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2018 (12) TMI 1221 - DELHI HIGH COURTSeeking refund with interest on the basis of Income Tax Returns (ITR) - Withholding of refund u/s 241A - scrutiny assessment u/s 143(3) is pending - ACIT not processing income tax returns for four Assessment Years - Revenue argued that processing of returns without scrutiny would be prejudicial to its interests - interpretation of Section 143 (1D) - as per assessee once the one year period in proviso to Section 143 (1) ends, the return – and whatever calculations are contained in it, with respect to tax liability as well as the consequential refunds, become final, subject to only one event: issuance of notice under Section 143 (2). Held that:- Section 143(2) empowers, the AO to issue notice to the assessee to produce documents or other evidence, to prove the genuineness of the income tax return. Under section 143(1D) of the Act as introduced by the Finance Act, 2012 processing of a return under Section 143(1)(a) is not necessary where a notice has been issued under Section 143(2) of the Act. This provision has now been amended by the Finance Act, 2016 (with effect from the AY 2017-18) to provide that if scrutiny notice is issued under Section 143(2), processing of return shall not be necessary before the expiry of one year from the end of the financial year in which return is submitted. In this case, acknowledgement or intimation had not been sent by the AO. There is no doubt that the period of one year indicated in the second proviso to Section 143 (1). However, Section 143 (1D) begins with a non-obstante clause that overbears that provision. For the AYs in consideration, for AY 2014-15, the petitioner has approached the AAR and for AYs 2015-16 and 2017-18, scrutiny assessments are pending before the AO. The AO has exercised discretion under Section 143(1D) not to process the returns considering the fact that substantial demand has been raised on completion of scrutiny assessment of earlier years. The petitioner has undertaken two schemes of amalgamation involving merger of certain group companies in order to restructure its business operations and increase operational efficiencies. In light of the above fact, assessments for the AY 2012-13 and 2013-14 are under special audit and any demand that would arise from the processing of the said assessment years are to be allowed to be adjusted against the refund claims. The petitioner’s position is that it is not in a good financial condition. There is some merit in the revenue’s argument that substantial outstanding demand are pending against the petitioner. Further, the likelihood of substantial demands upon the assessee after the scrutiny for the AYs is completed, cannot be ruled out. The Revenue should have the right to adjust the demands against the refunds that may arise but have not yet been determined due to ongoing scrutiny proceedings. As far as the argument that the expiry of the one year period, per second proviso to Section 143 (1) resulting in finality of the intimation of acceptance, this court is of opinion that the deeming provision in question, i.e. Section 143 (1) (d) only talks of two eventualities: “shall be deemed to be the intimation in a case where no sum is payable by, or refundable to, the assessee under clause (c), and where no adjustment has been made under clause (a).” Secondly, that intimation or acknowledgement cannot confer any greater right than for the assessee to ask the AO to process the refund and make over the money; it is up to the AO- wherever the possibility of issuing a notice under Section 143 (2) exists, or where such notice has been issued, to apply his mind, and decide whether given the nature of the returns and the potential or likely liability, the refund can be given. It does not mean that when an assessment -pursuant to notice under Section 143 (2) is pending, such right to claim refund can accrue. This court also recollects the decision of the Supreme Court in Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax v Zuari Estate Development & Investment Co Ltd [2015 (8) TMI 480 - SUPREME COURT] which held that an intimation under Section 143 (1) is not to be considered as an assessment. No merit in petitioners argument - Appeal dismissed.
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