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2014 (5) TMI 1083 - AT - Income TaxInterest accrued to the assessee - @18% p.a. as claimed by the assessees in the suits filed for recovery of advances - Held that:- As assessees have stated before the CIT(A) that the amounts advanced are from out of the share application monies and temporary advances. It is so stated on the basis of entries in the Balance Sheet and the Profit & Loss Accounts of the respective assessees filed along with their returns of income. In the absence of any contract between the assessee companies and M/s. SCSL for charging of interest on the advances, the assessees are not entitled to receive any interest income on such advances. Therefore, merely because the assessee is following mercantile is system of accounting, it cannot be said that the interest has accrued to the assessees .Further, merely because the assessees have claimed interest at the rate of18% per annum in the suits filed for recovery of advances, it cannot be said that the said rate of interest is applicable as M/s.SCSL has not admitted the liability of even the amounts of advance. As such, we find that there is no certainty with regard to the said rate of interest. Therefore, it cannot be presumed that the interest accrued to the assessee at the rate of 18% p.a. as claimed by the assessees in the suits filed for recovery of advances. The Civil Courts would consider and decide the liability of M/s. SCSL to repay the amounts of advances and would also consider the liability of M/s. SCSL to payinterest thereon and the rate of interest at which the advances should be repaid. Therefore, unless and until the liability to pay the advances and the rate of interest at which the temporary advances are to be repaid is determined by the Civil Court, it cannot be said that the same has accrued or arisen to the assessees. However, if the assessees had advanced interest bearing funds as interest free advances, the interest paid by the assessees towards such borrowed funds would have to be disallowed and treated as the income of the respective assessees. We find that neither the Assessing Officer nor the CIT(A) has examined the issue from this angle. Therefore, the orders of the CIT(A) and the Assessing Officer share set aside and the issue is remitted to the file of the Assessing Officer of the respective assessees for de no consideration in the light of our observations above. Further, we hold that if the amounts advanced to M/s. SCSL by the respective assessees are from their own funds, then the interest expenditure cannot be disallowed and brought to tax
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