TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2017 (9) TMI 1031
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....income of assessee. 3. That the ld CIT(A) has erred in allowing caution money for which assessee could not furnish details." 3. The respondent assessee is a society registered under section 12 A of the income tax act, running educational Institute. In the name of Fortune Institute of International business in Delhi. For the year. It filed its return of income on 31/10/2007 showing nil income and claiming exemption under section 11 and 12 of the income tax act. On scrutiny, the Ld. assessing officer noted that that assessee has transferred during the year Rs. 85 Lacs to infrastructure development fund and Rs. 70 lakhs to general reserve and further he held that as the assessee is running be educational institutions with a view to earn profit which is nothing but commercial venture. Therefore he denied the claim of the assessee for applicability of provisions of section 11 and 12 of the income tax act. The Ld. assessing officer on verification of registration under section 12 A (A) for verification found that it was not signed by the DCIT (exemption) but ITO (HQ RS) (exemption) and held that he is not the right, authority to issue such certificate. He further held that as assessee....
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....court's decision in the case of DDIT versus Indraprastha Cancer Society in ITA number 240 /2014 dated 18/11/2014 squarely covered is issue in favour of the assessee where the Hon'ble Delhi High Court after considering all the cases relied upon by the revenue. In this particular case, including the case of Hon'ble Supreme Court in escorts Ltd versus union of India, was considered and after that it was held as under :- "2. The respondent-assessees are charitable institutions to whom Sections 11 to 13 and other relevant provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (Act, for short) apply. The issue raised in the present appeals is whether a charitable institution, which has purchased capital assets and treated the amount spent Director Of Income Tax... vs M/S Indraprastha Cancer Society on 18 November, 2014 Indian Kanoon - http://indiankanoon.org/doc/138934819/ 1 on purchase of the capital asset as application of income, is entitled to claim depreciation on the same capital asset utilised for business. Revenue submits that this would amount to double deduction. 3. This High Court in Director of Income Tax versus Vishwa Jagriti Mission (2013) 262 CTR 558 has held that the claim for de....
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.... to the nature of depreciation and it was pointed out that depreciation was nothing but decrease in the value of property through wear, deterioration or obsolescence. It was observed that depreciation, if not allowed as a necessary deduction for computing the income of charitable institutions, then there is no way to preserve the corpus of the trust for deriving the income. The circular No.5-P (LXX6) of 1968, dated July 19,1968 was reproduced in the judgment in which the Board has taken the view that the income of the trust should be understood in its commercial sense. The circular is as under: "Where the trust derives income from house property, interest on securities, capital gains, or other sources, the word income should be understood in its commercial sense, i.e., book income, after adding back any appropriations or applications thereof towards the purpose of the trust or otherwise, and also after adding back any debits made for capital expenditure incurred for the purposes of the trust or otherwise. It should be noted, in this connection, that the amounts so added back will become chargeable to tax u/s. 11(3) to the extent that they represent outgoings for purposes other th....
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....f these decisions. We, therefore, sought the views from the Central Board of Direct Taxes. Senior Standing counsel Sri.P.K.R.Menon, appearing for the Revenue produced clarification obtained from the Central Board wherein they have stated as follows: "The Central Board of Direct Taxes is of the considered view that where an assessee has acquired an asset through application of income and has also claimed this amount as expenditure in its income expenditure account, depreciation on such asset would not be allowable to the assessee. Such notional statutory deductions like depreciation, if claimed as deduction while computing the income of the 'the property held under trust' under the relevant head of income, is required to be added back while computing the income for the purpose of application in the income expenditure account. This would imply that a correct figure of surplus from the trust property is reflected in the Income & Expenditure account of the trust to determine the income for the purpose of application under section 11 of the Income Tax Act. This would reduce the possibility of revenue leakage which may be a cause for generation of black money." 6. Noticing th....
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....noted that profits and gains are generally used in terms of business or profession as provided u/s. 28. The word " income ", therefore, is a much wider term than the expression ",profits and gains of business or profession ". Net receipt after deducting all the necessary expenditure of the trust (sic). There is a broad agreement on this proposition. But still the contention for the Revenue is that the depreciation allowance being a notional income (expenditure ?) cannot be allowed to be debited to the expenditure account of the trust. This contention appears to proceed on the assumption that the expenditure should necessarily involve actual delivery of or parting with the money. It seems to us that it need not necessarily be so. The expenditure should be understood as necessary outgoings. The depreciation is nothing but decrease in value of property through wear, deterioration or obsolescence and allowance is made for this purpose in book keeping, accountancy, etc. In Spicer & Pegler's Book-keeping and Accounts, 17th Edn., pp. 44, 45 & 46, it has been noted as follows : "Depreciation is the exhaustion of the effective life of a fixed asset owing to ' use ' or obsole....
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....hich a record is kept of actual cash receipts and actual cash payments, entries being made only when money is actually collected or disbursed. That system brings into credit what is due, immediately it becomes legally due and before it, is actually received and it brings into debit expenditure the amount for which a legal liability has been incurred before it is actually disbursed. It is not in dispute that if the mercantile system is followed, the depreciation allowance in respect of the trust property should be allowed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The depreciation if it is not allowed as a necessary deduction for computing the income from the charitable institutions, then there is no way to preserve the corpus of the trust for deriving the income. The Board also appears to have understood the " income " u/s. 11(1) in its commercial sense. The relevant portion of the Circular No. 5-P (LXX-6) of 1968, dated July 19, 1968, reads: "Where the trust derives income from house property, interest on securities, capital gains, or other sources, the word 'income' should be understood in its commercial sense, i.e., book income, after adding back any appropriations or applications thereof to....
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....imited (supra) and provisions of Section 35(2B)(c) were quoted and it was observed that the language of the sub-clause (c) was clear and lucid but conspicuously different from section 11(1) of the Act. It has been observed in Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (supra) : 11. Clause a of Section 11(1) stipulates that income derived from property held under trust wholly for charitable or religious purposes is to be applied for such purposes in India and where such income is set aside or accumulated, it should not be in excess of 15% of the income from such property. Thus, there is an embargo and probation from accumulating or setting apart income derived from property held under trust beyond 15% of income from such property. If there is a violation of the said provision, proportionate income is deemed to be taxable and not exempt under Section 11(1). The language of the Section is peculiar and proceeds on its own wording. This aspect has been highlighted and pointed out in the judgment of Commissioner of Income Tax vs. Society of The Sisters of St. Anne (supra). Decision in the case of Escorts Ltd. (supra) was considered by the Delhi High Court in DIT vs. Vishwa Jagriti Mission....
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....ge of Section 11(1), as noticed above, is distinguished and not worded in a similar manner. In Escorts Ltd. (supra), the Supreme Court was considering the said specific provision and the wordings therein. While dealing with the term "expenditure" and noticing the language it was held that no duplication or double deduction should be allowed towards depreciation in the same or subsequent year. Thus, the issue was decided against the assessee. Language of Explanation 1 to Section 43(1) can also be referred to and we notice that the language of the said explanation is absolutely different from the language used in Clause (a) to Section 11(1). Section 11(1)(a) is a peculiar provision which postulates application of income and it is not dealing with expenditure as such. The legislative desire is that money should be applied for the purpose of charity. In Escorts Ltd.(supra), the Supreme Court had observed that they were concerned with expenditure and since the entire costs of the capital assets had been allowed and had been set off against the business profit in five years or in one previous year, it was unconceivable that the depreciation should be allowed again on the same asset." 8....
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....hus there is no error in the impugned orders passed by the Tribunal. However, learned counsel for the Revenue has drawn our attention to the decision dated 18th March, 2014 in ITA No. 322-323/2013 titled Director of Income Tax (Exemption) versus Charanjiv Charitable Trust, wherein it has been held: "30. So far as the claim of depreciation is concerned the decision of the Tribunal cannot be countenanced. The Tribunal has overlooked that the cost of the assets has already been allowed as a deduction as application of income, as held by the CIT (Appeals) as well as the assessing officer. It was their view that allowing depreciation in respect of assets, the cost of which was earlier allowed as deduction as application of income of the trust, would actually amount to double deduction on the basis of the ruling of the Supreme Court in Escorts Ltd. vs. UOI (supra). In respect of the additions to the fixed assets made during the previous year relevant to the assessment year 2006-07, the CIT (Appeals) held that since the cost of the assets was not allowed as a deduction by way of application of income, depreciation should be allow. The CIT (Appeals) has thus made a distinction between as....
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....d assets used for charitable purposes should be allowed as a deduction. The consensus of judicial opinion on the said aspect was referred to. It is noticeable that in Charanjiv Charitable Trust (supra) it stands observed that the Tribunal overlooked the fact that the cost of asset had been allowed as a "deduction" and thereafter depreciation was being claimed. The said case, therefore, appears to be a peculiar one wherein deduction as expenditure and depreciation was being claimed simultaneously, while computing the taxable income under the head "profits and gains from business". The said decision dated 18th March, 2014 does not refer to the decision in Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (supra) which was decided on 27th November, 2013. The judgment in the case of Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (supra) was not cited and referred to. The judgment in the case of Charanjiv Charitable Trust (supra) is authored by the same Judge, who has also authored the decision in the case of Vishwa Jagriti Mission (supra). It is obvious that in Charanjiv Charitable Trust (supra), the Division Bench could not have taken a different view on the legal ratio as interpreted in Vishwa Jagriti Missio....
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.... for charitable or religious purposes. The relevant parts of Section 11 read as follows:- 1. (1) Subject to the provisions of sections 60 to 63, the following income shall not be included in the total income of the previous year of the person in receipt of the income- (a) income derived from property held under trust wholly for charitable or religious purposes, to the extent to which such income is applied to such purposes in India; and, where any such income is accumulated or set apart for application to such purposes in India, to the extent to which the income so accumulated or set apart is not in excess of fifteen per cent of the income from such property; ....... ....... (4) For the purposes of this section "property held under trust" includes a business undertaking so held, and where a claim is made that the income of any such undertaking shall not be included in the total income of the persons in receipt thereof, the Assessing Officer shall have power to determine the income of such undertaking in accordance with the provisions of this Act relating to assessment; and where any income so determined is in excess of the income as shown in the accounts of the undertakin....
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....of the poor, education, medical relief and the advancement of any other object of general public utility. The clause has been modified over the years such that in its present form, it includes within its ambit yoga and the preservation of environment, monuments or places or objects of artistic or historic interest. The object of Section 11 is thus laudable and seeks to extend a benefit to entities engaging in activity of a specified nature. In the present batch of appeals there is no dispute in this regard. 6. We have heard Mr.J.Narayanaswamy appearing on behalf of the Revenue and several counsels appearing on behalf of the assesses and set out in brief the submissions advanced. 7. Mr. J.Narayanaswamy would contend that the provisions of section 32 granting depreciation have not been made specifically applicable to section 11. According to him, the provisions of Section 11 extend a benefit to an assessee by way of exemption and granting depreciation in addition would amount to a double benefit that has to be specifically conferred. He would rely on the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Escorts Limited and another Vs. Union of India and others (SC) (1999 ITR 43) which....
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....ter with a further absurdity that it could be allowed starting with the original cost of the asset despite its user for scientific research and the allowances made under the 'scientific research' clause. In our view, there was no difficulty at all in the interpretation of the provisions. The mere fact that a baseless claim was raised by some over-enthusiastic assessees who sought a double allowance or that such claim may perhaps have been accepted by some authorities is not sufficient to attribute any ambiguity or doubt as to the true scope of the provisions as they stood earlier.' 10. Reliance was placed by Mr. Narayanaswamy on paragraph 7 of the judgment that reads as follows:- 'I find it difficult to agree with the reasoning of the assessees. Acceding to it would amount to placing an unreasonable interpretation upon the relevant provisions and to negating the intention of Parliament. I find it difficult to agree that the Indian Legislature - as also the Parliament made a conscious departure from the English Amendment with the idea of providing an additional benefit to induce the Indian assessees to invest more in scientific research. I find the argument rathe....
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....ee again claims the same amount in the form of depreciation, such notional claim becomes cash surplus available with the assessee, which goes outside the books of accounts of the Trust unless it is written back which is not done." ......... ........... "We have no doubt in our mind that business income of charitable trust also has to be computed in the same manner as provided u/s 29 of the Income Tax Act. However, the issue that requires consideration is when the expenditure incurred for acquisition of depreciable assets itself is treated as application of income for charitable purposes u/s 11(1)(a) of the Act, should not the cost of such assets to be treated as nil for the assessee and in that situation depreciation to be granted turns out to be nil. However, if depreciation provided is claimed on notional cost after the assessee claims 100% of the cost incurred for it as application of income for charitable purposes, the depreciation so claimed has to be written back as income available. In fact, going by the several decisions of the various High Courts, we are sure that based on these decisions all the charitable institutions will be generating unaccounted income equal to ....
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....e Medical Institutions (supra) had been admitted by the Supreme Court. Thus according to him, the Supreme Court had clearly recognized the error in the decision of the Kerala High Court. 16. Mr. R. Kumar, appearing for the assessee/respondent in TCA.No.993 of 2015 would point out that the orders of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal in the same assessee's case for the previous years on the identical issue, had considered the judgment of the Supreme Court in Escorts and had distinguished the same. The aforesaid orders of the Tribunal dated 25.03.2011 have attained finality. Thus, while adopting the arguments of other counsels, he would add that the principle of consistency stood violated in his case. 17. Mr.N.V.Balaji, would address us specifically on Accounting Standard 6 dealing with Depreciation Accounting issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and made mandatory on or after 1.4.1995 in the following terms: 'The reference to commercial, industrial or business enterprises in the aforesaid paragraph is in the context of the nature of activities carried on by the enterprise rather than with reference to its objects. It is quite possible that an enterp....
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....od. 21. The necessity of providing for depreciation emanates from the fact that once an asset ceases to be effective, it will have to be replaced. Providing for depreciation would ensure setting aside out of the revenue of an accounting period, the estimated amount by which the capital investment has expired during that period. This provision, incurred for the use of that asset for the purpose of earned profit should be charged against those profits as and when earned. Spicer, and Pegler, at page 45, states as follows:- 'If depreciation is not provided for, the books will not contain a true record of revenue or capital. If the asset were hired instead of purchased, the hiring fee would be charged against the profits; having been purchased, the asset is, in effect, then hired by capital to revenue, and the true profit cannot be ascertained until an analogous charge for the use of the asset has been made. Moreover, unless provision is made for depreciation, the Balance Sheet will not present a true and fair view of the state of affairs, since the assets will be shown at an amount which is in excess of the true amount of the unexpired expenditure incurred on their acquisition.....
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....tute (109 CTR 463); Karnataka High Court in CIT Vs. Society of the Sisters of St.Anne (146 ITR 28); Madhyapradesh High Court in CIT Vs. Raipur Pallottine Society (180 ITR 579); Gujarath High Court in CIT Vs. Sheth Manilal rachhnoddas Vishram Bhavan Trust 198 ITR 598 = 2003-TIOL-944-HC-AHM-IT; Punjab and Haryana High court in CIT Vs. Market Committee Pipli (330 ITR 16) and CIT Vs. Tiny Tots Education Society (330 ITR 21) = 2010-TIOL-550-HC-P&H-IT; Madhyapradesh High Court in CIT Vs. Devi Sakuntala Tharal Charitable Foundation (358 ITR 452) and the Calcutta High Court in CIT Vs. Silluguri Regulated Market Committee (366 ITR 51). In addition, the Delhi High Court in DIT Vs. Vishwa Jagriti Mission 262 CTR 558 = 2012-TIOL-271-HC-DEL-IT and the Karnnataka High Court in DIT (Exem) Vs Al-Ameen Charitable Fund Trust (2016) 67 taxmann.com 160 = 2016-TIOL-463-HC-KAR-IThave accepted the claim of the assessee distinguishing both the judgment of the Supreme Court in Escorts as well as that of the Kerala High Court. 27.In view of the discussion above, the question of law is answered in favour of the assessee and against the revenue. TCA.No.949 of 2015 28. T.C.A.No.949 of 2015 has been fil....
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.... 31. A recent amendment to section 139(5) reads thus; 'Following sub-section (5) shall be substituted for the existing subsection( 5) of section 139 by the Finance Act, 2016 w.e.f. 1.4.2017. (5) If any person, having furnished a return under sub-section (1) or sub-section (4), discovers any omission or any wrong statement therein, he may furnish a revised return at any time before the expiry of one year form the end of the relevant assessment year or before the completion of the assessment, whichever is earlier.' 32. The import of the above amendment is that a return may be revised both in cases of original returns filed under sub section (1) or under sub section (4) within the extended period of one year from the end of the relevant assessment year or before completion of assessment, whichever is earlier. The amendment is intended to confer a benefit on an assessee and the retrospective application thereof has to be examined by the assessing authority. We remand this issue to the file of the assessing authority for the limited purpose of examining the applicability of the amendment extracted above. If the amendment is found applicable to the assessee, the rationale of ....
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.... of placing the conditions of application of income, etc., in respect of income derived from property held under trust in the first place. 7.4.1 Sections 11, 12 and 13of the income-tax Act are special provisions governing institutions which are being given benefit of tax exemption. It is therefore imperative that once a person voluntarily opts for the special dispensation it should be governed by these specific provisions and should not be allowed flexibility of being governed by other general provisions or specific provisions at will. Allowing such flexibility has undesirable effects on the objects of the regulations and leads to litigation. .... ..... 7.6 Applicability. - These amendments take effect from 1st April, 2015 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2015-2016 and subsequent assessment years. 35. Para 7.6 of the Circular states that the amendment would apply to assessment year 2015-16 and subsequent assessment years. Reliance was placed on the judgment of the Supreme Court in CIT Vs. Alom Extrusions Ltd (2009) and CIT vs Vatika Township (367 ITR 466) = 2014-TIOL-78-SC-IT-CB for the proposition that an amendment that increases the liabilit....