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TMI Blog1975 (12) TMI 158X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ty since it had to be paid. The dispute relating thereto was pending before the Supreme Court and a stay of payment was granted. That was a statutory liability and not a contingent one. The sales tax authorities had reopened all the assessments consequent on appeal decision and revised orders may be passed by the authorities requiring the firm to repay the refund amount. The assessing authority rejected this contention of the firm and treated the entire amount of Rs. 25,938 as its income. In appeal, the Appellate Assistant Commissioner also held that the assessee could not claim anything towards sales tax payment because it had been following cash basis for debiting sales tax and claiming it as admissible expenditure. In second appeal befor ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... conceded the claim of the revenue in regard to the amount of refund, i.e.. Rs. 8,228, as includible in the assessee's total income for the assessment year 1968-69 under section 41(1) of the Income-tax Act, 1961. In view of this concession, we answer the second question in the affirmative and in favour of the revenue. On the first question Sri Polavarapu Rama Rao for the revenue contended that the sum of Rs. 17,710 was admittedly collected as sales tax and so it is includible in the assessee's total income for that year. He relied on Chowringhee Sales Bureau P. Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income-tax[1973] 31 S.T.C. 254 (S.C.); 87 I.T.R. 542 (S.C.). and Sinclair Murray & Co. P. Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income-tax[1975] 35 S.T.C. 142 (S.C.); [1974 ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ading receipt and had to be included in its total income. If and when the amount was paid to the State Government or refunded to the purchaser, the assessee would be entitled to claim deduction of the sum so paid or refunded. So far as the principle goes as stated by the Supreme Court, it is final. But it has to be noted that the Supreme Court was not considering in the above two cases what would be the effect if those sales tax collections are entered in a separate account maintained under the mercantile system. An income accrues or arises when the assessee acquires a right to receive it. Traders follow two methods of accounting of their receipts, profits and gains. One is cash basis and the other is mercantile basis. The mercantile syst ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... he Supreme Court held that the moment a dealer made either purchases or sales, which were subject to sales tax, the obligation to pay the tax arose. Although that liability could not be enforced till quantification was effected by assessment proceedings, the liability for payment of tax was independent of the assessment. The assessee, which followed the mercantile system of accounting, was entitled to deduct from the profits and gains of its business liability to sales tax which arose on sales made by it during the relevant previous year. The assessee was entitled to the deduction of the amount of sales tax which it was liable under the law to pay during the relevant accounting year. That liability did not cease to be a liability because t ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ing the relevant period as sales tax and entered the amount in its sales tax account. Since the matter was still in dispute and stay was granted by the Supreme Court, the amount was not yet paid. Therefore, the decision of the Supreme Court in Kedarnath Jute Mfg. Co. Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income-tax[1971] 28 S.T.C. 672 (S.C.); 82 I.T.R. 363 (S.C.). clearly applies to this case. Sri Swamy referred us to a number of other decisions. It is not, however, necessary to refer to all those cases in view of the authoritative pronouncement of the Supreme Court. We will only refer to the decision of the Allahabad High Court in Commissioner of Income-tax v. Poonam Chand Trilok Chand[1976] 105 I.T.R. 618., where also the assessee was following the mer ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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