TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
1964 (4) TMI 18
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....s and they are as follows : The assessee consisted of several persons combined together for the purpose of purchasing coal in order to supply the same to customers for domestic purposes and other small scale industries. For the assessment year 1948-49 the Income-tax Officer levied tax upon the total income in the hands of the said association of persons. The assessee claimed that in the circumstances of the case it should not be assessed to tax as an association of persons, but the proportion of the income in the hands of each of the members of the association might be assessed to tax instead. As the Income-tax Officer did not comply with this request, the assessee preferred an appeal to the Appellate Assistant Commissioner, but it was dism....
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....ssess the total income of the association of members, though the individual's share in the income may be added to his individual income for the purposes of ascertaining his total income. He further argues that even if the Income-tax Officer has the option to assess to income-tax the association of persons on its total income or the individual members thereof in respect of their proportionate share of the income, if he had exercised the option in one way or the other neither the Appellate Assistant Commissioner in appeal nor the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal in further appeal has power to direct the Income-tax Officer to exercise his discretion in a different way ; and for this conclusion he seeks to draw strength from his further submis....
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....ssistant Commissioner may, in the case of an order of assessment,-- (a) confirm, reduce, enhance or annul the assessment, or (b) set aside the assessment and direct the Income-tax Officer to make a fresh assessment after making such further inquiry as the Income-tax Officer thinks fit or the Appellate Assistant Commissioner may direct, and the Income-tax Officer shall thereupon proceed to make such fresh assessment and determine where necessary the amount of tax payable on the basis of such fresh assessment... (4) Where as the result of an appeal any change is made in the assessment of a firm or association of persons or a new assessment of a firm or association of persons is ordered to be made, the Appellate Assi....
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....ually as a separate entity from the association of persons. Income of every person, whether he is a member of an association or not, is liable to the charge under the head " every individual ". Section 14(2)(b) only says that if such an individual happens to be a member of an association of persons which has already been assessed, the tax would not be payable in respect of the share of his income again. That under the Act an assessment can be made on an association of persons as a unit or, alternatively, on the individual members thereof in respect of their respective shares of the income was assumed by this court in Commissioner of Income-tax v. Raja Reddy Mallaram. We, therefore, hold that section 3 impliedly gives an option to an appropr....
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.... Appellate Assistant Commissioner. It is said that an order made by the Income-tax Officer rejecting the plea of an association of persons that the members thereof shall be assessed individually does not fall under one or other of the three heads mentioned above. What is the substance of the objection of the assessee ? The assessee denies his liability to be assessed under the Act in the circumstances of the case and pleads that the members of the association shall be assessed only individually. The expression " denial of liability " is comprehensive enough to take in not only the total denial of liability but also the liability to tax under particular circumstances. In either case the denial is a denial of liability to be assessed under th....
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.... by an Appellate Assistant Commissioner under section 28 or section 31 may appeal to the Appellate Tribunal within 60 days of the date on which such order is communicated to him. Under section 33(4). " The Appellate Tribunal may, after giving both parties to the appeal an opportunity of being heard, pass such orders thereon as it thinks fit, and shall communicate any such orders to the assessee and to the Commissioner." Under section 33(5), " Where as the result of an appeal any change is made in the assessment of a firm or association of persons or a new assessment of a firm or association of persons is ordered to be made, the Appellate Tribunal may authorise the Income-tax Officer to amend accordingly any assessment made on any partner of....