TMI Blog2014 (9) TMI 502X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... new and distinct commodity - the wire rod having undergone various mechanized and chemical based processes like annealing, galvanizing etc. results into manufacture of wire with distinct name, character and use - The name of the raw material, originally is wire rod before processing and after processing, it becomes wire of different types, say paper/enamel insulated wires or strips or barbed wire, GSS/Stay Earth wire, chainlink, etc. - Therefore, it is commercially distinct commodity with a distinct name - The wires so produced are used for power cables, industrial control cables, electric motors, transformers, etc. but wire rod as a raw material cannot be used as such - even qualitative changes effected in the raw material through heating, also amounts to a 'manufacturing activity'. The qualitative changes effected in the raw material by various means like annealing, quenching, acid pickling and flux application, galvanizing and following the zinc hot dip, definitely amounts to manufacture - There is a complete transformation of raw materials into a new and different article having a different identity, characteristic and use - The series of changes transform the commodity int ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... Ltd, (2003) 11 SCC 798. 4. The assessment was confirmed in appeal by the CIT(A), who agreed with the AO that no new product had come into existence as a result of the process carried out and hence there was no manufacture or production within the meaning of Section 80 IC. 5. The assessees then filed appeal before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Chandigarh Bench (B) (for short 'ITAT'), who vide impugned orders allowed the appeals. It is being held that the process carried out by the assessees amounts to manufacture or production or both. It is against these orders passed by the ITAT, the department has come up in appeal. 6. The appeals have been admitted on the following substantial questions of law: 1. Whether the process of drawing wire of thinner gauge from wire or rods of thicker gauge, followed by finishing processes like annealing would amount to manufacture or production or consequently whether the assessee was eligible for deduction under Section 80IC of the Income Tax Act. 2. Whether the impugned judgment is contrary to the ratio of the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Collector Central Excise vs. Technoweld Industries. 7. We have hea ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... wly cooled. It is the process by which metals and other material are treated to render them less brittle and more workable. Any annealing process consists of three stages, firstly, heating to the desired temperature, secondly, holding or soaking at that temperature and, cooling, usually to room temperature. This provides the following benefits to the materials; Relieves stresses; increases softness, ductility and toughness; produces a specific microstructure or homogenizes the existing microstructure; improves machinability, electrical properties, dimensional stability and formability for cold working, such as cold heading and stamping. b) Quenching, Acid Pickling and Flux Aplication: After the annealing process, the wire is quenched in a water bath. This step is necessary to prevent overheating of the acid, the next step in the process. In the acid pickling step, the wire is passed through a hydrochloric acid solution. Pickling removes oxides resulting from the hot wire being exposed to oxygen and it remove any remaining lead coating on the wire from the molten lead bath. These contaminants must be removed or they will interfere with the zinc galvanizing process. On passing the ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... tended that such processes do not constitute 'manufacture' or 'production' of any article or thing within the meaning of Section 80 IC. 12. Now, what would appear from the aforesaid facts is that this Court is required to consider as to what would constitute 'manufacture' and 'production' under the Act. Indisputably, the word 'manufacture' was not defined under the Act, uptil the insertion of Section 2 (29BA) of the Finance (No.2) Act, 2009 introduced w.e.f. 1.4.2009, which reads as follows: 29BA manufacture , with its grammatical variations, means a change in a non-living physical object or article or thing, - (a) resulting in transformation of the object or article or thing into a new and distinct object or article or thing having a different name, character and use; or (b) bringing into existence of a new and distinct object or article or thing with a different chemical composition or integral structure. Though, it may be noted here that this insertion has been made with effect from 1.4.2009, while we are dealing with the assessments prior to 1.4.2009. 13. The expression 'manufacture' as well as 'producti ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... jected to change by different operations. It is the cumulative effect of the various processes to which the raw material is subjected to that the manufactured product emerges. Therefore, each step towards such production would be a process in relation to the manufacture. Where any particular process is so integrally connected with the ultimate production of goods that but for that process processing of goods would be impossible or commercially inexpedient, that process is one in relation to the manufacture. (See Collector of Central Excise, Jaipur v. Rajasthan State Chemical Works, Deedwana, Rajasthan (1991 (4) SCC 473). 5. 'Manufacture' is a transformation of an article, which is commercially different from the one, which is converted. The essence of manufacture is the change of one object to another for the purpose of making it marketable. The essential point thus is that, in manufacture something is brought into existence, which is different from that, which originally existed in the sense that the thing produced is by itself a commercially different commodity whereas in the case of processing it is not necessary to produce a commercially different article. (See M/s. ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... Commissioner of Income Tax v. Sesa Goa Ltd. (2004 (271) ITR 331)this Court considered the meaning of word 'production'. The issue in that case was whether the extraction and processing of iron ore amounted to manufacture or not in view of the various processes involved and the various processes would involve production within the meaning of Section 32A of the Act. It was inter alia observed as under: There is no dispute that the plant in respect of which the assessee claimed deduction was owned by it and was installed after March 31, 1976, in the assessee's industrial undertaking for excavating, mining and processing mineral ore. Mineral ore is not excluded by the Eleventh Schedule. The only question is whether such business is one of manufacture or production of ore. -The issue had arisen before different High Courts over a period of time. The High Courts have held that the activity amounted to production and answered the issue in question in favour of the assessee. The High Court of Andhra Pradesh did so in CIT v. Singareni Collieries Co. Ltd. [1996) 221 ITR 48, the Calcutta High Court in Khalsa Brothers v. CIT [1996] 217 TTR 185 and CIT v. Mercantile Constructi ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ought forth, it can be said that it is produced. (See Commissioner of Income Tax v. Venkateswara Hatcheries (P) Ltd. (1999 (3) SCC 632) , Commissioner of Income Tax, Orissa and Ors. v. M/s N.C. Budharaja and Company and Ors. (1994 Supp 1 SCC 280). Production or produce- The word 'production' or 'produce' when used in juxtaposition with the word 'manufacture' takes in bringing into existence new goods by a process, which may or may not amount to manufacture. It also takes in all the byproducts, intermediate products and residual products, which emerge in the course of manufacture of goods. The expressions manufacture' and 'produce' are normally associated with movables articles and goods, big and small but they are never employed to denote the construction activity of the nature involved in the construction of a dam or for that matter a bridge, a road and a building. (See Moti Laminates Pvt. Ltd. and Anr. v. Collector of Central Excise, Ahmedabad (1995 (3) SCC 23). 11. In Advanced Law Lexicon, 3rd Edn. by P. Ramanatha Aiyar, the expressions 'production' and 'manufacture' are described as under: 'Production' with i ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... and production of articles. The case of the assessee was that the planks sawn out of logs and, articles produced therefrom were different in shape from the logs and the trees. However, the Assessing Officer did not accept the contention of the assessee as according to him the assessee did not manufacture or produce any article. According to the Assessing Officer, the process of converting trees into logs did not involve much sawing operations as after felling the trees, it had been cut into logs and sold as such. The Revenue also contended that the process of sawing of logs into planks also did not involve any manufacture of articles and that manufacturing process could not be carried out by bare hands without the aid of machinery. The claim of the assessee was, however accepted by the Appellate Commissioner, who held that the use of machinery was not indispensible to a manufacturing process and even for the conversion of the standing trees into logs, labour was required as something is converted into something else viz. logs. He was of the view that the logs could be said to be a new product emerging out of manufacturing process. He accordingly held that the assessee was entitled ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... vity of extraction of wood by the assessee from the forest by felling the trees and converting the same into logs, planks, sleepers and other articles, undoubtedly, falls within the definition of 'manufacture'. 9.2. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in the matter of CIT v. N.C. Budharaja Co. [1993] 204 ITR 412 (S.C)considering a similar point of law held, The test for determining whether manufacture can be said to have taken place is whether the commodity which is subjected to the process of manufacture can no longer be regarded as the original commodity but is recognised in the trade as a new and distinct commodity. 9.3. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of CIT v. Sesa Goa Ltd. reported in 271 ITR 331 while considering the question under section 32A(2)(b)(iii) for grant of investment allowance dealt with the question of 'production' in a case where the assessee's industrial undertaking was engaged in the business of excavating, mining and processing mineral ore. Mineral ore was not excluded by the Eleventh Schedule. The only question was whether such business was one of manufacture or production of ore. The Hon'ble Supreme Court noted that th ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ite blocks into slabs and sizes and polishing them was held to be manufacturing or production of goods. It was held therein as under: Section 80-I also refers to profits and gains in respect of an industrial undertaking. In view of the decision given in the case of the assessee, we are of the view that the Appellate Tribunal is right in law in coming to the conclusion that the original assessment which granted the relief under sections 32A and 80-I to the assessee was not erroneous and the inference of the Commissioner of Income-tax under section 263 was not proper. The Tribunal is also right in law in holding that extracting granite from quarry and cutting it to various sizes and polishing should be considered as manufacture or production of any article or thing and the assessee's business activity must be considered as an industrial undertaking for the purpose of granting reliefs under sections 32A and 80-I of the Incometax Act, 1961. 9.5. Further, following the judgements in the case of Sesa Goa Ltd. (supra ), Mysore Minerals Ltd (supra ) and, another judgement of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Kores India Ltd v CCE reported in 174 ELT 7 (2004), the Hon ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ous processes like cutting, sizing, polishing so as to produce marketable tiles constitutes manufacturing an article. 10. Now, we may revert back to the facts of the captioned appeals. On consideration of the principles stated above and, the different steps of manufacturing through which the raw materials i.e. wire rods are processed, we are of the considered opinion that, wire so manufactured can no longer be regarded as the original commodity. Infact, the final product is recognized in the trade as a new and distinct commodity. Ostensibly, the wire rod having undergone various mechanized and chemical based processes like annealing, galvanizing etc. results into manufacture of wire with distinct name, character and use. The name of the raw material, originally is wire rod before processing and after processing, it becomes wire of different types, say paper/enamel insulated wires or strips or barbed wire, GSS/Stay Earth wire, chainlink, etc. Therefore, it is commercially distinct commodity with a distinct name. The wires so produced are used for power cables, industrial control cables, electric motors, transformers, etc. but wire rod as a raw material cannot be used as such. T ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ate stress and increase tensile strength. The raw untreated crankshafts and the like can never by used in an automobile industry. Thus, in the crankshafts subjected to the process of heat treatment etc., a qualitative change is effected, to be fit for use in automobiles, although there is no physical change in them. In such state of affairs, it cannot at all the stated that the crankshafts, subjected to heat treatment, etc. cannot at all change the status of new products of different quality for a different quality for a different purpose altogether. In this view of the matter, we are of the view that the activities of the assessee in relation to raw or untreated crankshafts being subjected to heat treatment, etc., is definitely a manufacturing activity entitling it to claim investment allowance under s. 32A of the I. T. Act. We answer questions No. 2 and 3 according. [underlined for emphasis by us] 12. From perusal of the said judgement, it is evident that even qualitative changes effected in the raw material through heating, also amounts to a 'manufacturing activity'. The aforesaid view has also been followed by the Ahmedabad Bench of the Tribunal in the case of A ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... eration all the relevant judgments to hold that the rubber crumb produced by the assessee therein was commercially different from its raw material and further held that it was commercially known to be different in the market. This Court proceeded to hold as under: 5. The question as to what amounts to manufacture is no more resintegra. The three Judges Bench of the Apex Court in the case of Aspinwall and Co. Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax, 2001 (251) ITR 323, has expounded thus: .. The word manufacture has not been defined in the Act. In the absence of a definition of the word manufacture it has to be given a meaning as is understood in common parlance. It is to be understood as meaning the production of articles for use from raw or prepared materials by giving such materials new forms, qualities or combinations whether by hand labour or machines. If the change made in the article results in a new and different article then it would amount to a manufacturing activity. 6. In the latest decision of the Apex court in the case of Income Tax Officer vrs. Arihant Tiles and Marbles P. Ltd., (2010) 320 ITR 79 (SC) after analyzing its earlier decisions and including in t ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... which bring into existence a commercially different and distinct commodity but shall not include such processing as may be notified by the State Government. The definition aforesaid is an inclusive definition and therefore would encompass all processing of goods which would produce new commodity which is commercially different and distinctly identifiable from the original goods. The definition however excludes all such mechanisms of processing of goods which have been notified by the State Government to the said effect. Admittedly, no such exclusion in respect of the process in analysis for surgical cotton has been notified by the State Government. Therefore, the process of transformation has to be tested on the anvil of proposition whether surgical cotton is processed such that it is commercially different and distinctly identifiable than cotton. 14. The essential test for determining whether a process is manufacture or not has been the analysis of the end product of such process in contradistinction with the original raw material. In 1906, Darling, J. had subtly explained the quintessence of the expression manufacture in McNichol and Anor v. Pinch, [1906] 2 KB 352 as un ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... o quite apposite: (AIR p.794, para 14) 14. The word 'manufacture' used as a verb is generally understood to mean as 'bringing into existence a new substance' and does not mean merely 'to produce some change in a substance.' 17. For determining whether a process is manufacture or not, this Court in Union of India v. J.G. Glass Industries Ltd., (1998) 2 SCC 32 has laid down a two-pronged test. Firstly, whether by such process a different commercial commodity comes into existence or whether the identity of the original commodity ceases to exist and secondly, whether the commodity which was already in existence would serve no purpose but for the said process. In light of the said test it was held that printing on bottles does not amount to manufacture. 18. A Constitution Bench of this Court in Devi Das Gopal Krishnan v. State of Punjab, (1967) 3 SCR 557 observed that if by a process a different identity comes into existence then it can be said to be manufacture and therefore, when oil is produced out of the seeds the process certainly transforms raw material into different article for use. 19. In CCE v. S.R. Tissues (P) Ltd., (2005) 6 SCC 3 ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... that the turnover of pineapple fruits purchased for preparing pineapple slices for sale in sealed cans is not covered by Section 5- A(1)(a) of the Kerala General Sales Tax Act, 1963. This Court while deciding whether such conversion of pineapple fruit into pineapple slices for sale in sealed cans amounted to manufacture or not has observed as follows: (SCC p. 176, para 5) 5. Commonly, manufacture is the end result of one [or] more processes through which the original commodity is made to pass. The nature and extent of processing may vary from one case to another, and indeed there may be several stages of processing and perhaps a different kind of processing at each stage. With each process suffered, the original commodity experiences a change. But it is only when the change, or a series of changes, take the commodity to the point where commercially it can no longer be regarded as the original commodity but instead is recognised as a new and distinct article that a manufacture can be said to take place. Where there is no essential difference in identity between the original commodity and the processed article it is not possible to say that one commodity has been consumed in t ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... of steel wires and the treatment of paper is a process for the manufacture of goods in question. 28. In Lal Kunwa Stone Crusher case (supra), the decision relied upon by Shri Giri, this Court has considered that whether on crushing stone boulders into gitti, stone chips and dust different commercial goods emerge so as to amount to manufacture as per the definition of manufacture under Section 2(e-1) of the U.P. Sales Tax Act, 1948 and observed that even if gitti, kankar, stone ballast, etc. may all be looked upon as separate in commercial character from stone boulders offered for sale in the market, stone as under the relevant Entry is wide enough to include the various forms such as gitti, kankar, stone ballast. It is in this light, that the Court had opined that stone gitti, chips, etc. continue to be identifiable with the stone boulders. After taking into consideration the entire law on the subject, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has finally concluded as under: 35. It is trite to state that manufacture can be said to have taken place only when there is transformation of raw materials into a new and different article having a different identity, characteristic and ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... down in the aforesaid case. We have considered the aforesaid judgment in detail and are of the considered view that the facts in the aforesaid case were totally different from the facts in the present case. The assessee in that case was engaged in the business of wire drawing from thicker gauge to thinner gauge by cold drawing process and was in fact not engaged in manufacture or production of wire with different chemical/ electrical/mechanical properties and the product was also not made to undergo any process. Further there was no manufacture of new product, this would be clear from the following observations: 2. In all these appeals, the respondents purchased duty paid wire rods and drew the wire into a thinner gauge. The question is whether by drawing wire into a thinner gauge, manufacture has taken place. The question is whether the wire of the thinner gauge is excisable to duty. 3. This question came to be considered by the Customs, Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal. In the case of Vishvaman Industries v. CCE (2001) 127 ELT 155 (Trib) by an order dated 2.11.2000, it was held that the process of drawing wire from wire rods did not amount to manufacture. The T ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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