TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2016 (3) TMI 1341
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....garh has not been justified in cancelling the original Assessment U/s 263 which was framed U/s 143(3) inspite of the fact that all the information along with evidence as desired by the Lrd. Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax, Chandigarh (though originally produced before the Lrd. Assessing Officer) had duly been submitted and replied to by the Appellant. [4]. That the Lrd. Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax - II, Chandigarh has not been justified in restricting the claim of the Assessee for Deduction U/s 80IC @ 25% instead of @ 100% as upheld by the Lrd. Assessing Officer keeping in view the fact that the Appellant fulfills all the necessary prerequisite conditions for claiming deduction U/s 80IC @ 100% by virtue of having undertaken substantial expansion during the year under consideration. [5]. That the Lrd. Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax - II, Chandigarh has not been justified in failing to appreciate that nothing stopped the Assessee from installing a New Unit and claim 100% exemption U/s 80IC instead of going in for substantial expansion in the existing unit as the year under consideration duly falls within the period as prescribed under the provisions of Section 80I....
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....n the 23rd day of December, 2002 and ending before the 1st day of April, [2007], in any Export Processing Zone or Integrated Infrastructure Development Centre or Industrial Growth Centre or Industrial Estate or Industrial Park or Software Technology Park or Industrial Area or Theme Park, as notified by the Board in accordance with the scheme framed and notified by the Central Government in this regard, in the State of Sikkim; or (ii) on the 7th day of January, 2003 and ending before the 1st day of April, 2012, in any Export Processing Zone or Integrated Infrastructure Development Centre or Industrial Growth Centre or Industrial Estate or Industrial Park or Software Technology Park or Industrial Area or Theme Park, as notified by the Board in accordance with the scheme framed and notified by the Central Government in this regard, in the State of Himachal Pradesh or the State of Uttaranchal; or (iii) on the 24th day of December, 1997 and ending before the 1st day of April, 2007, in any Export Processing Zone or Integrated Infrastructure Development Centre or Industrial Growth Centre or Industrial Estate or Industrial Park or Software Technology Park or Industr....
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.... Explanation.- The provisions of Explanations 1 and 2 to sub-section (3) of section 80-IA shall apply for the purposes of clause (ii) of this sub-section as they apply for the purposes of clause (ii) of that sub-section. (5) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, in computing the total income of the assessee, no deduction shall be allowed under any other section contained in Chapter VIA or in section 10A or section 10B, in relation to the profits and gains of the undertaking or enterprise. (6) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, no deduction shall be allowed to any undertaking or enterprise under this section, where the total period of deduction inclusive of the period of deduction under this section, or under the second proviso to sub-section (4) of section 80-IB or under section 10C, as the case may be, exceeds the assessment years. (7) The provisions contained in sub-section (5) and sub-sections(7) to (12) of section 80-IA shall, so far as may be, apply to the eligible undertaking or enterprise under this section. (8) For the purposes of this section,- (i) "Industrial Area" means such are....
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....er begun or begins manufacturing of any article or things not being any article or thing specified in Schedule xiii and also undertakes substantial expansion. These deductions were available in different states during different window periods which have been referred to in clause (i), (ii) & (iii) of this sub section. The contention on behalf of the assessee is that since deduction is available to the undertaking which undertakes substantial expansion and since there is no restriction in this sub section itself, therefore, the deduction was available on substantial expansion by old undertakings as well as new undertakings during the window period. However, there is no force in this interpretation. Sub section (2) begins with the expression "this section applies to any undertaking or enterprise which has begun or begins" this itself shows that provision made even the existing undertakings entitled for the deduction because the expression 'begun' would refer to the undertaking which were already existing and began the manufacture before the window period mentioned in the sub section. The last line of the sub section reads "and undertakes substantial expansion during the period beginn....
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....allow a deduction for ten years from the profits of new undertaking or enterprise or existing undertakings or enterprises on their substantial expansion, in the States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim and North-Eastern States. For this purpose, substantial expansion is defined as increase in the investment in the plant and machinery by at least 50% of the book value of the plant and machinery (before taking depreciation in any year), as on the first day of the previous year in which the substantial expansion is undertaken. 49.2 The section provides that the deduction shall be available to such undertakings or enterprises which manufacture or produce any article or thing, not being any article or thing specified in the Thirteenth Schedule and which commence operation in any Export Processing Zone, or Integrated Infrastructure Development Centre or Industrial Growth Centre or Industrial Estate, or Industrial Park, or Software Technology Park or Industrial Area or Theme Park, as notified by the Board in accordance with rules prescribed in this regard. Similar deduction shall be available to thrust sector industries, as specified in the Fourteenth Schedule. 49....
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....lifies only the undertaking or enterprises and does not mention any particular date for carrying out substantial expansion. We find no merit in this contention. The word 'existing is defined in the dictionaries are as under:- 32. Black Law Dictionary - 6th Edition:- Exist : To live, To have life or animation To be in present force, Activity, or effect at a given time, as in speaking of "existing" contracts, creditors debts, laws, rights or liens. For us relevant meaning would be 'To be in present force' As per Oxford Dictionary 'exist' is defined as under Exist : 1 (not used in the progressive tenses) to be real; to be present in a place or situation: Does life exist on other planets? The problem only exists in your head, Jane. Few of these monkeys still exist in the wild. On his retirement the post will cease to exist. The charity exists to support victims of crime. 2- (on sth) to live, especially in a difficult situation or with very little money: We existed on a diet of rice. They can't exist on the money he's earning The above definition clearly shows that 'exist' would refer to something which is ....
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....ssment year and thereafter 25% (or 30% where the assessee is a company) of the profits and gains. Therefore, it is absolutely clear that in case of state of Sikkim and North-Eastern states, Legislature was very clear that in case of new undertaking or in case of substantial expanded undertaking deduction is to be allowed @ 100% for whole of the ten years whereas in case of State of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal the deduction was to be allowed @ 100% only for first five years and thereafter it was only 25%. If the Legislature wanted to extend the benefit in the case of substantial expansion separately then the rate of deduction in the clause (i) & (ii) of sub section (3) would not have been different i.e. 100% for whole of the 10 years in case of State of Sikkim & North-Eastern states under sub clause (i) and for the state of Himachal Pradesh & Uttaranchal under sub clause (ii) 100% for first five years and thereafter 25% for next five years. The concept of substantial expansion remains same under sub section (2) for both types of states i.e state of Sikkim and North-Eastern states and State of Himachal Pradesh and Uttranchal. If the extended benefit of substantial expansion was ....
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....her, sub section (6) provides that in no case the total period of deduction could exceed the period of 10 years including deduction availed under sub section (4) of section 80IB and section 10A and 10B. It was contended before us that since there is no restriction in carrying out of substantial expansion in the new units and as such substantial expansion can be carried out any number of times. If this interpretation is accepted then sub section (6) would be rendered otiose or meaningless because if a unit was set up on the commencement of this section and the same claims deduction @ 100% and later on every five years a substantial expansion is carried out then according to the interpretation canvassed on behalf of the assessee, such unit would again become entitled to 100% deduction for another five years and further block of five years every time substantial expansion is carried out. If this interpretation is adopted then deduction would become almost perceptual as long as the assessee has carried out substantial expansion but in that case sub section (6) would loose its meaning. Such an unlimited period of deduction would not be in consonance of law. At the cost of repetition, we....
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....n the Ist day of April, 1993 and ending on the 31st day of March, [2004] : Provided further that in the case of such industries in the North-Eastern Region, as may be notified by the Central Government, the amount of deduction shall be hundred per cent of profits and gains for a period of ten assessment years, and the total period of deduction shall in such a case not exceed ten assessment years: Provided also that no deduction under this sub-section shall be allowed for the assessment year beginning on the 1st day of April, 2004 or any subsequent year to any undertaking or enterprise referred to in subsection (2) of section 80-IC." 37. The careful perusal of the above provision would show that before the introduction of section 80IC which is before us for consideration, the deduction to the backward states was available in terms of section 80IB(4). The third proviso makes it clear that after 31.3.2004, this deduction will be available only u/s 80IC. The sub section further makes it clear that deduction would be @ 100% for the first five years and thereafter @ 25%. Further, the first proviso makes it clear that deduction will not exceed 10 consecutive ass....
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....n. Later on, he quits the job and starts the practice in legal profession and ultimately he is elevated as a Judge. Then in such a situation it cannot be said that initially 'A' was working in a organization and then initially he was in the profession and then elevated as a Judge. Initially can be used only once as a matter of usage of English language. Therefore, reading of the above provision clearly shows that intention of the legislature was very clear to allow 100% for first five years in case of units situated in the State of Himachal Pradesh (since all the cases before us are situated in the State of Himachal Pradesh) and thereafter 25% deduction for another five years on the new units or the existing units where substantial expansion was carried out. 40. It has also been contended that incentive provision should be construed liberally. Further, it was contended with reference to the decision of M/s Novapan India Ltd vs Collector of Central Excise and Customs (supra) by the Revenue is not correct because that provision was rendered under Indirect Tax Act. We find no force in these submissions. Every decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court or for that matter of any....
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....f the Court in Mangalore Chemicals - and in Union of India v. Wood Papers, referred to therein - represents the correct view of law. The principle that in case of ambiguity, a taxing statute should be construed in favour of the assessee - assuming that the said principle is good and sound- does not apply to the construction of an exception or an exempting provision; they have to be construed strictly. A person invoking an exception or an exemption provision to relieve him of the tax liability must establish clearly that he is covered by the said provision. In case of doubt or ambiguity, benefit of its must go to the State". The Hon'ble Supreme Court in Orissa State Warehousing Corporation's case (supra) has laid down that "While it is true that in the event of there being any doubt in the matter of interpretation of a fiscal statute, the same goes in favour of the assessee, but the fact remains and the law is well-settled on this score that in the matter of interpretation of the taxing statutes the law courts would not be justified in introducing some other expressions which the legislature thought fit to omit. In the present context, there is no doubt as to the meaning of....
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...., this decision, in our opinion, is per inquerim and cannot be followed. 44. The Ld. counsel has also relied on the decision in the case of S.R. Paryavaran Engineers Pvt Ltd (supra) of the Chandigarh Bench. The facts in that case are that assessee has claimed deduction u/s 80IB in assessment year 1999-2000 @ 100% . The deduction was claimed @ 100% for five years and then deduction was claimed @ 30% on the profits in the next year. The assessee undertook substantial expansion in financial years 2004-05 & 2005-06 and claimed deduction at the rate of 100% on the basis of such substantial expansion in assessment year 2006-07. However, the deduction was wrongly claimed u/s 80IB instead of section 80IC. The CIT(A) allowed the deduction by observing that deduction could not be denied simply because assessee has quoted a wrong section. On the appeal filed by Revenue, the deduction was held to be allowable because substantial expansion was carried out in a unit which was already in existence as on 7.1.2003. Therefore, in our opinion, this decision does not provide any assistance to the case of the assessee. 45. The Ld. Counsel has also relied on the decision of Abhishek Bh....
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....Industries Limited Vs. DCIT (supra) and found that all the provisions of the section were not discussed in that section and that is per inquerim, therefore, in our opinion, this order does not help the case of the assessee. 47. The last argument was in respect of column in Form No. 10CCB. The column 25 of Form No. 10CCB reads as under:- "25 (i) Whether the undertaking or enterprise is located in an area notified by the Board for the purposes of section 80-IC ---Yes ---No (ii) If yes please indicate,- a. Name of the Export Processing Zone / Integrated Infrastructure Development Centre / Industrial Growth Centre/Industrial Park/Estate/Software Technology Park/Industrial Area/Theme Park and the District/State in which located -------------------- (b) Khasra No. of the undertaking or enterprise (Also indicate the Board's Notification No. ) -------------------- (c) If the eligible business is new, please give the date of commencement of production or manufacture of article or thing -------------------- (d) If the existing business has undertaken substantial expansion, please specify,-(i) The date of substantial expansion (ii) The total book valu....