TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2022 (5) TMI 267
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....he order of CIT(A) as the usage of official E-mail ID of Appellant firm was discontinued as there is no business in the appellant firm . Both the partners-i.e. undersigned & Shrnikir Hussain have respectively entered into different business. 3. That immediately after knowledge of CIT(A) appeal order , the undersigned contacted legal counsel and even Appeal fees challan was deposited with in stipulated time of 60 days and Form 36 was prepared but due to oversight & preoccupation with outstation work , the undersigned could not reach counsel anreriabieliling of appeal before your honour . Thus , the appellant firm now filed this appeal before the Hon'bte Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Jaipur Bench, Jaipur with a delay of 11 days. 4. That the bonafide of the appellant is evident from the fact that appeal fees challan & stamp paper of Power of attorney in favour of Legal counsel forming integral part of Appeal in Form 36 was purchased on 12.11.2021." 3. During the course of hearing, the ld. DR has no objection to assessee application for condonation of delay and prayed that court may decide the issue as deem fit and proper in the case. 4. We have heard the r....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....jax Products Ltd. 55 ITR 741 (SC) 3. CIT Shahzada Nand & Sons 60 ITR 392 (SC) 4. Smt. Tarulata Shyam vs. CIT 108 ITR 345 (SC) 5. Value Momentum Software Services Pvt. Ltd. in ITA No. 2197/HYD/2017 dated 19.05.2021. 6. Vedvan Consultants Pvt. Ltd. in ITA No. 1312/Del/2020 dated 26.08.2021, has held that Explanation 2 to section 36(1)(va) and Explanation 5 to Section 43B are retrospective. 9. The assessee before the ld. CIT(A) also contended that the amendment brought in by the Finance Act, 2021 in Section 36(1)(va) of the Act and has also referred to the rationale of the amendment as explained by the memorandum in the Finance Bill, 2021. 10. The ld. CIT(A) finally held that the adjustment made by the AO will fall in the category of S.143(1)(a)(ii) of the Act as it was an incorrect claim of deduction u/s 36(1)(va) of the Act. The ld. CIT(A) observed that it is not in dispute that appellant's ROI itself shown the delay in payments of Employee's contribution to PF/ESIC amounting to Rs 2,06,688/- within the "due date" prescribed as per Explanation 2 Section 36(1)(va) and that by virtue of deeming provision of Section 2(24)(x) r.w.s 36(1)(va)....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....resent case are that the payments of PF & ESI contribution relating employee's contribution are before the due date of filing of return of income U/s 139(1) of the Act. We have noted that the issue under consideration is covered by the decision of the Coordinate Bench in case of M/s Mohanlal Khatri vs. ACIT in ITA No. 144/JP/2021 order dated 29.11.2021 (Supra) wherein it is held as under:- "7. I have considered the submissions of both the parties and perused the material available on record. In the present cases, it is noticed that an identical issue having similar facts has already been adjudicated by the ITAT, Jodhpur Bench in the aforesaid referred to cases, wherein one of us is author of the order dated 27/09/2021. In the said order it has been held vide paras 7 to 11 in ITA No. 59/Jodh/2021 for the assessment years 2015-16 in the case of Mohangarh Engineers and Construction Company Vs. DCIT and in the case of Bikaner Ceramics Private Limited, Bikaner Vs. ADIT, CPC, Bangaluru, in ITA No. 60/Jodh/2021 for the A.Y. 2019-20 as under:- 7. We have considered the submission of both the parties and perused the material available on record. 8. In the present ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....dvocate, appearing on behalf of the appellant and after going through the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Commissioner of Income Tax vs. Alom Extrusion Ltd., we find that the Supreme Court in the aforesaid case has held that the amendment to the second proviso to the Sec 43(B) of the Income Tax Act, as introduced by Finance Act, 2003, was curative in nature and is required to be applied retrospectively with effect from 1st April, 1988. Such being the position, the deletion of the amount paid by the Employees' Contribution beyond due date was deductible by invoking the aforesaid amended provisions of Section 43(B) of the Act. We, therefore, find that no substantial question of law is involved in this appeal and consequently, we dismiss this appeal. Urgent xerox certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties subject to compliance with all requisite formalities." In the light of the aforesaid discussion we do not accept the Ld. CIT(A)'s stand denying the claim of assessee since assessee delayed the employees contribution of EPF & ESI fund and as per the binding decision of the Hon'ble High Court in Vijayshree L....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ncome, it is noted that the assessee has deposited the employees's contribution towards ESI and PF well before the due date of filing of return of income u/s 139(1) and the last of such deposits were made on 16.04.2019 whereas due date of filing the return for the impugned assessment year 2019- 20 was 31.10.2019 and the return of income was also filed on the said date. Admittedly and undisputedly, the employees's contribution to ESI and PF which have been collected by the assessee from its employees have thus been deposited well before the due date of filing of return of income u/s 139(1) of the Act. 14. The issue is no more res integra in light of series of decisions rendered by the Hon'ble Rajasthan High Court starting from CIT vs. State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur (supra) and subsequent decisions. 15. In this regard, we may refer to the initial decision of Hon'ble Rajasthan High Court in case of CIT vs. State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur wherein the Hon'ble High Court after extensively examining the matter and considering the various decisions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court and various other High Courts has decided the matter in favour of the assessee. In the said decis....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....We have already observed that till this provision was brought in as the due amounts on one pretext or the other were not being deposited by the assessees though substantial benefits had been obtained by them in the shape of the amount having been claimed as a deduction but the said amounts were not deposited. It is pertinent to note that the respective Act such as PF etc. also provides that the amounts can be paid later on subject to payment of interest and other consequences and to get benefit under the Income Tax Act, an assessee ought to have actually deposited the entire amount as also to adduce evidence regarding such deposit on or before the return of income under sub-section (1) of Section 139 of the IT Act. 23. Thus, we are of the view that where the PF and/or EPF, CPF, GPF etc., if paid after the due date under respective Act but before filing of the return of income under Section 139(1), cannot be disallowed under Section 43B or under Section 36(1)(va) of the IT Act." 16. The said decision has subsequently been followed in CIT vs. Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd. (supra), CIT vs. Udaipur Dugdh Utpadak Sahakari Sangh Ltd. (supra), and CIT vs Rajasthan Stat....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....d Construction Company Vs. DCIT (supra) and in the case of Bikaner Ceramics Private Limited, Bikaner Vs. ADIT, CPC, Bangaluru (supra). So respectfully following the aforesaid referred to order, the disallowances sustained by the Ld. CIT(A) are deleted." 16. A similar issue has been decided by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in the case of CIT vs. AIMIL Ltd., (2010) 321 ITR 508 wherein it has been held as under:- "The deletion with effect from April 1, 2004 by the Finance Act, 2003 of the second proviso to section 43B of the Income-tax Act, 1961, which stipulates that contributions to the provided fund and Employees State Insurance Fund should be made within the time mentioned in section 36(1)(va), that is, the time allowed under the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, as well as the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948, it treated as retrospective in nature. If the employees' contribution is not deposited thereafter, the employer not only pays interest and delayed payment but can incur penalties also, for which specific provisions are made in the those Acts. In so far as Income-tax Act, 1961, is concerned, the assessee can get the benefit of d....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... set up under the provisions of ESI Act or any other fund for the welfare of such employees. Section 36 of the Act pertains to the other deductions. Sub-section (1) of the said section provides for various deductions allowed while computing the income under the head 'Profits and gains of business or profession'. Clause (va) of the said sub-section provides for deduction of any sum received by the assessee from any of his employees to which the provisions of sub-clause (x) of clause (24) of section 2 apply, if such sum is credited by the assessee to the employee's account in the relevant fund or funds on or before the due date. Explanation to the said clause provides that, for the purposes of this clause, "due date" to mean the date by which the assessee is required as an employer to credit an employee's contribution to the employee's account in the relevant fund under any Act, rule, order or notification issued there-under or under any standing order, award, contract of service or otherwise. Section 43B specifies the list of deductions that are admissible under the Act only upon their actual payment. Employer's contribution is covered in clause (b)....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....nts will take effect from 1st April, 2021 and will accordingly apply to the assessment year 2021-22 and subsequent assessment years." 18. The present appeal is filed by the assessee against disallowance of Rs. 2,06,688/- pertaining to employees contribution made towards ESI & PF which was paid by the appellant company after the "due date" under respective statute of ESIC/PF. This disallowance was made by the AO under section 143(1) of the Act on the basis of remarks in the relevant column of Form no. 3CD report attached with the return of income. The assessee has stated that disallowance of Rs. 2,06,688/- was not in accordance with the provision of Section 43B of the Act as the said amount were duly remitted before the due date of filling of return of income. The appellant has referred to the decisions of various High Courts including the decision of jurisdictional Rajasthan High Court in the case of Rajasthan State Beverages Corporation Ltd 392 ITR 2 and similar other decisions on this issue. 19. In the present case, we have gone through the observation of ld. CIT(A), recorded in para 5.11 & 5.12 page- 10 to 11 of the impugned order which reads as under:- " The asse....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....f surcharge with respect to block assessments, having been created for the first time by the insertion of proviso to Section 113 of the Act, by Finance Act, 2002, it is clearly a substantive provision and is to be construed as prospective in operation. The Hon'ble Supreme Court held that the amendment neither purports to be merely clarificatory nor is there any material to suggest that it was intended by parliament. The Hon'ble Supreme Court finally held that the proviso to Section113 of the Act is prospective and not retrospective. For this proposition their lordships of the Hon'ble Supreme Court observed at page 495 as under:- "Notes on Clauses" appended to Finance Bill, 2002 while proposing insertion of proviso categorically states that "this amendment will take effect from 1st June, 2002". These become epigraphic words, when seen in contradistinction to other amendments specifically stating those to be clarificatory or retrospectively depicting clear intention of the legislature. It can be seen from the same notes that few other amendments in the Income Tax Act were made by the same Finance Act specifically making those amendments retrospectively. For example, claus....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ion 113 of the Act, this very circular provides that the said amendment along with amendments in Section 158BE, would be prospective i.e. it will take effect from 1st June, 2002. (f) Finance Act, 2003, again makes the position clear that surcharge in respect of block assessment of undisclosed income was made prospective. Such a stipulation is contained in second proviso to subsection (3) of Section 2 of Finance Act, 2003. This proviso reads as under: "Provided further that the amount of income-tax computed in accordance with the provisions of section 113 shall be increased by a surcharge for purposes of the Union as provided in Paragraph A, B, C, D or E, as the case may be, of Part III of the First Schedule of the Finance Act of the year in which the search is initiated under section 132 or requisition is made under section 132A of the income-tax Act." Addition of this proviso in the Finance Act, 2003 further makes it clear that such a provision was necessary to provide for surcharge in the cases of block assessments and thereby making it prospective in nature. The charge in respect of the surcharge, having been created for the first time by the insertion....