Home Case Index All Cases Income Tax Income Tax + AT Income Tax - 2019 (11) TMI AT This
Forgot password New User/ Regiser ⇒ Register to get Live Demo
2019 (11) TMI 1389 - AT - Income TaxAssessment u/s 153A - Whether statement recorded u/s 132 of Shri Pravin Kumar Aggarwal and Ram Pal Soni during the course of search, which were later on retracted by the respective persons, can be considered as incriminating material for the purpose of framing u/s 153A - HELD THAT:- As decided in CONTINENTAL WAREHOUSING CORPORATION (NHAVA SHEVA) LTD., ALL CARGO GLOBAL LOGISTICS LTD. [2015 (5) TMI 656 - BOMBAY HIGH COURT] on a plain reading of section 153 of the Act it becomes clear that on initiation of the proceedings u/s. 153A of the Act, it is only the assessment/reassessment proceedings that are pending on the date of search u/s. 132 of the Act stand abated and not the assessments/reassessments already final for those assessment years which are covered u/s. 153A - Hon'ble High Court discussed the CBDT Circular No. 8 of 2003 dated 18.09.2003 wherein CBDT has clarified that on initiation of proceedings u/s. 153A of the Act the proceedings pending in appeal, revision or rectification proceedings against final assessment shall not abate. It is only because the final assessments do not abate the appeal, revision or rectification pending against final assessments would not abate. Therefore, Hon'ble High Court rejected the arguments of the Revenue that on initiation of proceedings u/s. 153A of the Act, the reassessment final for assessment years covered u/s. 153A of the Act stands abated. Only the pending assessments get revived u/s. 153A of the Act. Hon'ble High Court further held that once assessment has attained finality, then the AO while passing independent assessment order u/s. 153A/143(3) of the Act could not disturb the assessment order which has attained finality unless the material gathered in the course of search u/s. 132/153A of the Act established that the finality attained in the assessment were contrary to the facts unearthed during the course of search. If any books of account or other documents relevant to the assessment had not been produced in the course of original assessment and found in the course of search in our humble opinion such books of account or other documents have to be taken into account while making assessment or reassessment of total income under the aforesaid provision. Similar position will obtain in a case where undisclosed income or undisclosed property has been found as a consequence of search. In so far as pending assessments are concerned, the jurisdiction to make original assessment and assessment u/s 153A merge into one and only one assessment for each assessment year shall be made separately on the basis of the findings of the search and any other material existing or brought on the record of the AO and in respect of non-abated assessments, the assessment will be made on the basis of books of account or other documents not produced in the course of original assessment but found in the course of search, and undisclosed income or undisclosed property discovered in the course of search. Accordingly, in view of the given facts and circumstances, we are of the view that this issue is squarely covered in favour of assessee and against the Revenue and hence, we allow this jurisdictional issue in favour of assessee and reverse the order of CIT(A) on this issue. Accordingly, assessment framed under section 153A of the Act is quashed. - Decided in favour of assessee
|