2024 (9) TMI 1192
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ishing all the documentary evidence for establishing identity, creditworthiness of the investors and the genuineness of the transaction. 2. That the Ld. CIT (A) has erred in law as well as on facts in enhancing the income of appellant u/s 251(1) by a sum of Rs. 76,00,000/- under the head income from other sources by applying section 56(2)(viib) of the Act on protective basis and rejecting the valuation of shares as determined as per NAV method provided under Rule 11UA(2)(a) of Income Tax Rules, 1962. 3. That the Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law as well as on facts in initiating the penalty proceedings u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act. 2. The brief facts of the cases are that the returns of income were e-filed by the assessees and the same were processed u/s. 143 (1). The cases were selected for limited scrutiny under CASS to verify "whether the funds received in the form of share premium are from disclosed sources or not. Notice u/s 143(2) of the Act and notice u/s 142(1) with questionnaire were issued to the assessee company. The AO issued the notice u/s 131of the Act to the assessee for personal deposition of the Directors/Pr officers. The AO made the addition of the enti....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....015) M/s. Goodluck Industries (P) Ltd. (Rs. 10,00,000/- on 26.10.2015) M/s. Rishi Credit & Industries (P) Ltd. (Rs. 40,00,000/- on 26.10.2015) 8. Evidences furnished in the PB M/s. Good luck Industries (P) Ltd. (PB Pg131 to 155) M/s. Metalcity Constructions Kovai (P) OLtd. (PB 143-165) M/s. Rishi Credit & Industries (P) Ltd. (PB 166-188) M/s.Pearl Multicon Pvt. Ltd. (PB 105-130) M/s. Good luck Industries Ltd. (PB 131-154) M/s. Rishi Credit & Industries (P) Ltd. (PB 155-179) 5. The Ld counsel for the assessee has submitted that the CIT(A) has committed error by sustaining the addition made u/s 68 of the Act. The assessees have given the names, addresses and PAN number of the investors and also entries in ROC Website. The assessees have proved that identity of investors, creditworthiness of the investors and genuineness of the transaction as required u/s of 68 of the Act by filing the documents. In support their contention they have filed the paper books in the appeals. He has submitted that assessees have discharged their onus as required u/s 68 of the Act, therefore sought for deletion of the addition. The Ld counsel has also relied on the following decisions;- ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....orm of share premium are from disclosed sources'. During the proceedings the AO issued statutory notice to the assessees. In the response the notice the assessees have filed certain documents such as certificate of incorporation MOA/AOA, auditor's report along with balance sheet and profit and loss account for the relevant Financial Year 2016-17, ledger account of Axis Bank, bank statement. The assessees have also furnished the documents with respect to investor companies such as confirmation of accounts, share application, confirmation of accounts share certificate, certification of incorporation along with memorandum and article of association and article of association, and profit and loss account for the relevant F.Y. 2016-17. The particular of the investment made by the investors as per assessees as under;- 1- M/s Punyah Building Materials Pvt Ltd. ITA NO 81/Del/2021 A.Y.2016-17 Sl no particulars 1 Details of the investors who made the investment during the year M/S Metalcity Constructions Kovai (P) Ltd Rs 45,00,000/- on 26-06-2015 M/SGood Luck Industries (P) Ltd Rs 2500000/- on 21-10- 2015 M/s Rishi Credit &Industries (P) ltd Rs 2500000/-on 2....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ection 56(2)(viib) of the Act ,it becomes clear that fair market value of shares as on date of sale has to be determined by applying the methodology provided under rule 11UA of the Rules. As per rule 11UA(2)(b) the fair market value of equity shares has to be decided by applying the methodology as provided under clause (a) or clause (b) at the option of the assessee. In the instant case the assessees have got fair market value of the shares determined through an accountant and follow the Act. 12. While dealing with an identical issue, the Coordinate Bench in case of M/s. Dayalu Iron & Steel Pvt. Ltd. (supra) has held as under :- "12. The Ld. A.O while making an addition u/s 68 of the Act raised question over the ne of the transaction source of funds invested. Further held that, the investor companies do not have produced creditworthiness to fund the assessee company which has been confirmed by the CIT(A) and the CIT(A) has also rejected the valuation report. The assessee in response to notice u/s 142 has produced following documents which have been also in the paper book before us:- Particulars Page no of paper book Certificate of Incorporation and MOA & AOA ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....Rs. 40 on each share under Rule 11UA has been found to be without basis and while doing so the CIT(A) has relied on decision of the Coordinate Bench of this Tribunal in the case of Agro Portfolio Pvt. Ltd. vs. ITO 2018, 171/ITD/74 DEL. The decision made in Agro Portfolio Pvt. Ltd. (supra) has been considered by the Coordinate bench of this Tribunal in the case of Cinestan Entertainment (P). Ltd. Vs. ITO for AY 2015-16 dated 27/05/2019, wherein it is held that the Assessing Officer cannot examined or substituted its own value in place of valuation arrived by the assessee either DCF Method or NAV Method, the commercial expediency has to be seen from the point view of businessman. Further held that if law provides the assessee to get the valuation done from a prescribed expert as per the prescribed method, then the same cannot be rejected because neither the Assessing Officer nor the assessee have been recognized as expert under the law. The relevant portion are hereunder:- "28. Now what we are required to examine whether under these facts and circumstances Assessing Officer after invoking the deeming provision of Section 56(2)(vii) could have determined the fair market value....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....country will invest in a 'start-up company', because investment can only be lured with the future prospects and projection of these companies. 29. Now, whether under the deeming provision such an investment received by the assessee company be brought to tax. The relevant provision of Section 56 for the sake of ready reference is reproduced hereunder: 2018 "Income from other sources. 56. (1) Income of every kind which is not to be excluded from the total income under this Act shall be chargeable to income-tax under the head "Income from other sources", if it is not chargeable to income-tax under any of the heads specified in section 14, items A to E. (2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-section (1), the following incomes, shall be chargeable to income-tax under the head "Income from other sources", namely :-- (i)....... (viib) "where a company, not being a company in which the public are substantially interested, receives, in any previous year, from any person being a resident, any consideration for issue of shares that exceeds the face value of such shares, the aggregate consideration received for such shares as exceed....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....er or by the Chartered Accountant. The valuation of shares based on DCF is basically to see the future year's revenue and profits projected and then discount the same to arrive at the present value of the business....................................................................... ................................................................................... 31. .......................................................................... 32. What is seen here is that, both the authorities have questioned the assessee's commercial wisdom for making the investment of funds raised in 0% compulsorily convertible debentures of group companies. They are trying to suggest that assessee should have made investment in some instrument which could have yielded return/ profit in the revenue projection made at the time of issuance of shares, without understanding that strategic investments and risks are undertaken for appreciation of capital and larger returns and not simply dividend and interest. Any businessman or entrepreneur, visualise the business based on certain future projection and undertakes all kind of risks. It is the risk factor alone which gives a h....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....rojection. These projections are based on various factors and projections made by the management and the Valuer, like growth of the company, economic/market conditions, business conditions, expected demand and supply, cost of capital and host of other factors. These factors are considered based on some reasonable approach and they cannot be evaluated purely based on arithmetical precision as value is always worked out based on approximation and catena of underline facts and assumptions. Nevertheless, at the time when valuation is made, it is based on reflections of the potential value of business at that particular time and also keeping in mind underline factors that may change over the period of time and thus, the value which is relevant today may not be relevant after certain period of time. Precisely, these factors have been judicially appreciated in various judgments some of which have been relied upon by the ld. Counsel, for instance: - i) Securities & Exchange Board of India &Ors [2015 ABR 291 - (Bombay HC)] "48.6 Thirdly, it is a well settled position of law with regard to the valuation. that valuation is not an exact science and can never be done with arithmetic precision. ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ate bench in Agro Portfolio Pvt. Ltd. Vs. ITO which has been relied by the CIT(A). Therefore, we are inclined to follow the ratio laid down in the case of Cinestan Entertainment P. Ltd. Supra and hold that the Ld. A.O and CIT(A) have committed an error in rejected the valuation done by the assessee from prescribed expert as per the prescribed method. 17. Further, the Ld.CIT(A) while enhancing the income of the assessee u/s 56 (2)(viib) had observed that, such share premium received by the appellant for Rs. 76,00,000/- during the Financial Year 2014-15 relevant to Assessment Year 2015- 16 is considered income of the appellant. The Ld. CIT(A) has not provided mandatory opportunity of hearing to the assessee u/s 251 (1) of the Act which ultimately resulted in enhancement of assessed income. The assessee has produced the valuation report before the CIT (A) but the same has not been considered by the CIT(A). The assessee has prepared valuation of the shares in accordance with Rule 11US of the Act for the purpose of Section 56(2) (viib) of the Act, adopting discounted cash flow method. The Ld. CIT(A) failed to understand the valuation of the shares made as per DCF Method and not....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....valuation. Accordingly, we are not in a position to accept the method adoptei by Ld. CIT(A). In the similar facts, the Coordinate Bench of ITAT has held as under: "25. We have heard the rival contentions, perused the relevant findings given in the impugned order as well as material referred to before us at the time of hearing. In various grounds of appeal, the sol issue raised by the appellant assessee relates to the addition of Rs. 90,95,46,200/- made by the AO, b; invoking the deeming provisions of sections 6 (2)(viib) by adopting fair market value of the shar premium received by the Assessee Company from the investors at NIL What has been sought to b taxed is mainly the share premium issued on equity shares which according to the AO far exceede the FMV of the shares. Though facts have been discussed in detail in the foregoing paragraphs however in the succinct manner, the relevant facts and background are reiterated in order to appreciate the controversy and the issue for adjudication. The assessee company was incorporated on 19t September, 2013, I.e., in the Assessment Year 2014-15, with the objective of carrying of business production and distribution of feature film,....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... 27. From the perusal of the records and the impugned orders, it transpires that Assessing Officer had also issued notices u/s. 133(6) to all the 3 investors to seek confirmation, information and documents pertaining to transaction of issuance of shares. In response to the said notices, Assessing Officer has received all the details and replies directly from these investors confirming the transaction. The venture agreement between the assessee and the investors were also filed before the Assessing Officer and in this regard, our attention was also drawn by the Id. counsel that the investment was to be made by these investors in various phases and transactions and it was only after they have gone by the projection and satisfied with the potentials and credentials of future growth, they were willing to make such huge investment in the 'start-up company' like assessee. Thus, neither the identity nor the creditworthiness of the investors nor the genuineness of the transaction can be doubted and in fact the same stands fully established to which Assessing Officer has also not raised any doubt or disputed this fact. Thus, under the deeming provisions of section 68, the t....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ord that it is unaccounted money of assessee company routed through circuitous channel or any other dubious manner through these accredited investors. If such a strict view is adopted on such investment as have been done by the Assessing Officer and by Id. CIT(A), then no investor in the country will invest in a 'start-up company', because investment can only be lured with the future prospects and projection of these companies. 33. Section 56(2)(viib) is a deeming provision and one cannot "expand the meaning of scope of any word while interpreting such deeming provision. If the statute provides that the valuation has to be done as per the prescribed method and if one of the prescribed methods has been adopted by the assessee, then Assessing Officer has to accept the same and in case he is not satisfied, then we do not find any express provision under the Act or rules, where Assessing Officer can adopt his own valuation in DCF method or get it valued by some different Valuer. There has to be some enabling provision under the Rule or the Act where Assessing Officer has been given a power to tinker with the valuation report obtained by an independent valuer as per the....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....is essentially based on the projections (estimates) only and hence these projections cannot be compared with the actuals to expect the same figures as were projected. The valuer has to make forecast on the basis of some material but to estimate the exact figure is beyond its control. At the time of making a valuation for the purpose of determination of the fair market value, the past history may or may not be available in a given case and therefore, the other relevant factors may be considered. The projections are affected by various factors hence in the case of company where there is no commencement of production or of the business, does not mean that its share cannot command any premium. For such cases, the concept of start-up is a good example and as submitted the income-tax Act also recognized and encouraging the start-ups." (iii) DQ (International) Ltd. v. ACIT (ITA 15 l/Hyd/2015) "10... In our considered view, for valuation of an intangible asset, only the future projections along can be adopted and such valuation cannot be reviewed with actual after 3 or 4 years down the line. Accordingly, the grounds raised by the assessee are allowed". The afores....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....me-tax Act and shown in the balance-sheet as asset including the unamortised amount of deferred expenditure which does not represent the value of any asset, L=book value of liabilities shown in the balance-sheet, but not including the following amounts, namely: (i) the paid-up capital in respect of equity shares: (ii) the amount set apart for payment of dividends on preference shares and equity shares and equity shares where such dividends have not been declared before the date of transfer at a general body meeting of the company (iii) reserves and surplus, by whatever name called, even if the resulting figure is negative, other than those set apart towards depreciation. (iv) any amount representing provision for taxation, other than amount of tax paid as deduction or collection at source or as advance tax payment as reduced by the amount of tax claimed as refund under the Income-tax Act. to the extent of the excess over the tax payable with reference to the book profits in accordance with the law applicable thereto, (v) any amount representing provisions made for meeting liabilities, other than ascertained liabilities; ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ited and Ors. vs. Union of India and Ors. (10.05.2019 - GUJHC): MANU/GJ/0860/2019. 19. The Hon'ble Jurisdictional High Court in the case of PCIT Vs Cinestaan Entertainment Pvt Ltd (2021) 433 ITR 82 (Delhi) held that No addition can be made for share issued at Premium based on prescribed methodology in following manners:- "13. From the aforesaid extract of the impugned order, it becomes clear that the learned ITAT has followed the dicta of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in matters relating to the commercial prudence of an assessee relating to valuation of an asset. The law requires determination of fair market values as per prescribed methodology. The Appellant-Revenue had the option to conduct its own valuation and determine FMV on the basis of either the DCF or NAV Method. The Respondent- Assessee being a start-up company adopted DCF method to value its shares. This was carried out on the basis of information and material available on the date of valuation and projection of future revenue. There is no dispute that methodology adopted by the Respondent- Assessee has been done applying a recognized and accepted method. Since the performance did not match the project....
TaxTMI