR in the context of factual matrix of the case. Issue with regard to addition without finding any incriminati....
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....assessee, was duly recorded in the regular books of account and shown in the audited accounts filed along with the return of income for the respective years. Applying the proposition of law laid down by ITAT Special Bench in the case of All Cargo Logistics Ltd., 137 ITD 287, which was confirmed by Hon‟ble Bombay High Court vide order dated 21-4-2015, to the facts of the instant case, we can safely reach to the conclusion that in respect of the years for which assessment was not pending on the date of search and when no incriminating material was found during the course of search, the addition so made in the A.Y.2004-05 & 2005-06 were not justified. Hon‟ble Bombay High Court in the case of Continental Warehousing Corporation (Nhava Sheva) Ltd. [2015] 58 taxmann.com 78 held as under: Whether in a case where pursuant to issue of notice under section 153A assessments are abated, Assessing Officer retains original jurisdiction as well as jurisdiction conferred on him under section 153A for which assessments shall be made for each of six assessment years separately - Held, yes - Whether no addition can be made in respect of unabated assessments which have become fina....
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....nting withholding or part income or property which has not been or would not have been disclosed for the purpose of the Indian Income-tax Act, 1922 or the Income-tax Act of 1961 by any person from whose possession or control they have been taken into custody. This is when the authorities have reason to believe that such powers need to be exercised. Therefore, the fetters and which are to be found in other provisions are removed and a notice of assessment in such cases is then issued. That is mandated by sub-section (1) of section 153A. It is not only the issuance of the notice but assessment or reassessment of total income of six assessment years immediately preceding the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which such search is conducted or requisition has to be made. ■ There is much substance in the contentions of the assessee that the provisions such as section 153A enabling assessment in case of search or requisition making specific reference to the provisions which enable carrying out of search or exercise of power of requisition that the assessment in furtherance thereof is contemplated. ■ Assessee's reliance upon the Division Ben....
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....ant Court is not agreeable because the essential controversy before the Bench was somewhat different. Revenue urged that was only in relation to the legality and validity of the order of the Commissioner under section 263. Had that been the case, the Division Bench was not required to trace out the history of section 153A and the power that is conferred thereunder. When the revenue argued before the Division Bench that the power under section 153A can be invoked and exercised even in cases where the second proviso to sub-section (1) is not applicable that the Division Bench was required to express a specific opinion. The provision deals with those cases where assessment or reassessment, if any, relating to the assessment years falling within the period of six assessment years referred to in sub-section (1) of section 153A were pending. If they were pending on the date of the initiation of the search under section 132 or making of requisition under section 132A, as the case may be, they abate. It is only pending proceedings that would abate and not where there are orders made of assessment or reassessment and which are in force on the date of initiation of the search or making of th....
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....aving gone through the orders of the authorities below, we find that the Learned CIT(Appeals) has rejected the contentions of the assessee on the issue of validity of assessment framed under sec. 153A read with sec. 143(3) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 in absence of incriminating material found during the course of search and in the absence of the pendency of the assessment as on the date of search on the basis that for framing assessment under sec. 153A, no such requirement is there and the only requirement is that search has been conducted under sec. 132 of the Act. 10. Having gone through the decisions cited by the learned AR including the decision of Special Bench of the ITAT in the case of AL Cargo Global Logistic Ltd. vs. CIT (supra), we find that the ratio laid down therein, supports the contentions of the assessee on the issue. It reads as under: "58. Thus, question No. 1 before us is answered as under :- (a) In assessments that are abated, the AO retains the original jurisdiction as well as jurisdiction conferred on him u/s 153A for which assessments shall be made for each of the six assessment year separately : (b) In other cases, in addition t....
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....e of Anil Kumar Bhatia (supra) about not making of any addition in respect of an assessment year for which the assessment is already completed unless some incriminating material is found during the course of search. This can be seen from the following observations of the Hon'ble High Court :- "20. A question may arise as to how this is sought to be achieved where an assessment order had already been passed in respect of all or any of those six assessment years, either under Section 143(1)(a) or Section 143(3) of the Act. If such an order is already in existence, having obviously been passed prior to the initiation of the search/requisition, the Assessing Officer is empowered to reopen those proceedings and reassess the total income, taking note of the undisclosed income, if any, unearthed during the search." 9. The above extracted observations of the Hon'ble High Court, which are though obiter dicta, make the point clear that where an assessment order has already been passed for a year(s) within the relevant six assessment years, then also the A.O is duty bound to reopen those proceedings and reassess the total income but by 'taking note of the undiscl....
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....case of Madugulu Venu (supra) also talks about the need for making fresh assessment in respect of the assessment years for which the assessments are not pending on the date of search but does not set out the scope of such assessment, which is the issue before us." 13. We, thus, find that the decision of the Hon‟ble Jurisdictional Delhi High Court in the case of Anil Kr. Bhatia (supra) supports the case of the assessee that in absence of incriminating material found during the course of search an addition u/s 153A of the Act cannot be made in the assessment framed thereunder. The decisions relied upon by the ld. CIT, DR in the cases of Canara Housing Development Company vs. DCIT (supra) of Hon‟ble Karnataka High Court and Filatex India P. Ltd. vs. CIT (supra) of Hon‟ble Delhi High Court having distinguishable facts are not applicable in the present case. In the case of Filatex India Pvt. 12 Ltd. (supra), the question raised on the applicability of provisions u/s 153A was that "whether the Tribunal erred on facts and in law in not holding that re-computation of book profit, de-hors any material found during the course of search in the order passed u/s 153A of the....
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....Section 153A(1) postulates one assessment; putting the total income of six assessment years immediately preceding the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which search was conducted or requisition was made. 14. In para no. 3 of the judgment the Hon‟ble Delhi High Court while discussing the cited decisions in the cases CIT vs. Chetan Das (2012), 254 CTR (Del) 292 and CIT vs. Anil Kr. Bhatia (2012), 2010-11 Taxman 453 (Del) cited by the ld. AR of the assessee appellant, has noted certain observations made and findings given by the Hon‟ble Court therein. Thereafter in para no. 4 of the judgment, the Hon‟ble High Court has held as under: "The first question, we notice was not raised by the appellant before the AO, CIT(A) and before the Tribunal. The appellant claims that the contention being legal can be raised at any stage. We have examined sec. 153A of the Act and find that the submission/contention has no merit". 15. When we peruse the facts of the case in the case of Filatax India Ltd. and the question raised therein it comes out that in that case admittedly during the course of search incriminating material including statements were found and re....
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....ccount of such search or requisition, then the question of re-assessment of the concluded assessment does not arise, which would require more reiteration and it is only in the context of the abated assessment under second proviso which is required to be assessed. 17. In the case of SSP Aviation Ltd. vs. DCIT (supra) where the validity of assessment framed u/s 153C was challenged it was held that if the AO is satisfied that any money, bullion, Jewellery or other valuable article or thing or books of account or documents seized in the course of the search belongs to a person other than the person who was searched, then such assets or books of accounts or documents shall be handed over by him to the AO having jurisdiction over such other person. Once, that is done, the AO having jurisdiction over such other person shall proceed against him for making an assessment or reassessment of his income in accordance with the provisions of sec. 153A. The petitioner therein was not searched u/s 132 of the Act, however, some documents belonging to it were found during the search carried out in the premises of Puri Group of Companies. 18. We, thus, find that the ratio laid down by the Hon....
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.... prior to search which has attained finality and no incriminating document was found during the search, gifts already disclosed by the assessee in the return of income which has attained finality, could not be disturbed u/s.153A. 25.The Hon‟ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of Murli Agro Products Ltd., 49 taxmann.com 172, held as under :- Held : The object of inserting sections 153A, 153B and 153C by Finance Act, 2003 by discarding the existing provisions relating to search cases contained in Chapter XIV B of the Act, as stated in the Memorandum explaining the provisions in the Finance Bill 2003 was that under the existing provisions relating to search cases, often disputes were raised on the question, as to whether a particular income could be treated as 'undisclosed income' or whether a particular income could be said to be relatable to the material found during the course of search, etc. which led to prolonged litigation. To overcome that difficulty, the legislature by Finance Act, 2003, decided to discard Chapter XIV B provisions and introduce sections 153A, 153B and 153C in the Act. What section 153A contemplates is that, notwit....
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....ty, unless the materials gathered in the course of the proceedings under section 153A establish that the reliefs granted under the finalised assessment/reassessment were contrary to the facts unearthed during the course of 153A proceedings. In the present case there was nothing on record to suggest that any material was unearthed during the search or during the 153A proceedings which would show that relief under section 80HHC was erroneous. In such a case, the Assessing Officer while passing the assessment order under section 153A read with section 143(3) could not have disturbed original assessment order relating to section 80HHC deduction and consequently the Commissioner could not have invoked jurisdiction under section 263 of the Act. 26. The ITAT Mumbai bench in the case of Jayendra P. Jhaveri, 46 taxmann.com 457 observed as under :- Head Note : So far as the question as to the processing of return under section 143(1) vis-à-vis assessment made under section 143(3) is concerned, it may further be observed that after processing of return under section 143(1) the same can be assessed under section 143(3) by issue of notice under section 143(2....
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....as no force of law. Though the revenue may not be satisfied with the explanation of the assessee that the books of account were lost in flood, still the assessment or addition cannot be made on this ground. Such an inference of concealment of income cannot be made just on mere assumptions, presumptions or suspicion. The next limb of argument of the revenue, while relying upon the authority of Supreme Court has been that the Court should not place reliance on the decisions without discussing as to how the factual situation fits to the factual situation of the decision on which reliance is placed. His contention is that one additional or different fact may make a world of difference between conclusions in two cases. There is no doubt about the above said proposition of law laid down by the Supreme Court. The Court must observe the facts and circumstances of the case under which a certain proposition of law is laid down by the Supreme Court and then to compare the same with the facts and circumstances of the case under adjudication before it. However, this proposition of law, put by the revenue, is of no help to the revenue but to the assessee only. In view of above,....
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....In the case of Kabul Chawla (supra), Hon'ble Jurisdictional High Court has considered all earlier decisions of Hon'ble Delhi High Court and has also considered the decisions of other High Courts and Tribunals and summarized the legal position in paragraph 37 and at the conclusion of the case in paragraph 38, which are reproduced below:- "Summary of the legal position. 37. On a conspectus of Section 153A(1) of the Act, read with the provisos thereto, and in the light of the law explained in the aforementioned decisions, the legal position that emerges is as under:- i. Once a search takes place under Section 132 of the Act, notice under Section 153A(1) will have to be mandatorily issued to the person searched requiring him to file returns for six AYs immediately preceding the previous year relevant to the AY in which the search takes place. ii. Assessments and reassessments pending on the date of the search shall abate. The total income for such AYs will have to be computed by the AOs as a fresh exercise. iii. The AO will exercise normal assessment powers in respect of the six years previous to the relevant AY in which the search takes place. The AO has the pow....
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.... can be reiterated and the abated assessment or reassessment can be made". In clause (vii), it is stated "Completed assessments can be interfered with by the AO while making the assessment under Section 153A only on the basis of some incriminating material unearthed during the course of search". Hon‟ble Delhi High Court in the case of RRJ Securities Ltd., 2015-TIOL-2539-HC-DEL-IT, held as under :- "In respect of such assessments which have abated, the AO would have the jurisdiction to proceed and make an assessment. However, in respect of concluded assessments, the AO would assume jurisidciton to reassess provided that the assets/documents received by the AO represent or indicate any undisclosed income or possibility of any income that may be remained undisclosed in the relevant assessment years. This Court in Commissioner of Income Tax (Central)-III v. Kabul Chawla : ITA 707/2014, decided on 28 th August, 2015 = 2015-TIOL-2006-HC-DEL-IT has held that completed assessments could only be interfered with by the AO on the basis of any incriminating material unearthed during the course of the search or requisition of the documents. In absence of any incriminating material, ....
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....2014. Ld CIT(A) has discussed the above contention of the assessee in para 6.1 to 7.2. Thereafter he has given his decision in para 8 of the appellate order. In para 8.4 Ld CIT(A) has held that "I am of the view that recording of satisfaction is not necessary as there is no need for handing over of the books or documents or the assets seized to another AO as the AO in the case of the Appellant company is also the AO in the group cases of Flemingo/ Bermaco where the search operations were conducted on the basis of joint warrant of authorization issued." 19. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Mls Calcutta Knitwears in its detailed judgement in Civil Appeal No 3958 of 2014 dated 12.03.2014 has laid down that for the purpose of section 158BD of the Act recording of satisfaction note is a prerequisite and the satisfaction note must be prepared by the AO before he transmits the record to the other AO who has jurisdiction over the other person under section 158BD. Further the provisions of section 153C of the Act are substantially similar to provisions of section 158BD and therefore the above guidelines of Hon'ble Supreme Court shall apply to proceedings under section 153....