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2019 (3) TMI 226 - HC - Income TaxAdvance for rent and never turned into income - Recovery barred by limitation - still remains as a liability in its account. - Business income or unexplained investment or an unexplained cash credit - whether the amounts can be assessed under the Income Tax Act under any other head? - HELD THAT:- AO had specifically proposed to treat the amount as the assessee company's income, as is seen from the assessment order itself. It could not have been treated as an unexplained cash credit or as an unexplained investment; since it was neither. The source was clear and there was proper explanation for the amounts as seen from the books of accounts. We are also of the opinion that under the Income tax Act, the proposal is essentially to assess a particular amount, as income, which the assessee has not reckoned as such in its return. To propose under one head of income and in scrutiny or a reassessment to finalise under another head is perfectly permissible. Whether there was any possibility of it being recovered - If the recovery had been barred by limitation, necessarily, it has to be treated as an income from the business and the same had to be assessed under the Income Tax Act as has been held in T.V. Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Ltd.[1996 (9) TMI 1 - SUPREME COURT]. Even if the deviation from the proposal is found to be improper, the assessment has to be sustained, as an income from business; which was the original proposal. If the other company had occupied the premises the amounts would definitely be shown as income from business. Limitation having not expired in the relevant previous year, it is to be noticed that the assessment itself was finalised after three years, which is the normal period of limitation for recovery of money, even calculated from the date on which the last refund was made. The assessee had also not produced any agreement and in all possibility there would have been a restrictive clause, in so far as forfeiture of the advance amounts, if the contract did not fructify. The assessment order itself was passed, after three years from the date of commencement of limitation and there was no claim made by the assessee, who participated in the assessment proceedings, as to any recovery proceedings having been commenced by the other company or a repayment having been effected. we do not approve of the treatment of the amounts as an unexplained investment or an unexplained cash credit, we are of the opinion that the assessment has to be upheld as an income from business. The questions stand answered accordingly and the appeal stands allowed, restoring the order of the Assessing Officer; but however making modification as herein, assessing the rent received in advance as income in the relevant previous year.
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