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2012 (11) TMI 1117

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..... mar JUDGMENT Chitra Venkataraman, J. The assessee is on appeal as against the order of the Tribunal relating to the assessment years 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 in T.C. No. 1014 of 2009, T.C. No. 857 of 2010 and T.C. Nos. 190, 191 and 192 of 2012 respectively. Although a composite question of law is raised in these Tax Cases, since the issues relate to the same transaction, the substantial questions of law framed in respect of the assessment year 2004-05 in T.C. No. 1014 of 2009 extracted herein, fit in with the questions raised in the other cases too and hence, is apposite to other Tax Cases. The substantial questions of law raised in respect of assessment year 2004-05 read as under: (i) Whether on the facts and circumstances of the case, the Appellate Tribunal is right in denying under Section 80IB(10) in respect of project Agrini and Vajra for flats less than 1500 sq.ft. on proportionate basis? (ii) Whether on the facts and circumstances of the case, the Appellate Tribunal is right in law in holding that in a consolidated residential units having more than 1500 sq.ft. And less than 1500 sq.ft., proportionate deduction under Section 80IB(1)( .....

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..... the Act in respect of each block. The Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) pointed out that in respect of each of the projects, separate blocks are identifiable; out of the total built-up area of 2,81,900 sq.ft. in the two housing projects, only an area of 50,610 sq.ft related to units in excess of 1500 sq.ft., which come to 19.36%. Referring to Section 80IB(10)(c) of the Act, he held that within the composite building project, if there were both eligible and ineligible Units, the assessee would be eligible to claim deduction in respect of eligible Units. Relying on the decision of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Calcutta Bench, in the case of Bengal Ambuja Housing Developments Ltd. v. CIT [ITA No.1595/Kol/2005, dated 24.03.2006], the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) pointed out that the assessee was entitled to succeed in respect of Units which satisfied the conditions of 1500 sq.ft as given under Section 80IB(10)(c) of the Act, that proportionate deduction was available to the eligible units. 5. Aggrieved by this, the Revenue went on appeal before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, which pointed out that the assessee had formulated four schemes, namely, Agrini, Vajra, P .....

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..... Sector-I SREENIDHI 2140 48 04.65 acres Sector-1A SREENIDHI 1690 4 - Sector-II VIMAL1 1265 40 01.04 acres Sector-IIIA MITHRA 1050 160 03.08 acres Sector-IIIB MITHRA DELUXE NIRMAL DELUXE 1095 36 - Sector-IV NIRMAL 875 240 03.53 acres Sector-V VAANYA 650 150 01.41 acres 10. It is not denied by the Revenue that as far as the project Vajra is concerned, as in the case of Agrini, there are six blocks consisting of 24 flats. The dispute in these cases herein is on an issue as to whether the assessee has to lose the deduction in respect the entirety of the projects Vajra and Agrini , solely by .....

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..... the larger project by name Agrini and Vajra , has to be taken as an independent building and hence a housing project, for the purpose of considering a claim of deduction. Section 80IB(10) begins by stating: (10) The amount of deduction in the case of an undertaking developing and building housing projects approved before the 31st day of March, 2007 by a local authority shall be hundred per cent of the profits derived in the previous year relevant to any assessment year from such housing project if, (a) such undertaking has commenced or commences development and construction of the housing project on or after the 1st day of October, 1998 and completes such construction, ** ** ** Thus the undertaking qualifying for deduction under Section 80IB of the Act is an undertaking developing and building housing projects and the deduction is in respect of profits and gains derived from such housing project, satisfying the conditions stipulated in the clause therein. Thus, within a composite housing project, where there are eligible and ineligible units, the assessee can claim deduction in respect of eligible units in the project and even within the block, the asses .....

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..... In so holding, we also agree with the decision of the Bombay High Court in CIT v. Vandana Properties [2012] 206 Taxman 584, which was decided by the Bombay High Court on similar lines as in the assessee's case before us. 15. In the light of the above reasoning, we have no hesitation in allowing the cases filed by the assessee in respect of assessment years 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09, thereby answering the substantial questions of law in favour of the assessee, that the assessee is entitled to the claim of deduction in respect of all the blocks forming part of the projects called Agrini and Vajra, but to the extent of each of the blocks satisfying the conditions under Section 80IB(10) of the Act, the assessee would be entitled to the relief on a proportionate basis. 16. In the light of this Court allowing the Tax Case Appeals, nothing survives in the writ appeal filed by the assessee, viz., W.A.No.471 of 2010 as against the dismissal of the writ petition filed for rectification of the error in the order passed by the Tribunal. In the result, the Tax Case Appeals stand allowed and the Writ Appeal stands closed. Connected M.P. Nos. 1, 1, 1, 2 and 2 of 201 .....

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