TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2019 (7) TMI 749
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....ourt in W.P.Nos.16868, 16877, 16882 and 16893 of 2019, which in turn was made by following an earlier common order dated 11.06.2019 made by this Court in W.P.Nos.15651/2019 etc., (five writ petitions). 2. To be noted, all these writ petitions turn on Section 80P of 'Income Tax Act, 1961' ('IT Act' for brevity). 3. For the sake of convenience, clarity and ease of reference, most relevant paragraphs in the aforesaid earlier order dated 11.06.2019 in W.P.Nos.15651 of 2019 etc., (five writ petitions) are extracted and reproduced infra. Most relevant paragraphs in the said order are paragraphs Nos.6 to 19 which read as follows: '6. Short facts imperative for disposal of these five writ petitions by this common order are as follows: a) Writ petitioners in each of the five writ petitions are Cooperative Societies. b) Writ petitioners claim that they are entitled to the benefit of Section 80P of the 'Income Tax Act, 1961' ['IT Act' for the sake of brevity] c) Respondent has issued notices under Section 148 of IT Act. d) These notices under Section 148 of IT Act issued to each of the writ peti....
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....rticipate in the voting and meetings of the board of the society. 3. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case the Tribunal was right in not considering the fact that the assessee was lending monies for non-agricultural purpose and the provisions of Section 80P (4) and 2(24) (viia). The contention of the learned counsel for the appellant/ Revenue department, is that Class B members of the respondent societies cannot be treated as members of the assessee societies, as Class B members were not recognised as per record and bye-laws of the assessee society, for the purpose of voting, attending the board meeting etc. Therefore, as per Section 80P (4), the benefit under Section 80P cannot be extended to any cooperative Bank other than a primary agricultural credit society. The assessee cannot be treated as a credit society for the loan advanced to non-agricultural purposes and so the assessee societies are not entitled for the benefit under Section 80P (2) (a) (i) read with 80P (4).' 9. To be noted, all three aforesaid substantial questions of law pertain to Section 80P of IT Act qua Cooperative Societies. Also to be noted, the aforesaid jud....
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.... of the Appellate Authority as well as the Appellate Tribunal, it is categorically made clear that the assessee society will not come under the object of the principal business of a co-operative bank, which is a banking business. The benefit of Section 80P is excluded for deductions by co-operative banks, whereas the primary agricultural credit societies are entitled for the said deduction. 14. .... 15. In the recent decision of the Kerala High Court, in the case of Chirakkal Service Co-operative Bank Ltd., Kannur vs. the Commissioner of Income Tax, reported in (2016) 68 taxmann.com.298 (Kerala), the High Court considered similar substantial questions of law (Issue No.A) raised by the assessee, regarding the entitlement for exemption under sub section (4) of Section 80P. By considering the fact that the assessee is a primary agricultural society, the Kerala High Court has answered the substantial question of law in favour of the assessee and held that the primary agricultural credit societies, registered as such under the KCS Act and classified so under that Act, including the appellants, are entitled to such exemption. Therefore, the aforesaid decisions is applic....
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....t be necessary to advert to those aspects in a great detail. Suffice to say that three different periods of limitation have been prescribed for notices akin to the instant notices i.e., notices under Section 148 of IT Act and those three periods of limitations are contained in first proviso to Section 147, Section 149(1)(b) and Section 149(1)(c) of IT Act. 18 Learned Revenue counsel adverting to the aforesaid provisions submitted that it may be too late in the day for the Revenue to issue notices under Section 148 afresh, if they are set aside now and ultimately if the Revenue succeeds in the Special Leave Petitions, which are said to have been filed. 19. To be noted, learned counsel for writ petitioner responding to the aforesaid submission submitted that some of the impugned notices in the instant writ petitions are in any event barred by limitation. This Court expresses no opinion on this plea at this point of time in this order owing to the nature of the order that is being passed. 4. In the light of the aforesaid undisputed position, the following order is passed: a) All the 33 impugned notices will be kept in abeyance and there will be no f....