Delay in refund processing, the petitioner's entitlement to interest, and the court's decision to grant interest based on Section 244A 2024 (1) TMI 613 - MADRAS HIGH COURT - HC

Deciphering Legal Judgments: A Comprehensive Analysis of Case Law Reported as: 2024 (1) TMI 613 - MADRAS HIGH COURT Background : The petitioner initially sought a mandamus for the grant of refund with interest for the Assessment Year 2021-22. Subsequently, the refund was made on 05.10.2023, and the petitioner amended the prayer to confine it to the payment of interest. Petitioner's Details : The petitioner is a Limited Liability Company (LLC) incorporated in the United States of America (USA). Tax Deduction : During the financial year 2020-21, the petitioner sold equity shares in India to a buyer in the USA. The buyer deducted income tax at 20% of the sale consideration. The petitioner filed its income tax return and claimed a refund. Intimation and Assessment : An intimation was issued under Section 143(1) of the Income Tax Act on 21.03.2022, informing the petitioner that it was entitled to a refund of Rs. 2,27,20,180/-. An assessment order was issued on 08.12.2022. Refund Delay : Since the refund was not made, the petitioner raised grievances with the Central Processing Centre (CPC) and faced issues with inputting SWIFT code and IBAN as per ITR requirements. The petitioner set up an Indian bank account, which was validated on 07.07.2023. Petitioner's Claim : The petitioner claimed that the delay in making the refund was entirely attributable to the respondents (tax authorities), and thus, it was entitled to interest not only in terms of Section 244A of the Income Tax Act but also as compensation. Legal References : The petitioner's counsel referred to several judgments to support their claim for interest and compensation, emphasizing that the delay was not the petitioner's fault. Court's Decision : The court examined Section 244A of the Income Tax Act , which governs payment of interest on refunds. It noted that interest is not payable if the delay is attributable to the assessee. In this case, the court found that the delay in processing the refund could not be attributed to the petitioner as it had requested the respondents to enable inputting the SWIFT code and IBAN in April 2022. The delay seemed to result from the respondents' failure to inform the petitioner correctly about the requirement for an Indian bank account. Therefore, the petitioner was entitled to interest from 01.05.2022 to 05.10.2023, as per Section 244A . Order : The court directed the respondents through the Central Processing Centre to pay interest on the specified sum at the rate specified in Section 244-A of the Income Tax Act from 01.05.2022 to 05.10.2023. The refund was to be made within a maximum period of two months from the date of receipt of the court's order. In summary, the key issues in this case involve the delay in refund processing, the petitioner's entitlement to interest, and the court's decision to grant interest based on Section 244A of the Income Tax Act due to the delay not being attributed to the petitioner. The court ordered the respondents to pay the interest as specified. Full Text : 2024 (1) TMI 613 - MADRAS HIGH COURT