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2016 (10) TMI 1298 - AT - Income TaxUnexplained expenditure u/s 69C - unexplained expenditure of payment of kickbacks - assessee's name appears in the list mentioned in the Volcker Committee Report as a result of Independent Enquiry Committee (IEC) appointed by the United Nations Security Council to investigate the administration and management of Oil-for-Food Programme in Iraq - onus of proving such expenditure is actually incurred - HELD THAT:- Observations of VCR cannot be the basis for invoking the provisions of section 69C especially in the facts of the present case, where majority of the contracts were prior to the period mentioned in VCR. Secondly, the assessee already had subsisting contract with KME under which in respect of all exports to various others countries including Iraq commission was paid @ upto 12.5%, wherein the said agent had to provide after sales service also. No extra commission was paid in respect of exports to Iraq. The assessee has time and again stressed that the payments were made through normal banking channel through authorized foreign exchange dealers and not through the banks which are listed in the VCR. Accordingly, we hold that there is no merit in application of provisions of section 69C of the Act in the present facts of the case and accordingly, we direct the Assessing Officer to delete the addition made on account of unexplained expenditure Disallowance u/s 37(1) - payments as ASSF and ITF were in the nature of kickbacks - HELD THAT:- Assessee claims to have made payments to Al Azhar and KME in assessment year 2002-03 and where the assessee has failed to establish whether any services have been rendered by the said concerns and in view of the documents, evidences referred to by us with regard to these transactions, where admittedly, the amount was paid for service charges, the same are hit by Explanation to section 37(1) of the Act. With regard to Alia, the payments are made against transportation services. The assessee has filed the copies of invoices which are CIF, Baghdad and where it was its duty of assessee to deliver the goods at Baghdad, the remuneration paid to Alia @ 10% of the value of contract, which finds clear mention in VCR is payment by way of kickbacks to the IG and is covered by Explanation to section 37(1) of the Act and the same is not allowable as deduction to the assessee. This is a case where the persons were aware that the payments as ASSF and ITF were in the nature of kickbacks and were thus, willing parties to the illegal gratification and hence, are thus, hit by Explanation to section 37(1) of the Act. Since the assessee has failed to establish its case of KME has given its services in the absence of any distribution agreement, the payment made to KME is disallowed under section 37(1) of the Act. In this regard, we refer to the findings of CIT(A) in assessment years 2002-03 and 2003-04 and do not reproduce the same for the sake of brevity. Another aspect to be kept in mind is that the name of present assessee finds place in Table 7 and 8 of VCR and Table 7 refers actual expenditure and not projected expenditure. The plea of the assessee that the payment has made through normal banking channels does not help the case of assessee in view of discussion made in the paras above regarding the discrepancy in different communications. Commission paid to Indian concern for liaison work was not allowed since the assessee failed to discharge its onus to establish that the said person had rendered any services to the assessee - Onus was upon the assessee to establish that the said persons had rendered services which necessitated the payment of commission to the said concern. Further, VCR in this regard reported that the persons making supplies to Iraq were indulging in payment of kickbacks stands established against the assessee and applying the said ratio, we uphold the disallowance made in the case of assessee relating to assessment years 2002-03 and 2003-04. Eligibility to claim deduction under section 80IA allowed.
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