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2022 (4) TMI 694 - SC - Income TaxLoss arising on account of exchange fluctuation - loan between the appellant and Commonwealth Development Corporation - loan was obtained in foreign currency however, while repaying the loan, due to the difference of rate of foreign exchange, the appellant had to pay higher amount, resulting in loss to the appellant - ITAT deleted the dislaoowance - HELD THAT:- Transaction of loan between the appellant and Commonwealth Development Corporation, the same was in the nature of borrowing money by the appellant, which was necessary for carrying on its business of financing. It was certainly not for creation of asset of the appellant as such or acquisition of asset from a country outside India for the purpose of its business. In such a scenario, the appellant would be justified in availing deduction of entire expenditure or loss suffered by it in connection with such a transaction in terms of Section 37 - For, the loan is wholly and exclusively used for the purpose of business of financing the existing Indian enterprises, who in turn, had to acquire plant, machinery and equipment to be used by them. It is a different matter that they may do so because of the leasing and hire purchase agreement with the appellant. That would be, nevertheless, an activity concerning the business of the appellant. In that view of the matter, the ITAT was right in answering the claim of the appellant in the affirmative, relaying on the dictum of this Court in India Cements Ltd. vs. Commissioner of Income Tax, Madras [1965 (12) TMI 22 - SUPREME COURT] The analysis done by the ITAT and the conclusion arrived at in respect of the subject claim of the appellant being the correct approach consistent with the exposition of this Court, needs to be upheld. In our opinion, the High Court missed the relevant aspects of the analysis of the ITAT concerning the fact situation of the present case. As a matter of fact, the High Court has not even adverted to the aforementioned reported decisions, much less its usefulness in the present case. Claim raised for the first time before the ITAT - whether since the appellant in its return had taken a conscious explicit plea with regard to the part of the claim being ascribable to capital expenditure and partly to revenue expenditure, it was not open for the appellant to plead for the first time before the ITAT that the entire claim must be treated as revenue expenditure - ITAT allowing the additional claim holding that the capitalisation of the said sum is to be treated as revenue expenses - In the first place, the ITAT was conscious about the fact that this claim was set up by the appellant for the first time before it, and was clearly inconsistent and contrary to the stand taken in the return filed by the appellant for the concerned assessment year including the notings made by the officials of the appellant. Yet, the ITAT entertained the claim as permissible, even though for the first time before the ITAT, in appeal under Section 254 of the 1961 Act, by relying on the dictum of this Court in National Thermal Power Co. Ltd. [1996 (12) TMI 7 - SUPREME COURT] - Further, the ITAT has also expressly recorded the no objection given by the representative of the department, allowing the appellant to set up the fresh claim to treat the amount declared as capital expenditure in the returns (as originally filed), as revenue expenditure. As a result, the objection now taken by the department cannot be countenanced. The impugned judgment and order of the High Court needs to be set aside and instead, the decision of the ITAT in favour of the appellant on the two questions examined by the High Court in the impugned judgment, needs to be affirmed and restored As a result of allowing the entire claim of the appellant being revenue expenditure, suitable amends will have to be effected in the final assessment order passed by the assessing officer for the concerned assessment year, thereby treating the consequential benefits such as depreciation availed by the appellant-assessee in relation to the stated amount towards exchange fluctuation related to leased assets capitalised as unavailable and nonest.
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