2022 (12) TMI 935 - ITAT ALLAHABAD

Addition u/s 68 - difference in share premium amount - as per AO instead of following method of Fair Market Value of shares as prescribed under Rule 11UA of the Income Tax Rules, 1962, the assessee has worked out the value of shares based on the NAV method - HELD THAT:- All the Five investing companies are shell/conduit companies having no business of its own , and are merely created to launder money in order to convert unaccounted money of the investing companies under the garb of share capital/share premium to bring it into the books of the invested company under the farce shell of legitimate share capital and share premium , with an intent and view to defraud revenue and evade taxes. Thus, what is apparent is not real.

We hold that the share capital including share premium raised by the assessee company, to the tune of Rs. 1,51,20,000/- from these five investing companies based at Kolkatta , is infact the undisclosed income of the assessee which was inducted by way of share capital and share premium in the assessee company by laundering through these five investing companies based at Kolkatta, and the assessee company fails to prove the creditworthiness of these five investing companies as well genuineness of these transactions, and the requirements of Section 68 read with newly inserted proviso are not fulfilled/satisfied, and hence we uphold the appellate order passed by ld. CIT(A) which in turn confirmed the addition made by the AO in the assessment order, to the tune of Rs. 1,51,20,000/- u/s 68 read with Section 115BBE of the 1961 Act.

Addition u/s 56(2)(viib) with respect to 170000 equity shares of Rs. 10 face value issued by the assessee company at an issue price of Rs. 90 per share including share premium of Rs. 80 per share , issued by the assessee company during the year under consideration to thirteen investors - In a case of closely held company in which public is not substantially interested , which receives in any previous year , from any person resident any consideration for issue of shares that exceeds the FMV of such shares, the aggregate consideration received for such shares as exceeds the fair market value of the shares, shall be treated as income from other sources and brought to tax.

There are certain exceptions provided in Section 56(2)(viib). The Explanation to Section 56(2)(viib) provide the manner of computation of Fair Market Value. The method prescribed as is provided under Section 56(2)(viib) are provided in Rule 11UA of Income-tax Rules , 1962. There was amendment in Rule 11UA by Income-tax(Fifteenth Amendment Rules, 2012, w.e.f. 29.11.2012. The assessee has received consideration for issue of shares in May/June, 2012, but the date of allotment of shares is not furnished by the assessee .

AO has computed Fair Market Value of shares at Rs. 25.29 per equity shares, but the AO has not furnished any details/break-up of the working to arrive at FMV of Rs. 25.29 per equity shares. The assessee has worked out FMV of Rs. 87 per equity share. No valuation report is furnished by the assessee. The valuation as determined by the assessee of Rs. 87 is on NAV basis. The assessee raised in the year 2009-10 ( date of incorporation of the assessee 23.06.2009) share capital by issuing equity shares of Rs. 10 each at share premium of Rs. 65 per share , to three Kolkatta based investing companies, which held more than 80% of share capital of the assessee, but while submitting the list of shareholders as at 31.03.2011 , these three companies are not reflected as shareholders. The assessee has not given any explanation for the same. The assessee’s valuation of Rs. 87 per share as FMV vis-à-vis face value of Rs. 10 per share , is mainly/majorly attributable to share premium received from these three investing companies based at Kolkatta in the year 2009-10.

Three investing companies are untraceable - The issue has not been comprehensively dealt with by the authorities below. In our considered view, this matter need to be restored back to the file of the AO for fresh determination of income chargeable to tax u/s 56(2)(viib), after giving opportunity of being heard to the assessee. Thus, this issue is restored to the file of the AO for fresh denovo adjudication, after giving proper opportunity to the assessee. The assessee shall be allowed by AO to submit evidences/explanation in its defence, which shall be adjudicated by AO on merits in accordance with law.

Appeal filed by assessee partly allowed for statistical purposes.