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Capital-gains character of flat sales prevailed where investment intent and absence of regular real-estate trading were established.
Sale of flats was characterised as giving rise to capital gains rather than business income because the flats were acquired, recorded and managed as investments, including efforts to lease them. The isolated project, substantial holding period, staggered sales, and lack of volume, frequency, continuity or regularity associated with real-estate trading supported investment intent. While accounting treatment was not conclusive, it remained relevant when considered with the overall conduct. Earlier acceptance of capital-gains treatment, without changed facts or incriminating material, also supported consistency. Whether a transaction is an adventure in the nature of trade depends on intention and the totality of circumstances, with the Revenue bearing the burden of proving trading character.
Provision for discount deductibility remains legally open after the special leave petition was not entertained.
A special leave petition concerning the allowability of a provision for discount as an expense was not entertained by the SC in view of the peculiar facts and circumstances. The petition was dismissed, while any question of law was expressly kept open. The text does not state a binding determination on whether such discount provisions are allowable deductions.
Valuation after book rejection requires State PWD rates over CPWD rates; the High Court view remained undisturbed.
Reliance on a District Valuation Officer's report following rejection of books of account is discussed in relation to the appropriate valuation benchmark. The Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) faulted the valuation method used by the District Valuation Officer, while not questioning the procedure of obtaining the valuation report. The text states that valuation should be based on State PWD rates rather than CPWD rates and records dismissal of the Special Leave Petition without interference with the High Court judgment.
Reasonable apprehension of bias invalidates selection committee rejection where a conflicted officer participates in evaluating candidature for ITAT appointment.
Reasonable apprehension of bias can invalidate a collective selection process even without proof of actual prejudice. Participation in the Search-cum-Selection Committee by an officer who had faced contempt proceedings initiated by the candidate in the same service dispute created a genuine concern about impartiality. The relevant record also indicated prior departmental actions affecting the candidate's prospects. The rejection of candidature for appointment as Member (Accountant), ITAT was set aside, and fresh consideration was required by a reconstituted Selection Committee excluding the concerned officer, with the outcome to be communicated to the candidate.
Additional input tax credit benefit absent where the eligible-credit ratio declined after GST, negating any required price reduction.
Implementation of GST did not confer an additional input tax credit benefit for the relevant real-estate project. Verification of eligible pre-GST credit, post-GST input tax credit, transitional credit, purchase values and reversals attributable to exempt supplies showed that the eligible-credit-to-purchase-value ratio decreased from 10.44% before GST to 10.08% after GST. On that basis, the investigation report found no additional credit capable of requiring a commensurate reduction in homebuyer prices under the anti-profiteering provisions. No anti-profiteering contravention or amount payable to homebuyers was established.
Best-judgment GST assessments lapse when valid returns are filed with applicable interest and late fees, ending recovery action.
Section 62 permits best-judgment assessment for failure to furnish GST returns, but treats the assessment order as deemed withdrawn once the registered person files valid returns. Interest and late-fee liability remains payable. Where returns for all disputed periods were filed with the applicable interest and late fee, the amended provision, including condonation of delay for filing returns, applied. Consequently, the assessment orders and consequential recovery action could not continue after valid returns were furnished.
Fraudulent premises amendments do not justify cancelling an original tax registration not obtained through fraud.
Section 29(2) permits cancellation where registration was obtained through fraud, wilful misstatement or suppression of facts, or where the Act or Rules are contravened. Allegedly untenable documents were used only for subsequent amendments concerning the business premises, while the original registration pre-dated those amendments and was not shown to have been fraudulently obtained. As the amendments did not affect the underlying business activity, the appropriate measure was to cancel the premises-related amendments while retaining the original registration and permitting a future application supported by valid documents or orders.
Statutory GST appellate remedy preserved, with delay consideration and merits review subject to pre-deposit requirements.
Statutory GST appeals may be pursued where the petitioner elects the appellate remedy, subject to filing the required pre-deposit and applications seeking condonation of delay. The challenges to the impugned GST orders were not examined on their merits. The appellate authority was directed to assess the delay on the stated facts and, if satisfied, determine the appeals in accordance with law. The writ petitions were disposed of with liberty to file statutory appeals within two weeks.
Statutory appellate remedy can address cross-examination concerns through further inquiry, despite the prohibition on remand under GST law.
Section 107(11) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 bars the Appellate Authority from remanding matters but permits further inquiry necessary for proper adjudication. That power may include allowing cross-examination where required, enabling the appellate forum to examine alleged denial of cross-examination, factual and legal grievances, and claims of payments already made. The statutory appeal is therefore described as an efficacious remedy, with writ jurisdiction not invoked and the petitioner directed to pursue the appellate remedy.
Electronic credit ledger unblocking under Rule 86A(2) requires merits-based consideration once the blocking basis no longer exists.
Rule 86A(2) of the GST Rules permits debit from a blocked electronic credit ledger when the conditions that justified blocking no longer exist. Input tax credit was blocked after the petitioner's suppliers were found non-existent and their registrations cancelled. As the application seeking unblocking was stated to be unavailable to the respondents, a copy was required to be served for reconsideration. The application must then be considered and decided on its merits under the prescribed Rule 86A(2) mechanism.
GST fraud and identity-theft disputes requiring factual evidence must proceed through the statutory appellate remedy.
GST demands founded on alleged fraudulent registration and identity theft should ordinarily be challenged through the statutory appellate remedy where impersonation, forgery and use of identity documents require assessment of disputed facts and evidence. Writ jurisdiction is unsuitable for re-evaluating findings already considered by the adjudicating authority, while the identity-theft investigation remains subject to the competent criminal court's supervision. The petitioners were directed to pursue the statutory appeal and could seek exclusion of time spent in writ proceedings for limitation purposes.
Effective service of GST notices after registration cancellation requires alternative communication; portal-only notice breaches natural justice.
Under the Uttar Pradesh Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, uploading a show-cause notice solely on the GST portal after cancellation of the taxpayer's registration does not provide effective service. Once registration is cancelled, the taxpayer is not obliged to monitor the portal, and an alternative mode of service is required to ensure a meaningful opportunity of hearing. Portal-only service in these circumstances breaches the principles of natural justice, rendering the resulting assessment order invalid and liable to be quashed.
Statutory appellate remedy governs disputed input tax credit claims requiring factual verification, with appeal permitted without pre-deposit.
Disputed denial of input tax credit, interest and penalty required factual verification of ERP software existence and use, and of the underlying transaction's genuineness. Because those matters had not been tested and a statutory appellate remedy was available, writ jurisdiction was not appropriate for resolving the controversy. The party was permitted to file a statutory appeal within 30 days without pre-deposit, and the appellate authority was directed to decide it on merits within three months.
Verification of unrecorded GST tax payment required fresh adjudication after Electronic Credit Ledger deposit and supporting reply.
Ex parte GST assessment and rejection of a delayed statutory appeal required reconsideration because the assessee asserted that the disputed tax had already been paid, but the payment was not reflected in the assessment. Verification of the asserted payment was necessary. Fresh adjudication was directed after the assessee deposits 15% of the disputed tax through the Electronic Credit Ledger and files a reply supported by relevant documents. The assessment and appeal-rejection orders were quashed and the matter remitted subject to those conditions.
Statutory GST appellate remedy remains available subject to pre-deposit and a delay-condonation application within the permitted period.
A petitioner challenging a GST adjudication order was permitted to pursue the statutory appellate remedy. The writ petition was disposed of with liberty to file an appeal within two weeks, subject to making the statutory pre-deposit and submitting an application for condonation of delay.
Interest on sanctioned GST refunds may be claimed without non-passing certification, subject to Proper Officer scrutiny and lawful determination.
Certification under Rule 89(2)(m) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017 is not required where a claim is limited to interest on principal refund amounts already sanctioned and disbursed. The rule's certificate concerning non-passing of the incidence of tax, interest or other amount does not apply in these circumstances. The Proper Officer must nevertheless scrutinise the refund particulars and determine the interest claim in accordance with law.
Statutory appeal limitation under Section 107 was relaxed to protect substantive rights and restore merits adjudication.
Section 107 prescribes a three-month period for filing a statutory appeal and permits a further one-month period on sufficient cause, creating an aggregate 120-day limit. Despite filing four days beyond that period, delay was condoned because the assessment order affected valuable rights of the assessee. The appellate dismissal was set aside and the appeal was restored for adjudication on merits.
Natural justice in refund proceedings requires consideration of the notice reply and a hearing before a reasoned decision.
An ex parte refund-rejection order issued without considering the reply to the show-cause notice or providing a hearing violates the principles of natural justice. The matter must be restored to the adjudicating authority from the stage of the reply, with fresh notice and a reasonable opportunity of hearing. A reasoned order must then be passed in accordance with law.
Instalment payment of admitted tax liability requires an application to the competent tax authority for statutory consideration.
Payment of admitted tax liability in instalments falls within the statutory discretion of the Commissioner of State Tax. Where no instalment application has been made to that competent authority, the taxpayer must first seek relief through an application for consideration in accordance with law. The writ petition was disposed of with liberty to apply for instalment payment.
Consolidated GST show cause notices across multiple financial years remain valid, subject to determining the applicable demand provision.
A consolidated demand-cum-show cause notice may cover multiple financial years under the CGST Act, as neither Section 73 nor Section 74 imposes a statutory bar on such consolidation. The applicable provision depends on whether fraud, wilful misstatement, or suppression of facts with intent to evade tax is established. That factual determination is for the Proper Officer, subject to statutory appellate review. Accordingly, an objection to jurisdiction based solely on consolidation of multiple financial years does not invalidate the notice.