Home Case Index All Cases Income Tax Income Tax + HC Income Tax - 2013 (8) TMI HC This
Forgot password New User/ Regiser ⇒ Register to get Live Demo
2013 (8) TMI 245 - HC - Income TaxPenalty u/s 271(1)(c) - Deduction u/s 80IA - Tribunal deleted penalty - Held that:- For claiming deduction under Section 80IA of the Act, filing of certificate and forms signed by the Chartered Accountant is mandatory and a requirement of law. All returns, where deduction under Section 80IA is claimed, must have such certificates and forms. Mere filing of the said forms/certificate cannot absolve and protect an assessee who furnishes in-accurate particulars. If the explanation and the reasoning of the Tribunal is accepted, then in all cases where a form/certificate is furnished by the Chartered Accountant but a wrong claim of deduction is made, no penalty under Section 271(1)(c) can be imposed. Merely because the assessee complies with the statutory procedural requirement of filing the prescribed form and certificate of the Chartered Accountant, cannot absolve the assessee of its liability if the act or attempt in claiming the deduction was not bonafide - Penalty of concealment cannot be imposed because the assessee has taken a particular stand or had preferred an interpretation which was plausible and reasonable, but has not been accepted, unless the assessee had not disclosed facts before the authorities. Such cases have to be distinguished from cases where the claim of the assessee is farcical or farfetched. Dubious and fanciful claims under the garb of interpretation, are a mere pretence and not bonafide - assessees had not carried out the work but had sub-contracted the same to a third party/parties - Tribunal has not referred to the Explanation to Section 80IA as to why and on what basis divergent interpretations were possible. Absurd or illogical interpretations cannot be pleaded and become pretence and excuses to escape penalty. “Bonafides” have to be shown and cannot be assumed. In the present case, the respondents have not been able to discharge the said onus and establish that they had acted bonafidely - Decided in favour of Revenue.
|