TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2024 (7) TMI 1020
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....explain as to why registration should not be cancelled. The assessee had responded to same and further opportunities were also granted to the assessee. Subsequently, a final show cause notice was issued and there was no proper reply on behalf of the assessee. The assessee gives reply on 3.6.2023. Ld CIT (E) by holding that the assessee had not submitted any categorical explanation or reply to the show cause notice of this office, cancelled the registration granted to the assessee u/s. 12AA of the Act w.e.f. 1.4.2014. It was the submission that a show cause notice for cancellation of registration had been issued by ld CIT (E) on 6.10.2022 but the cancellation of registration was done w.e.f. 1.4.2014 relevant to assessment year 2015-16. It was the submission that the provisions of section 12AB does not provide for retrospective cancellation of registration u/s. 12A of the Act. It was the further submission that the assessee had been granted registration under new regime vide order dated 5.4.2022. ld CIT (E) has cancelled the registration because of assessment order for the assessment years 2013-14 and 2014-15. It was the submission that this assessment was on account of reopening don....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....re Bench in the case of Amala Jyothi Vidya Kendra Trust (supra), wherein, from paras 6 to 6.10, the Co-ordinate Bench has held as follows: "6. We have heard the rival submissions and perused the materials available on record. The main contention of the ld. A.R. is that the ld. PCIT cancelled the registration granted to the assessee w.e.f. the previous year i.e. 2017-18 relevant to assessment year 2018-19 by applying the provisions as stood on 29.12.2023, which cannot be applied for the violations of the provisions of section 12AA or 12AB of the Act. According to the ld. A.R., the ld. PCIT has cancelled the registration granted to the assessee since the ld. PCIT was satisfied that one or more specified violations have taken place. The specified violations are mentioned in explanation to section 12AB(4) of the Act as follows: Explanation: For the purposes of this sub-section, the following shall mean "specified violation",-- a) Where any income derived from property held under trust, wholly or in part for charitable or religious purposes, has been applied, other than for the objects of the trust or institution; or b) The trust or institution has income from profits and gains ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....subsection if the trust or institution proves that, there was reasonable cause for the activity to be carried out in the said manner." 6.2 This section has been amended by Finance Act, 2022 w.e.f. 1.4.2022 as follows: 12AB(4): Where registration or provisional registration of a trust or an institution has been granted under clause (a) or clause (b) or clause (c) of subsection (1) or clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 12AA, as the case may be, and subsequently,-- a) The Principal Commissioner or Commissioner has noticed occurrence of one or more specified violations during any previous year; b) The Principal Commissioner or Commissioner has received a reference from the Assessing Officer under the second proviso to sub-section (3) of section 143 for any previous year; or c) Such case has been selected in accordance with the risk management strategy, formulated by the Board from time to time, for any previous year; The Principal Commissioner or Commissioner shall- i. call for such documents or information from the trust or institution, or make such inquiry as he thinks necessary in order to satisfy himself about the occurrence or otherwise of any specified violati....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....cts of the trust or institution, as the case may be, he shall pass an order in writing cancelling the registration of such trust or institution after affording reasonable opportunity of being heard. As per section 12AB(5) of the Act, when trust or institution complied wholly or in part of the income of such trust or institution in violation of section 13(1) of the Act or if they complied with any other law, for the time being in force by the trust or institution as are material for the purpose of achieving its objectives as mentioned in section 12AB(1)(b)(ii)(B) of the Act. However, in the present case, the ld. PCIT invoked the provisions of section 12AB(4)(a)(ii) of the Act as stood in the assessment year 2022-23. The objection of the ld. A.R. is that for the cancellation of registration for the assessment year 2021-22, he could not invoke the provisions of section 12AB(4)(ii) of the Act which is introduced by Finance Act, 2022 w.e.f. 1.4.2022 and applicable for the assessment year 2022-23 onwards. 6.4 In the case of Isthmian Steamship Lines reported in 20 ITR 572 (SC) wherein the Hon'ble Supreme Court held that "it is a cardinal principle of the tax law that law to be applied i....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... the 1st of April, 1939, which is the date mentioned in the amended proviso. The first question to be answered is whether these dates are to apply to the accounting year or the year of assessment. They must be held to apply to the assessment year, because in income-tax matters the law to be applied is the law in force in the assessment year unless otherwise stated or implied. The first datum line therefore, affected only the assessment year of 1940-41, because the amendment did not come into force till the 1st of April, 1940. That means that the old law applied to every assessment year up to and including the assessment year 1939-40.' This decision is authority for the proposition that though the subject of the charge is the income of the previous year, the law to be applied is that in force in the assessment year, unless otherwise stated or implied. The facts of the said decision are different and distinguishable and the High Court was clearly in error in applying that decision to the facts of the present case." (emphasis supplied) 17.6 We need not multiply on the case law on the subject as the principles aforesaid remain settled and unquestionable. Applying these principles....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....will take effect only from the date of the order/notice of cancellation of registration. Since the act of cancellation of registration has serious civil consequences and the amended provision is held to have only a prospective effect the effect of cancellation, in' the event the pending tax appeal is decided in favour of the Revenue, will operate only from the date of the cancellation order, that is December 30, 2010. In other words, the exemption cannot be denied to the petitioner for and up to the assessment year 2010-11 on the sole ground of cancellation of the certificate of registration." 6.9 In this case, the ld. PCIT has cancelled the registration under the new provisions of the Act i.e. 12AB(4)(ii) of the Act, which specifically provides that cancellation can be done for such previous year and all subsequent previous years, which makes it clear that the cancellation cannot be retrospective, therefore, in view of the above discussion, we are of the opinion that cancellation of registration with retrospective effect is invalid in these cases. Since the ld. PCIT invoked the provisions of section 12AB(4)(ii) of the Act, which has been introduced by the Finance Act, 2022 w....