TMI Blog2017 (10) TMI 773X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... he evidence of genuine purchase, therefore, considering the material facts, we have no option but to estimate the profit. It will meet the end of justice and to put an end to the litigation, if the disallowance is restricted to @ 25% of the bogus purchases. - Decided partly in favour of assessee. - ITA NO.06 And 07/Mum/2017 - - - Dated:- 21-8-2017 - Shri Joginder Singh, Judicial Member, And Shri N.K. Pradhan, Accountant Member For The Assessee : Shri Sameer Dalal For The Revenue : Shri Rajat Mittal -DR ORDER Per Joginder Singh (Judicial Member) These two appeals are by the assessee against the impugned orders both dated 31/10/2016 for Assessment Year 2010-11 and 2011-12 of the First Appellate Authority, Mumbai. The assessee has challenged holding the purchases of ₹ 49,19,900/- (Assessment Year 2010-11) and ₹ 12,28,090/- (Assessment Year 2011-12) as bogus purchases ignoring the evidences produced by the assessee. 2. During hearing, Shri Samir Dalal, ld. counsel for the assessee, advanced arguments, which is identical to the ground raised by submitting that the assessee is a civil contractor and there cannot be utilization of the goods ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... re not feasible. Thus, the abovenoted parties become conduit pipes between the assessee-firm and the sellers of the raw materials. Under the circumstances, it was not impossible for the assessee to inflate the prices of raw materials. Accordingly, an addition at the rate of 25 per cent. for extra price paid by the assessee than over and above the prevalent price is fair and reasonable and we accordingly confirm the finding of the Commis sioner of Income-tax (Appeals). 12. Thus, it is apparent that both the Commissioner (Appeals) and the Tribunal have concurrently accepted the finding of the Assessing Officer that the apparent sellers who had issued sale bills were not traceable. That goods were received from the parties other than the persons who had issued bills for such goods. Though the purchases are shown to have been made by making payment thereof by account payee cheques, the cheques have been deposited in bank accounts ostensibly in the name of the apparent sellers, thereafter the entire amounts have been withdrawn by bearer cheques and there is no trace or identity of the person withdrawing the amount from the bank accounts. In the light of the aforesaid nature of e ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... lusion that the entire quantity of opening stock, purchases and the quantity manufactured during the year under consideration were sold by the assessee. Therefore, the purchases of the entire 1,02,514 metres of cloth were sold during the year under consideration. The Tribunal, therefore, accepted the assessee's contention that the finished goods were purchased by the assessee, may be not from the parties shown in the accounts, but from other sources. In that view of the matter, the Tribunal was of the opinion that not the entire amount, but the profit margin embedded in such amount would be subjected to tax. The Tribunal relied on its earlier decision in the case of Sanket Steel Traders and also made reference to the Tribunal's decision in the case of Vijay Proteins Ltd. v. Asst. CIT [1996] 58 ITD 428 (Ahd). 6. We are of the opinion that the Tribunal committed no error. Whether the purchases themselves were bogus or whether the parties from whom such purchases were allegedly made were bogus is essentially a question of fact. The Tribunal having examined the evidence on record came to the conclusion that the assessee did purchase the cloth and sell the finished goods. ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... to 25 per cent. on similar facts. In the circumstances, for the reasons stated hereinabove, the said grounds of appeal do not give rise to any question of law. 10. As regards the proposed question (B) which pertains to the deletion of addition of ₹ 7,88,590 made on account of inflation of expenses paid to Metal and Machine Trading Co. (MMTC), the Assessing Officer has found that MMTC was a partnership firm of Shri Nitin Gajjar along with his father and brother operating from Bhavnagar. A perusal of their transactions with the assessee indicated that there is some inflation of expenses as detailed in paragraph 6.1 of the assessment order. After considering the evidence on record, the Assessing Officer disallowed the amount ₹ 7,88,590 on account of payment made to MMTC. 11. The assessee preferred an appeal before the Commissioner (Appeals), who upon appreciation of the evidence on record found that the Assessing Officer had not rejected the genuineness of the purchases made from MMTC while making the disallowance. His observations were based on inflation of rates which were being charged from the assessee. According to the Commissioner (Appeals), though MMTC ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... 8,490. The Assessing Officer after examining the evidence on record and considering the explanation given by the assessee, made addition of ₹ 44,54,426, ₹ 39,59,490 being the purchase price of the crane along with its spare parts and ₹ 4,94,936 being depreciation claimed by the assessee. The Commissioner (Appeals), upon appreciation of evidence on record, was of the view that the Assessing Officer has not appreciated the facts of the case properly and had made disallowance which was not permitted by the Incometax Act. It was held that disallowance could only have been made in respect of expenses debited to the profit and loss account whereas in the present case the purchase of crane and spare parts of the crane and other machineries were in the nature of acquisition of capital asset. According to the Commissioner (Appeals), the disallowance could have been made on depreciation only if at all the Assessing Officer conclusively proved that the purchases of crane and other parts are bogus. Upon appreciation of the material on record the Commissioner (Appeals) found that the Assessing Officer has simply brushed aside all the evidence on account of technical infirmitie ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... al was justified in deleting the addition on account of bogus purchases allegedly made by the assessee from M/s. Thakkar Agro Industrial Chem Supplies P. Ltd. According to the revenue, the Director of M/s. Thakkar Agro Industrial Chem Supplies P. Ltd. in his statement had stated that there were no sales / purchases but the transactions were only accommodation bills not involving any transactions. The Tribunal has recorded a finding of fact that the assessee had disputed the correctness of the above statement and admittedly the assessee was not given any opportunity to cross examine the concerned Director of M/s. Thakkar Agro Industrial Chem Supplies P. Ltd. who had made the above statement. The appellate authority had sought remand report and even at that stage the genuineness of the statement has not been established by allowing cross examination of the person whose statement was relied upon by the revenue. In these circumstances, the decision of the Tribunal being based on the fact, no substantial question of law can be said to arise from the order of the Tribunal. The appeal is dismissed with no order as to costs. 2.5. The Hon'ble jurisdictional High Court in CIT vs N ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... evidence was not adequate to conclude that the purchases made by the assessee from the said parties were bogus. The Tribunal accordingly, did not sustain the addition retained by the Appellate Assistant Commissioner. Hence, at the instance of the Revenue, the aforesaid question has been referred to this court for opinion. On a perusal of the order of the Tribunal, it clearly appears that whether the said transactions were bogus or not was a question of fact. The Tribunal has also pointed out that nothing is shown to indicate that any part of the fund given by the assessee to these parties came back to the assessee in any form. It is further observed by the Tribunal that there is no evidence anywhere that these concerns gave vouchers to the assessee. Even the two statements do not implicate the transactions with the assessee in any way. With these observations, the Tribunal ultimately has observed that there are certain doubtful features, but the evidence is not adequate to conclude that the purchases made by the assessee from these parties were bogus. It may be stated that the assessee was given credit facilities for a short duration and the payments were given by cheques. When tha ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ction cannot be taken as genuine. He relied upon the order of the G Bench of Mumbai Tribunal delivered in the case of Western Extrusion Industries. (ITA/6579/Mum/2010-dated 13.11.2013). Authrorised representative (AR) contended that payments made by the assessee were supported by the banker s statement, that goods received by the assessee from the supplie was part of closing stock hat the transporter had admitted the transportation of goods to the site.He relied upon the case of Babula Borana (282 ITR251), Nikunj Eximp Enterprises (P) Ltd. (216Taxman171)delivered by the Hon ble Bombay High Court. 2.4.We have heard the rival submissions and perused the material before us. We find that AO had made the addition as one of the supplier was declared a hawala dealer by the VAT Department. We agree that it was a good starting point for making further investigation and take it to logical end. But, he left the job at initial point itself. Suspicion of highest degree cannot take place of evidence. He could have called for the details of the bank accounts of the suppliers to find out as whether there was any immediate cash withdrawal from their account. We find that no such exercise was ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... order dated 16/01/2017. 2.10. In such type of cases, broadly, the Ld. Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeal) as well as this Tribunal has followed the decisions from Hon'ble Gujarat High Court in the case of Simit P. Seth (2013) 356 ITR 451 (Guj.), CIT vs Vijay M. Mistry Construction Ltd. (2013) 355 ITR 498 (Guj.), CIT vs Bhola Nath Poly Fab. (P.) Ltd. (2013) 355 ITR 290 (Guj.) and various other decisions of the Tribunal and the decision of M/s Nikunj Eximp(supra) from Hon'ble jurisdictional High Court, wherein, the aggregate disallowance was restricted to 12.5%. Admittedly, there cannot be sale without purchases. The case of the Revenue is that there is bogus nature of purchases made from suppliers and the parties were not found existing at the given addresses. 2.11. Admittedly, in such type of cases, there is no option but to estimate the profit which depends upon the subjective approach of an individual and the material facts available on record. In the present appeal, the assessee is in the business of civil engineering, engaged in major repairs, maintenance, structural strengthening, water proofing and civil work of residential and office buildings. The assessee dec ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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