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2015 (9) TMI 792 - AT - Income TaxHigher rate of TDS @20% for non-furnishing of PAN - whether cannot be at a rate prescribed u/s 206AA which is higher than the rate at which the relevant income is chargeable to tax under Act or DTAA - CIT(A) held that the section 206AA(1) does not apply to those cases whose alight tax liability u/s 115AA and under DTAA - Held that:- In the case in hand, the assessee made payment to the non-resident on account of royalty in some cases and on account of fee for technical services in some other cases. The assesee deducted TDS at the rate of 10% in some cases and at the rate of 10.56% in some other cases as per the provisions of Sec.115A(1)(b) of the IT Act. There is no dispute that the benefit of DTAA is available to the recipients of the payments in question. Therefore, the tax liability of the recipients could not be more than the rate prescribed under the DTAA or the income tax Act, whichever is lower. In the case in hand, the AO while issuing the intimation u/s 200A has computed the tax liability at the rate of 20%, as provided/s 206AA of the Act. Since the benefit of DTAA is available to recipient. Therefore, in any case, the scope of deduction of tax at source cannot be more than the tax liability under DTAA. Following the decisions of M/s Bharti Airtel Ltd [2014 (12) TMI 642 - KARNATAKA HIGH COURT] we do not find any error or illegality in the order of the CIT(A) that there is no scope for deduction of tax at the rate of 20% as provided under the provisions of Section 206AA of the IT Act when the benefit of DTAA is available. In the case in hand, it is not a simple case of deduction of tax at source by applying the rate only as per the provisions of Act, when the benefit of DTAA is available to the recipient of the amount in question. Therefore, the question of applying the rate of 20% as provided u/s 206AA of the IT Act is a issue which requires a long drawn reasoning and finding. Hence, we are of the considered opinion, that applying the rate of 20% without considering the provisions of DTAA and consequent adjustment while framing the intimation u/s 200A is beyond the scope of the said provision. Thus, the AO has travelled beyond the jurisdiction of making the adjustment as per the provisions of Section 200A of the IT Act, 1961. - Decided in favour of the assessee
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