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2016 (6) TMI 376 - AT - Income TaxReopening of assessment - reasos to believe - Held that:- We find that the Hon’ble Apex Court in the case of GKN Driveshafts (India) Ltd. vs. ITO(2002 (11) TMI 7 - SUPREME Court) has held that “it is clear that the completion of assessment/reassessment without furnishing the reasons recorded by the AO for initiation of proceedings under section 147/148 of the Act is not sustainable in law as it is incumbent on the AO to supply them within reasonable time. We note that on the anvil of this judgment, on the request of the Assessee, the AO is bound to furnish the reasons recorded for initiation of proceedings under section 147 of the Act within a reasonable period of time so that the assessee could file its objections thereto and the AO was to dispose of the same by passing a speaking order thereon, which the AO has not done. We also note that even as per the rules of natural justice, the assessee is entitled to know the reasons on the basis of which the AO has formed an opinion that income assessable to tax has escaped assessment. The furnishing of reasons to the assessee is to enable/facilitate it to present its defence and objections to the initiation of proceedings under section 147/148 of the Act. Therefore, we are of the considered opinion that there was no justifiable reasons for the AO to deprive the assessee of the recorded reasons by him for initiating proceedings under section 147/148 of the Act. Therefore, in our considered opinion, the reopening in question is not sustainable in the eyes of law. Accordingly, we allow the assessee’s appeal on legality aspect without proceeding to adjudicate on merits by quashing the assessment order. - Decided in favour of assessee
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