TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2020 (2) TMI 307
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.... The impugned order is for the Assessment Year 2008-09. 2. The assessee is a widely held public limited company engaged in various activities including production of sponge iron, galvanized sheets and cold-rolled coils through its steel plants located at Dolve and Kalmeshwar in Maharashtra. The assessee filed original return of income on 30.09.2008 for Assessment Year 2008-09 declaring loss at Rs. 104,17,70,752/- under the provisions of Section 139(1) of the said Act. The assessee's case was selected for scrutiny under Section 143(2) of the said Act on 03.09.2009. 3. During pendency of the assessment proceedings, a search was conducted under Section 132 of the said Act on the ISPAT Group of companies on 30.11.2010. 3.1. Following the search, notice under Section 153A of the Act was issued. In response, assessee filed return of income declaring total loss at Rs. 419,48,90,102/- on 29.03.2012. In this return of income assessee made a new claim for treating gain on pre-payment of deferred VAT/sales tax on Net Present Value (NPV) basis for an amount of Rs. 318,10,93,993/- as "capital receipt". 4. This new/fresh claim of assessee was disallowed by the Assessing Officer (here....
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.... Act on 30.11.2010. He, therefore, submitted that the impugned order dated 28.09.2016 needs to be examined closely in the realm of the aforesaid admitted facts. 6.1. Mr. A.R.Malhotra drew our attention to the proposed question of law in the present appeal which reads thus : "Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in Law, the Hon'ble Tribunal was justified in holding that in the return of Income filed u/s. 153 A of the I.T. Act, 1961 or even during the course of assessment proceedings undertaken u/s. 153A of the I.T.Act, 1961 the assessee can lodge new claims, deduction or exemption or relief which remained to be claimed in regular return of income?" 6.2. Shri A.R.Malhotra submitted that the Tribunal failed to interpret the language and applicability of the provisions of Section 153A in the facts and circumstances of the present case in its right perspective and true meaning. He submitted that it was incorrect on the part of the Tribunal to hold and conclude that the assessee could lodge new claims, deductions, exemption or relief (which the assessee had failed to claim in his regular return of income) which came to be filed by the assessee unde....
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....o the assessee to use the proceedings initiated under Section 153A of the said act to lodge a fresh claim. 6.4. Shri A.R.Malhotra has clarified that the assessee had contended : (i) that there was no specific inhibition or restriction on the assessee to make a new claim, deduction, exemption and/or relief which was not claimed in the original assessment; (ii) that under Section 153A of the said Act, a return filed is deemed to be a return filed under Section 139(1) of the Act; (iii) that the provisions of the said Act would apply to the same accordingly; (iv) that once assessment got abated, the assessee was at liberty to make such claim/ addition as per normal assessment proceedings because the assessment got abated and therefore the AO retained original jurisdiction as well as jurisdiction conferred on him under Section 153A of the said Act which was in consequence to search under Section 132 of the said Act. 6.5. He, however, fairly referred to the following two cases delivered by this Hon'ble Court, viz; CIT Vs Continental Warehousing Corporation (Nhava Sheva) Ltd. (2015) 374 ITR 645 (Bom) and DCIT Vs Eversmile Construction Co. Pvt. Ltd....
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....on "notwithstanding" in sub-section (1); and secondly, that returns of income filed pursuant to notice under Section 153-A (1)(a) would be construed to be returns under Section 139. The use of non obstante clause in sub-section (1) of Section 153-A i.e., use of the expression "notwithstanding" is indicative of the legislative intent that provisions of Section 153-A(1) would have overriding effect over the provisions contained in Sections 139, 147, 148, 149, 151 and 153. 8.2. Having noticed the above, we may also refer to the second and the third proviso to Section 153-A(1). For the sake of convenience, the second and third proviso to Section 153A(1) of the said Act which is relevant is reproduced below and reads thus : Provided further that assessment or reassessment, if any, relating to any assessment year falling within the period of six assessment years referred to in this [sub-section] pending on the date of initiation of the search under section 132 or making of requisition under section 132A, as the case may be, shall abate: [Provided also that the Central Government may by rules made by it and published in the Official Gazette (except in cases where any ....
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....six assessment years in terms of Section 153-A(1)(a) would be construed to be a return of income under Section 139 of the Act. 10. It will be trite to also refer to the judicial decisions referred to and relied upon by the assessee before the Tribunal, viz; in the case of Continental Warehousing Corporation (Nhava Sheva) Ltd. (supra) and which finds mention in the Tribunal's order and more specifically in paragraph 17 & 18 of the order which reads thus : "17. On the other hand, while canvassing the lead arguments, Mr. Dastur, learned senior counsel appearing for the assessee - All Cargo Global Logistics Ltd. would submit that the power under section of the IT Act and its ambit and scope has rightly been interpreted in the impugned judgment. Mr. Dastur submits that the title of the section itself is indicative of the object and namely assessment in case of search or requisition. This section contains a non-obstante clause so as to not to restrict the powers which are conferred by virtue of section 153A in the Assessing Officer. However, the exercise of power under that provision is where search is initiated under section 132 or books of account or other documents or asse....
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.... 132 or requisition of books of account and other assets under section 132A. In the present case, the notice under section 153A is founded on search. If there is no incriminating material found during the search, then, the Special Bench was right in holding that the power under section 153A being not expected to be exercised routinely, should be exercised if the search reveals any incriminating material. If that is not found, then, in relation to the second phase of three years, there is no warrant for making an order within the meaning of this provision. In any event, the issue stands concluded by a Division Bench judgment of this Court rendered in the case of Commissioner of Income Tax (Central) Nagpur vs. M/s. Murli Agro Products Limited in Income Tax Appeal No.36 of 2009 decided on 29th October, 2010. It is, therefore, apparent that the law laid down by this Court is binding on the Revenue. If that is binding then the questions of law and with regard to applicability of section 153A need to be answered against the Revenue and in favour of the assessee". 11. It will also be fruitful to extract the relevant findings of the Division Bench of this Court in the ....
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....year in which the search is conducted or requisition is made and thereafter assess or reassess the total income for those assessment years. The second proviso to Section 153A provides for abatement of assessment/reassessment proceedings which are pending on the date of search/requisition. Section 153A (2) provides that when the assessment made under Section 153(A)(1)is annulled, the assessment or reassessment that stood abated shall stand revived. 10) Thus on a plain reading of Section 153A of the Income-tax Act, it becomes clear that on initiation of the proceedings under Section 153A, it is only the assessment / reassessment proceedings that are pending on the date of conducting search under Section 132 or making requisition under Section 132A of the Act stand abated and not the assessments/reassessments already finalised for those assessment years covered under Section 153A of the Act. By a circular No. 8 of 2003 dated 18-9-2003 (See 263 ITR (St) 61 at 107) the CBDT has clarified that on initiation of proceedings under Section 153A, the proceedings pending in appeal, revision or rectification proceedings against finalised assessment/reassessment shall not abate. It is o....
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....cord. The Special Bench in that regard held as under : "48. The provision under section 153A is applicable where a search or requisition is initiated after 31.5.2003. In such a case the AO is obliged to issue notice u/s 153A in respect of 6 preceding years, preceding the year in which search etc. has been initiated. Thereafter he has to assess or reassess the total income of these six years. It is obligatory on the part of the AO to assess or reassess total income of the six years as provided in section 153A(1)(b) and reiterated in the 1 st proviso to this section. The second proviso states that the assessment or reassessment pending on the date of initiation of the search or requisition shall abate. We find that there is no divergence of views in so far as the provision contained in section 153A till the 1 st proviso. The divergence starts from the second proviso which states that pending assessment or reassessment on the date of initiation of search shall abate. This means that an assessment or reassessment pending on the date of initiation of search shall cease to exist and no further action shall be taken thereon. The assessment shall now be made u/s 153A. The case of ....
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....ce in case of completed assessments and their fate depends upon subsequent orders in appeal. On consideration of the provision and the submissions, we find that this provision also makes it clear that the abatement of pending proceedings is not of such permanent nature that they cease to exist for all times to come. The interpretation of the Ld. Counsel, though not specifically stated, would be that on annulment of the assessment made u/s 153(1), the AO gets the jurisdiction to assess the total income which was vested in him earlier independent of the search and which came to an end due to initiation of the search. 50. The provision contained in section 132 (1) empowers the officer to issue a warrant of search of the premises of a person where any one or more of conditions mentioned therein is or are satisfied, i.e. - a) summons or notice has been issued to produce books of account or other documents but such books of account or documents have not been produced, b) summons or notice has been or might be issued, he will not produce the books of account or other documents mentioned therein, or c) he is in possession of any money or bullion etc. which represents wholly or par....
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....t or reassessment shall revive. This means that the assessment or reassessment, which had abated, shall be made, for which extension of time has been provided under section 153B. 53. The question now is - what is the scope of assessment or reassessment of total income u/s 153A (1)(b) and the first proviso ? We are of the view that for answering this question, guidance will have to be sought from section 132(1). If any books of account or other documents relevant to the assessment had not been produced in the course of original assessment and found in the course of search in our humble opinion such books of account or other documents have to be taken into account while making assessment or reassessment of total income under the aforesaid provision. Similar position will obtain in a case where undisclosed income or undisclosed property has been found as a consequence of search. In other words, harmonious interpretation will produce the following results :- a) In so far as pending assessments are concerned, the jurisdiction to make original assessment and assessment u/s 153A merge into one and only one assessment for each assessment year shall be made separately on t....
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....missioner maintained his action under section 263. That is how the aggrieved assessee carried the matter in appeal to the Tribunal and before the Tribunal it was contended that once section 263 of the Act has been invoked during the pendency of proceedings under section 153A of the Act, then, that was impermissible. That was impermissible for the assessments including for the assessment year 2008-09 stand reopened. Once they are reopened, then, there is no order of assessment in force and in regard to which any action under section 263 of the IT Act can be initiated. It is in dealing with this argument and which was negatived by the Tribunal that all the observations of the High Court of Karnataka have been made. In paragraphs 5 and 6, the arguments have been noted and thereafter the provision has been reproduced. In paragraph 9, extensive reference has been made to the judgment in Anil Kumar Bhatia of the High Court of Delhi (supra) and then the following observations in paragraphs 10 and 11 are made : "10. Section 153A of the Acts start with a non obstante clause. The fetters imposed upon the Assessing Officer by the strict procedure to assume jurisdiction to reopen the ....
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....assessment years in question in separate assessment orders. 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. He has been entrusted with the duty of bringing to tax the total income of an assessee whose case is covered by Section 153A, by even making reassessments without any fetters. This means that there can be only one assessment order in respect of each of the six assessment years, in which both the disclosed and the undisclosed income would be brought to tax. When once the proceedings are initiated under Section 153A of the Act, the legal effect is even in case where the assessment order is passed it stands reopened. In the eye of law there is no order of assessment. Re-opened means to deal with or begin with again. It means the Assessing Officer shall assess or reassess the total income of six assessment years. Once the assessment is reopened, the assessing authority can take note of the income disclosed in the earlier return, any undisclosed income found during search or and also any other income which is not disclosed in the earlier return or whic....
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....ed and assessment was not completed. Therefore, in view of the second proviso to Section 153A of the said Act, once assessment got abated, it meant that it was open for both the parties, i.e. the assessee as well as revenue to make claims for allowance or to make disallowance, as the case may be, etc. That apart, assessee could lodge a new claim for deduction etc. which remained to be claimed in his earlier/ regular return of income. This is so because assessment was never made in the case of the assessee in such a situation. It is fortified that once the assessment gets abated, the original return which had been filed looses its originality and the subsequent return filed under Section 153A of the said Act (which is in consequence to the search action under Section 132) takes the place of the original return. In such a case, the return of income filed under Section 153A(1) of the said Act, would be construed to be one filed under Section 139(1) of the Act and the provisions of the said Act shall apply to the same accordingly. If that be the position, all legitimate claims would be open to the assessee to raise in the return of income filed under Section 153A(1). 14. We would....