2025 (3) TMI 2172
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....A) has erred in confirming the action of the Id. AO in issuing notice under Section 148 of the Act without obtaining proper sanction under Section 151 of the ITA. The action of the Ld. CIT(A) is illegal, unjustified, arbitrary and against the facts of the case. Relief may please be granted by quashing the reassessment proceedings being illegal and without jurisdiction. 3. In the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, Ld. CIT(A) has erred in confirming the action of the Ld. AO, in passing the order without proper opportunity of cross examination. The action of the Ld. CIT(A) is illegal, unjustified, arbitrary and against the facts of the case. Relief may please be granted by quashing the entire order passed by the Id. AO, being illegal and against the principle of natural justice. 4. In the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, Ld. CIT(A) has erred in confirming the action of the Id. AO in making disallowance of donation claimed under Section 35(1)(ii) amounting to Rs. 1,00,00,000. The action of the Ld. CIT(A) is illegal, unjustified, arbitrary and against the facts of the case. Relief may please be granted by allowing the claim under Section 35(....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....f the Act, under which the assessee had claimed expenditure as under: 35. (1) In respect of expenditure on scientific research, the following deductions shall be allowed- (i) any expenditure (not being in the nature of capital expenditure) laid out or expended on scientific research related to the business. Explanation.-Where any such expenditure has been laid out or expended before the commencement of the business (not being expenditure laid out or expended before the 1st day of April, 1973) on payment of any salary [as defined in Explanation 2 below sub-section (5) of section 40A] to an employee engaged in such scientific research or on the purchase of materials used in such scientific research, the aggregate of the expenditure so laid out or expended within the three years immediately preceding the commencement of the business shall, to the extent it is certified by the prescribed authority to have been laid out or expended on such scientific research, be deemed to have been laid out or expended in the previous year in which the business is commenced ; (ii) an amount equal to one- and one-half times of any sum paid ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
...., shall not be denied merely on the ground that, subsequent to the payment of such sum by the assessee, the approval granted to the association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii) or to a company referred to in clause (iia) has been withdrawn; (iv) in respect of any expenditure of a capital nature on scientific research related to the business carried on by the assessee, such deduction as may be admissible under the provisions of sub-section (2): Provided that the research association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii) shall make an application in the prescribed form and manner to the Central Government for the purpose of grant of approval, or continuance thereof, under clause (ii) or, as the case may be, clause (iii): Provided further that the Central Government may, before granting approval under clause (ii) or clause (iii), call for such documents (including audited annual accounts) or information from the research association], university, college or other institution as it thinks necessary in order to satisfy itself about the genuineness of the a....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ng anything contained in sub-section (1), the deduction in respect of any sum paid to the research association, university, college or other institution referred to in clause (ii) or clause (iii), or the company referred to in clause (iia) of sub-section (1), shall not be allowed, unless such research association, university, college or other institution or company- (i) prepares such statement for such period as may be prescribed and deliver or cause to be delivered to the said prescribed income-tax authority or the person authorised by such authority such statement in such form, verified in such manner, setting forth such particulars and within such time, as may be prescribed: Provided that such research association, university, college or other institution or the company may also deliver to the prescribed authority a correction statement for rectification of any mistake or to add, delete or update the information furnished in the statement delivered under this sub-section in such form and verified in such manner as may be prescribed; (ii) Furnishes to the donor, a certificate specifying the amount of donation in such manner, ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... clause (i) falls short of the said expenditure, then- (a) there shall be allowed a deduction for that previous year of an amount equal to such deficiency, and (b) no deduction shall be allowed under that clause for that previous year or for any subsequent previous year; (iii) if the asset mentioned in clause (ii) is sold, without having been used for other purposes, in the year of cessation, the sale price shall be taken to be the value of the asset at the time of the cessation ; and if the asset is sold, without having been used for other purposes, in a previous year subsequent to the year of cessation, and the sale price falls short of the value of the asset taken into account at the time of cessation, an amount equal to the deficiency shall be allowed as a deduction for the previous year in which the sale took place ; (iv) (iv) where a deduction is allowed for any previous year under this section in respect of expenditure represented wholly or partly by an asset, no deduction shall be allowed under clause (ii) of sub-section (1)] of section 32 for the same or any other previous year in respect of that asset; ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....st day of April, 2021, the deduction under this sub-section shall be equal to the sum so paid. Explanation 1. -The deduction, to which the assessee is entitled in respect of any sum paid to a National Laboratory, University, Indian Institute of Technology or a specified person for the approved programme referred to in this sub-section, shall not be denied merely on the ground that, subsequent to the payment of such sum by the assessee, the approval granted to, - (a) such Laboratory, or specified person has been withdrawn; or (b) the programme, undertaken by the National Laboratory, University, Indian Institute of Technology or specified person, has been withdrawn.] Explanation [2]. -For the purposes of this section, - (a) "National Laboratory" means a scientific laboratory functioning at the national level under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Department of Electronics, the Department of Bio-Technology or the Department of Atomic Energy and which i....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....hief Commissioner or Chief Commissioner or Principal Director General or Director General in such form and within such time as may be prescribed. (5) [***] (6) No deduction shall be allowed to a company approved under sub-clause (C) of clause (iia) of sub-section (1) in respect of the expenditure referred to in clause (1) which is incurred after the 31st day of March, 2008. (2B)(a) Where, before the 1st day of March, 1984, an assessee has incurred any expenditure (not being in the nature of capital expenditure incurred on the acquisition of any land or building or construction of any building) on scientific research undertaken under a programme approved in this behalf by the prescribed authority having regard to the social, economic and industrial needs of India, he shall, subject to the provisions of this sub-section, be allowed a deduction of a sum equal to one and one-fourth times the amount of the expenditure certified by the prescribed authority to have been so incurred during the previous year. (b) Where a deduction has been allowed under clause (a) for any previous year in respect of any expenditure, no deduction in respect of such expendi....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ngwith similar set of facts thoroughly analysed by the Hon'ble Calcutta high Court in the case of [2022] 144 taxmann.com 39 (Cal.) PCIT vs. Maco Corpn. (India) (P.) Ltd. and held as under: "4. The short issue involved in the instant case is whether the donation given by the assessee to two organizations can be held to be not genuine on the ground that the registration granted to those organisations under section 35C of the Act having been cancelled with retrospective effect. On facts, the tribunal noted that there is nothing on record to show that the respondent/assessee connived with the scheme of arrangement between the concerns in bogus billing etc. The factual finding recorded by the CIT(A) is to the following effect: "5.5 It has been brought to my notice that vide notification No. 82/2016 dated 15-9-2016 and notification No. 79/2016 dated 6-9-2016 the registration of SHG&PH & HHBHRF respectively has been cancelled by CBDT. Thus, there remains no doubt that these concerns were engaged in the improper utilization of moneys received by them. If the statements are taken at face value, then on perusal of extracts of statements of brokers/mediators/and entry operat....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....received back the donation which had been made by them to the society. When the matter came up before the Tribunal at the instance of the assessee, the Tribunal found, as a matter of fact that the assessee had fulfilled all the conditions under section 35CCA of the Act for grant of deduction there under. The Tribunal also found that the assessee's position could not be affected by any subsequent withdrawal of the certificate granted by the prescribed authority under section 35CCA but found that there was no evidence in support of the Revenue's case that the assessee had received back the amount donated by them to the society. However, the matter was remanded back to the Assessing Officer for fresh disposal for the purpose of determining whether the money had in fact been utilised for an approved programme. Pursuant to the directions of the High Court the following questions were referred under section 256(2) of the Act (page 645): (1) Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal having held that the assessee have fulfilled all the conditions laid down in section 35CCA of the Income-tax Act, 1961, read with rule 6AAA of the Income-tax Rules f....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ts. Section 35CCA provides: "Expenditure by way of payment to associations and institutions for carrying out rural development programmes. - (1) Where an assessee incurs any expenditure by way of payment of any sum- (a)to an association or institution, which has as its object the undertaking of any programme of rural development, to be used for carrying out any programme of rural development approved by the prescribed authority; or ** ** **" The assessee shall, subject to the pr....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... prescribed authority. According to the Revenue authorities the assessee was not entitled to deduction as claimed despite the aforesaid because subsequently the approval granted by the prescribed authority was withdrawn with retrospective effect. It was also alleged that the assessee had received back the donation which had been made by them to the society. When the matter came up before the Tribunal at the instance of the assessee, the Tribunal found, as a matter of fact that the assessee had fulfilled all the conditions under section 35CCA of the Act for grant of deduction there under. The Tribunal also found that the assessee's position could not be affected by any subsequent withdrawal of the certificate granted by the prescribed authority under section 35CCA but found that there was no evidence in support of the Revenue's case that the assessee had received back the amount donated by them to the society. However, the matter was remanded back to the Assessing Officer for fresh disposal for the purpose of determining whether the money had in fact been utilised of an approved programme. Pursuant to the directions of the High Court the following questions were referre....
TaxTMI