2025 (5) TMI 1654 - AT - Income Tax

Reopening of assessment beyond four years - Reasons to believe - HELD THAT - Reopening of assessment beyond four years has been made in violation of first proviso to Section 147 of the Act which provides that where assessment has been framed u/s 143(3) of the Act no reopening of assessment can be made u/s 147 if there is no failure on the part of the assessee to disclose fully and truly all material facts qua the assessment of income. On perusal of the reasons recorded u/s 148(2) reveals that there is no whisper of failure of the assessee. Therefore reopening is invalid and against the provisions of the Act. See CEAT Ltd. 2023 (1) TMI 73 - SC ORDER - Decided in favour of assessee. Reopening of assessment - accommodation entries receipts - Borrowed satisfaction or independent application of mind - Whether reopening was made on vague reasons without any intangible material and application of mind and is in fact based on the borrowed satisfaction? - HELD THAT - AO has simply reproduced the information received from the investigation Wing has been used as it was for re-opening the assessment and thereafter AO concluded that he has reasons to believe that the above amount has escaped assessment within the meaning of Section 147 of the Act without any application of mind or any verification of the information received. Thus we note that there was total non-application of mind by the ld. AO to the information received. This is in fact a case of borrowed satisfaction where the information received has been acted upon without doing any further verification about the correctness of the said information. The case of the assessee finds support from the decision in the case PCIT Vs Meenakshi Overseas Pvt Ltd 2017 (5) TMI 1428 - DELHI HIGH COURT as held that where the reasons to believe contain not the reasons but the conclusions of the AO one after the other and there was no independent application of mind by the AO to the tangible material which forms the basis of the reasons to believe that income has escaped assessment. The conclusions of the AO are at best a reproduction of the conclusion in the investigation report. Indeed it is a borrowed satisfaction. Appeal of the assessee is allowed.

Summary

1. ISSUES PRESENTED and CONSIDERED

- Whether the reopening of assessment beyond four years from the end of the relevant assessment year, where assessment has already been framed under section 143(3) of the Income Tax Act, is valid in the absence of any recorded failure on the part of the assessee to disclose fully and truly all material facts necessary for assessment.

- Whether the reopening of assessment based on reasons that merely reproduce information received from investigation authorities without any independent application of mind by the Assessing Officer (AO) amounts to borrowed satisfaction and is invalid.

- Whether the additions made on account of unexplained cash credits or accommodation entries are justified, particularly when the amounts claimed to have been received by the assessee differ from those recorded in the reopening reasons.

2. ISSUE-WISE DETAILED ANALYSIS

Issue 1: Validity of Reopening Assessment Beyond Four Years Without Failure to Disclose Material Facts

Relevant Legal Framework and Precedents:

The first proviso to section 147 of the Income Tax Act restricts reopening of assessments beyond four years from the end of the relevant assessment year if the assessment has been framed under section 143(3), except where the assessee has failed to disclose fully and truly all material facts necessary for assessment. The Hon'ble Apex Court's decision in ACIT Vs. CEAT Ltd. ([2022] 449 ITR 171 (SC)) has clarified that reopening beyond four years without such failure is impermissible.

Court's Interpretation and Reasoning:

The Tribunal examined the reasons recorded by the AO for reopening the assessment for AY 2014-15 and found no mention or whisper of any failure by the assessee to disclose material facts fully and truly. The reasons relied solely on information received from the investigation wing regarding receipt of unsecured loans from companies controlled by an entry operator. There was no independent satisfaction recorded by the AO indicating non-disclosure by the assessee.

Key Evidence and Findings:

The reasons recorded under section 148(2) merely stated that the assessee had received funds from shell companies linked to an entry operator and that a search and seizure operation had taken place. The AO relied on statements recorded during the search but did not point to any failure on the part of the assessee to disclose facts in the original return or during assessment proceedings.

Application of Law to Facts:

Since the reopening was beyond four years and the assessment had been framed under section 143(3), the absence of any failure to disclose material facts rendered the reopening invalid under the first proviso to section 147.

Treatment of Competing Arguments:

The Revenue relied on the information received from investigation authorities and the search operation to justify reopening. However, the Tribunal held that such information alone is insufficient without recorded failure by the assessee and independent application of mind by the AO.

Conclusions:

The reopening of assessment for AY 2014-15 was quashed as invalid for non-compliance with the statutory requirement under section 147 proviso and the principle established by the Apex Court.

Issue 2: Reopening Based on Borrowed Satisfaction and Non-Application of Mind

Relevant Legal Framework and Precedents:

It is well settled that reasons recorded for reopening must reflect the AO's independent satisfaction based on tangible material. Borrowed satisfaction, i.e., mere reproduction of investigation reports or third-party information without verification or application of mind, is impermissible. Precedents include PCIT Vs Meenakshi Overseas Pvt Ltd (2017) 82 taxmann.com 300 (Del), CIT vs. SFIL Stock Broking Ltd. [2010] 325 ITR 285 (Del), GRD Commodities Ltd Vs PCIT (2023) 149 taxmann.com 223 (Cal), PCIT Vs Shodiman Investment Pvt Ltd (2018) 93 taxmann.com 153 (Bom), and Sarthak Securities Co Pvt Ltd. Vs ITO (2010) 329 ITR 110 (Del).

Court's Interpretation and Reasoning:

For AY 2013-14, the AO recorded reasons to believe based on information from the investigation wing that the assessee had received Rs. 1,05,00,000/- from shell companies controlled by an entry operator. However, the AO did not independently verify the correctness of this amount or apply mind to the material facts. The Tribunal noted that the AO merely reproduced the information without any tangible material or verification.

Key Evidence and Findings:

The assessee submitted that it had received only Rs. 35,00,000/- from the company in question, which was supported by documentary evidence relating to sale proceeds of shares. The AO rejected this contention but did not record any reasons showing application of mind to the discrepancy between the information and the assessee's submissions.

Application of Law to Facts:

The reopening based on such borrowed satisfaction was held invalid. The Tribunal emphasized that the AO must independently assess and verify the information before recording reasons to believe that income has escaped assessment.

Treatment of Competing Arguments:

The Revenue contended that the reopening was justified since the AO acted on information received and verified the amount during assessment, adding the correct figure of Rs. 35,00,000/-. The Tribunal rejected this argument, holding that the validity of reopening depends on the reasons recorded at the time of reopening, not on subsequent verification or additions.

Conclusions:

The reopening for AY 2013-14 was quashed for being based on borrowed satisfaction and non-application of mind by the AO.

Issue 3: Justification of Additions on Account of Unexplained Cash Credits / Accommodation Entries

Relevant Legal Framework:

Section 68 of the Income Tax Act provides that unexplained cash credits can be added to income if the assessee fails to satisfactorily explain the nature and source of such credits. Accommodation entries, i.e., sham transactions to conceal real income, are scrutinized under this provision.

Court's Interpretation and Reasoning:

In both AYs, the AO treated amounts received from companies controlled by an entry operator as unexplained cash credits and added them to the assessee's income. However, the Tribunal found that the reopening itself was invalid in both cases for reasons discussed above. Consequently, the additions flowing from the invalid reopening were also unsustainable.

Key Evidence and Findings:

For AY 2014-15, the AO added Rs. 4,33,00,000/- as unexplained cash credit, partly sustained by the CIT(A) at Rs. 3,57,00,000/-. For AY 2013-14, the AO added Rs. 35,00,000/-, which was partly sustained by the CIT(A) after deleting Rs. 70,00,000/-. The assessee provided explanations and documentary evidence regarding the amounts received.

Application of Law to Facts:

Since the reopening orders were quashed on legal grounds, the additions predicated on such reopening could not stand. The Tribunal did not delve into the merits of the additions but disposed of the appeals on the validity of reopening.

Treatment of Competing Arguments:

The Revenue urged that the additions were justified based on information and investigation reports. The Tribunal held that the procedural infirmity in reopening precluded sustaining the additions.

Conclusions:

The additions made on account of unexplained cash credits/accommodation entries were set aside due to invalid reopening of assessments.

3. SIGNIFICANT HOLDINGS

- "Reopening of assessment beyond four years from the end of the relevant assessment year where assessment has been framed under section 143(3) of the Act is invalid if there is no failure on the part of the assessee to disclose fully and truly all material facts necessary for assessment." (Para 06)

- "The reasons recorded by the Assessing Officer must reflect an independent application of mind based on tangible material. Mere reproduction of information received from investigation authorities without verification amounts to borrowed satisfaction which is impermissible under the Act." (Para 013)

- "Where the reasons to believe contain conclusions of the AO without independent application of mind, such reasons are invalid, and reopening based on them cannot be sustained." (Para 013)

- The Tribunal relied on authoritative precedents including the Apex Court decision in ACIT Vs. CEAT Ltd. and various High Court decisions to uphold these principles.

- The final determination was that the reopening of assessments for AYs 2013-14 and 2014-15 were invalid and consequently, the additions made on account of unexplained cash credits/accommodation entries were set aside.