2017 (9) TMI 529 - HC - Income Tax

Revision u/s 263 - entitlement to claim depreciation u/s 32 - whether order of the AO is erroneous and prejudicial to the interests of the Revenue? - The case of the Revenue is that the assets were developed under the BOT scheme and the Assessee was not eligible to claim depreciation as it was not the owner of the assets. - Held that:- In the context of the present case if, as urged by the Revenue, the Assessee has wrongly claimed depreciation on assets like land and building, it was incumbent upon the PCIT to undertake an inquiry as regards which of the assets were purchased and installed by the Assessee out of its own funds during the AY in question and, which were those assets that were handed over to it by the DMRC. That basic exercise of determining to what extent the depreciation was claimed in excess has not been undertaken by the PCIT.

Mr. Asheesh Jain then volunteered that the PCIT had exercised the second option available to him under Section 263 (1) of the Act by sending the entire matter back to the AO for a fresh assessment. That option, in the considered view of the Court, can be exercised only after the PCIT undertakes an inquiry himself in the manner indicated hereinbefore. That is missing in the present case.

Therefore, the Court is of the view that the ITAT was not in error in setting aside the impugned order of the PCIT under Section 263 of the Act. - Decided against revenue