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2019 (5) TMI 839

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..... in European country the import of chemicals from outside country is subjected to restriction establishing office there or by first registering the assessee company under REACH (EU Regulations, 1907/2006). Thus, to export in these countries is for making income from sources outside India, otherwise, it would not be able to earn any Income by exports to these EU countries. The said Momaja SRO already completed all necessary formalities in making compliance with REACH in EU Regulations to make the appellant eligible to export in EU countries and thus section 9(1)(vii) does not apply. CIT(A) came to a conclusion that the aforesaid service was rendered by the processional outside India and therefore the income has not accrued in India u/s 195 and thus the question of obligation to make the TDS u/s 195 does not arise. AO has failed to point out in what manner the professional income has arisen or accrued in India or the said party had any permanent establishment or business connection in India or rendered any services in India, in absence of which the case made out by the assessee has been accepted and the application of provisions of section 195 r.w.s. 40(a)(ia) as made by the Learne .....

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..... o expenditure in foreign currency as to whether it was capital expenditure or revenue expenditure with copy of ledger. The name of the party with address, nature of expenses, amount incurred, TDS made etc including CA Certificate for foreign remittances separately were also called for. Subsequently, the details of commission payment, details of services rendered by those parties to whom the commission was paid and proof of services rendered by them were asked for and upon perusal of the reply submitted by the assessee, it was found that company had debited foreign commission expense to the tune of ₹ 1,13,88,363/-. The identity of those foreign exchange agent, evidences of services rendered by the foreign exchange agent, copy of agreement in respect of foreign commission payment and also the nexus of foreign commission payment with the business of the assessee were asked for by the Learned AO. Ultimately, the explanation rendered by the assessee was not found acceptable by the Learned AO. He, therefore, concluded the proceeding with an observation that the assessee is under the obligation to deduct tax at source as envisaged u/s 195 of the Act from the payment of commission ma .....

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..... ative dutifully relies upon the stand of the authorities below, that this issue is now covered by a coordinate bench decision of this Tribunal in the case of DCIT Vs. Welspun Corporation Limited [(2017) 55 ITR (T) 405 (Ahd)]. In the said decision, the coordinate bench, speaking through one of us (i.e. the Accountant Member), has, inter alia, observed as follows: 22. So far as the first category of cases are concerned, i.e. payments to the residents of the tax jurisdictions with which Indian has tax treaties but these treaties have no specific article dealing with the taxability of 'fees for technical services', are concerned, it is important to note that India does not have a comprehensive double taxation agreement with Iran. The India Iran Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement [Indo Iranian tax treaty, in short; (1973) 91 ITR (Stat) 31] is a limited agreement for avoidance of double taxation of income of enterprise operating aircraft, and its benefit, therefore, is restricted to this category of enterprise. Given this fact, nothing really turns on Indo Iranian tax treaty not having a specific provision for taxation of income by way of fees for technical ser .....

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..... is context, also observed that, Since the said income does not fall as miscellaneous income, the same cannot be brought under art. 22 As we deal with this aspect of the matter, and to explain the same principle in little more detail, let us first take a look at the relevant treaty provisions. The relevant treaty provisions are as follows: India Thailand tax treaty ARTICLE 22- Other income Items of income of a resident of a Contracting State, wherever arising, not expressly dealt with in the foregoing Articles may be taxed in that State. Such items of income may also be taxed in the Contracting State where the income arises. India UAE tax treaty ARTICLE 22- Other income 1. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 2, items of income of a resident of a Contracting State, wherever arising, which are not expressly dealt with in the foregoing articles of this Agreement, shall be taxable only in that Contracting State. 2. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall not apply to income, other than income from immovable property as defined in paragraph 2 of Article 6, if the recipie .....

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..... precedent to such taxability and as specified in that provision are not satisfied, that is the end of the road for taxability in the source state. 26. It is also important to bear in mind the fact that article 21 states that it applies to the items of income of a resident of a Contracting State, wherever arising, which are not expressly dealt with in the foregoing articles of this Agreement . Therefore, it is not the fact of non-taxability under the operative articles (i.e. articles 6 to 20) which leads to taxability under residuary clause in article 22, but the fact of income of that nature being covered by those articles which can lead to taxability under article 22. There could be many such items of income which are not covered by these specific treaty provisions, such as alimony, lottery income, gambling income, rent paid by resident of a contracting state for the use of an immoveable property in a third state, and damages (other than for loss of income covered by specific provisions of the treaty) etc. This is how UN Model Convention Commentary, which is referred to earlier in this order, also explains the scope of this article. In our humble understanding, .....

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..... only the fact of, and mode of, taxation in the absence of PE or fixed base, which gets affected as a result of the fees for technical services. When there is an FTS clause, the FTS gets taxed even in the absence of the PE or the fixed base, but the character of FTS receipt is the same, i.e. business income or professional (independent personal) income, in the hands of the same. When there is no FTS clause, this sub categorization of income becomes irrelevant, because FTS or any other business receipt, the income embedded in such receipts gets taxed only if there is a permanent establishment or fixed base- as the case may be. The scope of business profit and independent personal service completely covers the fees for technical services as well. With FTS article or without FTS article, the income by way of fees of technical services continues to be dealt with the provisions of articles relating to business profits, independent personal services, and additionally, in the event of existence of an FTS article, with the article relating to the fees for technical services. 29. In view of the above discussions, in our considered view, even if the receipts in question are i .....

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..... (a) in the case of a business of which all the operations are not carried out in India, the income of the business deemed under this clause to accrue or arise in India shall be only such part of the income as is reasonably attributable to the operations carried out in India; (b) (c) (d)** ** ** (vii) income by way of fees for technical services payable by- (a)** ** ** (b) a person who is a resident, except where the fees are payable in respect of services utilised in a business or profession carried on by such person outside India or for the purposes of making or earning any income from any source outside India; or (c)** ** ** Explanation 1- .* Explanation 2.- For the purposes of this clause, fees for technical services means any consideration (including any lump sum consideration) for the rendering of any managerial, technical or consultancy services (including the provision of services of technical or other personnel) but does not include consideration for any construction, assembly, mining or like project undertaken by the recipient or consideration whic .....

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..... ith section 9(1)(i) of the Act . The Authority for Advance Ruling also held that the fact that the agent renders services abroad in the form of pursuing and soliciting participants and that the commission is remitted to him abroad are wholly irrelevant for the purpose of determining situs of his income . We do not consider this approach to be correct. When no operations of the business of commission agent is carried on in India, the Explanation 1 to Section 9(1)(i) takes the entire commission income from outside the ambit of deeming fiction under section 9(1)(i), and, in effect, outside the ambit of income 'deemed to accrue or arise in India' for the purpose of Section 5(2)(b). The point of time when commission agent's right to receive the commission fructifies is irrelevant to decide the scope of Explanation 1 to Section 9(1 )(i), which is what is material in the context of the situation that we are in seisin of. The revenue's case before us hinges on the applicability of Section 9(1)(i) and, it is, therefore. important to ascertain as to what extent would the rigour of Section 9(1)(i) be relaxed by Explanation 1 to Section 9(1)(i). When we examine things from thi .....

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..... cal services but it is for this reason that the amounts paid to these agents, on account of commission on exports, should be treated as fees for technical services. Even proceeding on the assumption that these non-resident agents did render the technical services, which, as we will see a little later, an incorrect assumption anyway, what is important to appreciate is that the amounts paid by the assessee to these agents constituted consideration for the orders secured by the agents and not the services alleged rendered by the agents. The event triggering crystallization of liability of the assessee, under the commission agency agreement, is the event of securing orders and not the rendition of alleged technical services. In a situation in which the agent does not render any of the services but secures the business anyway, the agent is entitled to his commission which is computed in terms of a percentage of the value of the order. In a reverse situation, in which an agent renders all the alleged technical services but does not secure any order for the principal i.e. the assessee, the agent is not entitled to any commission. Clearly, therefore, the event triggering t .....

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..... n 2 to Section 9(1)(vii), and even though the assessee is not paid any fees for such services per se, any part of the business profits of the assessee can be treated as 'fees for technical services' and taxed as such under section 9(1)(vii). This question does not pose much difficulty either. In the light of the discussions in the foregoing paragraph, unless there is a specific and identifiable consideration for the rendition of technical services, taxability under section 9(1)(vii) does not get triggered. Therefore, irrespective of whether any technical services are rendered during the course of carrying on such agency commission business on behalf of Indian principal, the consideration for securing business cannot be taxed under section 9(1)(vii) at all. This profits of such a business can have taxability in India only to the extent such profits relate to the business operations in India, but then, as are the admitted facts of this case, no part of operations of business were carried out in India. The commission agents employed by the assessee, therefore, did not have any tax liability in India in respect of the commission agency business so carried out. .....

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..... ts and forward the same to the PRINCIPAL well ahead - as much as he can - of tender closing. The cost of purchase of such tender documents shall be reimbursed by the PRINCIPAL to the AGENT. 5.6 To assist for claims and complaints (if say) that may arise from third parties and help to reach appropriate settlement in close coordination with the PRINCIPAL. 5.7 The AGENT will not enter into Agreements or Contractual Obligations . create any financial liabilities on behalf of the PRINCIPAL, without the PRINCIPAL'S prior written consent. 5.8 The AGENT hereby nominates Mr. Hossam Kawash as their contact point who will be totally responsible for the PRINCIPAL'S business for clarity of communication expeditious action. 5.9 To assist the PRINCIPAL in all possible way, as and when requested by the PRINCIPAL for the fulfillment of its obligations, in case of a contract within the TERRITORY. It includes assisting the PRINCIPAL in identifying subcontractors like logistics, shippers, cargo handling agencies for smooth execution of such contracts. 5.9a To send the PRINCIPAL periodic reports on business .....

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..... date, but the exercise has commenced prior to the termination date, the agent is entitled for the applicable commissions. SALES COMMISSION FOR THE SONATRACH GK3 PROJECT WELSPUN will pay GLOBAL SYNERGY INTERNATIONAL LTD. in its capacity as agent for WELSPUN a sales commission, based on the FOB mill sales price for the GK 3 project equal to: (i) 2% of the FOB Mill value in U.S. Dollars for the ordered quantity. All sales commissions shall be paid in U.S. Dollars to the bank account to be advised by GLOBAL SYNERGY, details of which will be provided by the agent. The sales commission shall be payable by WELSPUN to GLOBAL SYNERGY INTERNATIONAL LTD. as interim payments on prorate basis after realization of the payments received by the PRINCIPAL within a reasonable time but not exceeding 30 days from receipt of payment by the PRINCIPAL. SALES COMMISSION FOR THE SONATRACH GK3 PROJECT By the virtue of this addendum, WELSPUN agree to pay GLOBAL SYNERGY INTERNATIONAL LTD., in its capacity as agent for WELSPUN, a sales commission, based on the FOB mill sales price for the GK 3 project equal t .....

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..... ered to be technical services in nature or character. The services rendered in the course of rendering agency services are essentially business services and to obtain the business. We have also noted that, so far as rendition of technical services is concerned, one of the main points in the case of the revenue, as evident from a plain reading of the impugned order under section 201, is that manufacturing of specialized pipe was a highly technical activity involving very complex technical exercise of technology and skilled labour and finest grade of raw material and that obviously, to procure the orders, the assessee company will need specialist agents who can understand the nitty gritty of the assessee's business and can demonstrate the assessee's business profile and quality of products of the assessee to the potential clients to convince them to enter into a contract with the assessee company Just because a product is highly technical does not change the character of activity of the sale agent. Whether a salesman sells a handcrafted souvenir or a top of the line laptop, he is selling nevertheless. It will be absurd to suggest that in the former case, he is selling and .....

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..... sessee and securing orders for the assessee from the right persons. Neither these services can be viewed on a standalone basis divorced from the economic activity of securing orders, nor any payment can be said to be for rendition of these services inasmuch as it is not the rendition of these services but securing business of the assessee which triggers the income accruing to the non-resident agents of the assessee and it is securing of business for the assessee which is the proximate cause of the income accruing to the assessee. This issue is also covered, in favour of the assessee, by a coordinate bench decision in the case of Dy. CIT v. Troikaa Pharmaceuticals Ltd. [IT Appeal No. 2028/Ahd/13 and CO No 13/Ahd/14] and vice versa, wherein it has been, inter alia, observed as follows: '5. As regards the references to Section 9(1)(vii), as made by the Assessing Officer and the learned Departmental Representative, we find that aspect of the matter is also covered, in favour of the assessee, by a large number of judicial precedents- including Hon'ble Madras High Court's judgment in the case of CIT v. Farida Leather Co. [(2016) 66 taxmann.co .....

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..... ch is payable,- (A) outside India; or (B) in India to a non-resident, not being a company or to a foreign company, on which tax is deductible at source under Chapter XVIIB and such tax has not been deducted or, after deduction, has not been paid on or before the due date specified in sub-section (1) of section 139: Provided that where in respect of any such sum, tax has been deducted in any subsequent year, or has been deducted during the previous year but paid after the due date specified in subsection (1) of section 139, such sum shall be allowed as a deduction in computing the income of the previous year in which such tax has been paid. Explanation: For the purposes of this sub-clause,- (A) royalty shall have the same meaning as in Explanation 2 to clause (vi) of sub-section (1) of section 9: (B) fees for technical services shall have the same meaning as in Explanation 2 to clause (vii) of sub-section (1) of section 9: (ia) thirty per cent of any sum payable to a resident, on which tax is deductible at source under Chapter XVIIB and such tax has not been ded .....

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..... deemed to have always applied and extends and shall be deemed to have always extended to all persons, resident or non-resident, whether or not the non-resident person has- (i) a residence or place of business or business connection in India; or (ii) any other presence in any manner whatsoever in India. Explanation 4 to Section 9 (1) (i) of the Act:- Section 9 - Income deemed to accrue or arise in India - (1) The following incomes shall be deemed to accrue or arise in India : (i) all income accruing or arising, whether directly or indirectly, through or from any business connection in India, or through or from any property in India, or through or from any asset or source of income in India, or through the transfer of a capital asset situate in India. ** ** ** Explanation 4.- For the removal of doubts, it is hereby clarified that the expression through shall mean and include and shall be deemed to have always meant and included ''by means of , in consequence of or by reason of .' 7.1 Section 40 of the Act spells out what amounts ar .....

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..... ipient has a tax liability in India. 9.2 The underlying principle is that, the tax withholding liability of the payer is inherently a vicarious liability on behalf of the recipient and therefore, when the recipient / foreign agent does not have the primary liability to be taxed in respect of income embedded in the receipt, the vicarious liability of the payer to deduct tax does not arise. This vicarious tax withholding liability cannot be invoked, unless primary tax liability of the recipient / foreign agent is established. In this case, the primary tax liability of the foreign agent is not established. Therefore, the vicarious liability on the part of the assessee to deduct the tax at source does not exist. 10. Further, just because, the payer / assessee has not obtained a specified declaration from the Revenue Authorities to the effect that the recipent is not liable to be taxed in India, in respect of the income embedded in the particular payment, the Assessing Officer cannot proceed on the basis that the payer has an obligation to deduct tax at source. He still has to demonstrate and establish that the payee has a tax liability in respect of th .....

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..... T v. Kikani Exports (P.) Ltd. [2014] 369 ITR 96/[2015] 232 Taxman 255/49 taxmann.com 601 (Mad.) wherein the contention of the Revenue has been rejected and assessee has been upheld and the relevant observation reads as under:- '... the services rendered by the non-resident agent could at best be called as a service for completion of the export commitment and would not fall within the definition of fees for technical services and, therefore, section 9 was not applicable and, consequently, section 195 did not come into play. Therefore, the disallowance made by the Assessing Officer towards export commission paid by the assessee to the nonresident was rightly deleted.' 16. When the transaction does not atract the provisions of Section 9 of the Act, then there is no question of applying Explanation 4 to Section 9 of the Act. Therefore, the Revenue has no case and the Tax Case Appeal is liable to be dismissed. 6. Clearly, therefore, the payment of commission in the hands of the non-resident agent, as long as such an agent carries out its activities outside India, does not result in taxability in the hands of t .....

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..... , warehousing and pick up services on the cargo exported by Menlo on behalf of its customers. Having noted the nature of services provided by the assessee outside India, for which Menlo India made the payment, let us consider if these can be described as managerial or technical or consultancy services. 7. First we will consider the ambit of 'managerial services' to test whether the instant services can qualify to be so called. Ordinarily the managerial services mean managing the affairs by laying down certain policies, standards and procedures and then evaluating the actual performance in the light of the procedures so laid down. The managerial services contemplate not only execution but also the planning part of the activity to be done. If the overall planning aspect is missing and one has to follow a direction from the other for executing particular job in a particular manner, it cannot be said that the former is managing that affair. It would mean that the directions of the latter are executed simplicity without there being any planning part involved in the execution and also the evaluation of the performance. In the absence of any specific definition of .....

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..... ns giving some sort of consultation de hors the performance or the execution of any work. It is only when some consideration is given for rendering some advice or opinion etc., that the same falls within the scope of consultancy services . The word 'consultancy' excludes actual 'execution'. The nature of services, being freight and logistics services provided by the assessee to Menlo India has not been disputed by the authorities below. There is nothing like giving any consultation worth the name. Rather such payment is wholly and exclusively for the execution in the shape of transport, procurement, customs clearance, delivery, warehousing and picking up services. That being the position, we opine that the payment in lieu of freight and logistics services cannot be ranked as consultancy services. 10. The only left over component of the definition of fees for technical services taken note of by the ld. CIT(A) is technical services . He observed that the assessee's business structure is time bound service coupled with continuous real time transmission of information by using and also making available its technology in the form of sophisticated .....

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..... sment proceedings, the A.O. required the assessee to furnish the nature of services rendered and also the calculation of deduction. The assessee did it. On being satisfied the A.O. granted deduction u/s 80 O. By exercising the power u/s 263, the learned CIT held the assessment order to be erroneous and prejudicial to the interest of the Revenue to the extent of granting deduction u/s 80 0. When the matter came up before the Tribunal, it was observed that the issue is debatable and hence outside the ambit of section 263. Apart from that, it was also observed that the assessee was engaged in integrated air and ground transportation of time sensitive packages to various destinations rendering commercial services. It was in this context that the assessee was held to be eligible for deduction u/s 80 O. At this juncture it will be useful to note that at the material time section 80 O provided for deduction on any 'income by way of royalty, commission, fees or any similar payment received by the assessee from the Government of a foreign State or a foreign enterprise in consideration for the use outside India of any patent, invention, model, design, secret formula or process, or simila .....

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..... oupled with continuous real time transmission of information by using and also making available advanced technology in the form of sophisticated equipment and software.' He was swayed by the contention of the assessee that the Manlo India or the ultimate customer could track the movement of cargo with the help of computers. We have noted supra that the consideration received by the assessee did not include any consideration for the supply of any equipment to Manlo India. Now we will examine as to whether the use of computer in any manner for knowing the location of the cargo at a particular time, can be held as technical service. 14. Explanation to section 9(1)(vii) defines the expression fees for technical services as consideration for rendering 'managerial, technical or consultancy services'. It is seen that there is no definition of the term technical services in the Act. 15. The principle of noscitur a sociis mandates that the meaning of a word is to be judged by the company of other words which it keeps. This rule is wider in scope than the rule of ejusdem generis. In order to discover the meaning of a word whi .....

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..... .' 40. We may also take note of another decision of a coordinate bench dealing with materially similar question dealing with taxability of income in the hands of non-resident commission agents, representing Indian principal, in which similar activities were said to have been performed. In the case of Armyesh Global v. Asstt. CIT [2012] 51 SOT 564/21 taxmann.com 130 (Mum.), the coordinate bench has, inter alia, observed as follows: '16. We have considered the issue and examined the facts on record. The learned Assessing Officer tried to invoke the definitions of technical services on the commission paid to the foreign company. The reason being that commission payment to non-resident is not covered by the provisions of section 40(a)(ia), as it has only applicable to any interest royalty, fees for technical services or other sum chargeable under this act which payable outside India on which tax is deductible at source but has not been deducted. The Assessing Officer made out a case that the commission paid is Tees for technical services' without specifying what are the technical/Managerial services rendered by the said company to the asses .....

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..... th all parties in their territory (area). The Agent shall travel in their territory (area) regularly to visit customers, and is bound to keep concluded contracts secret. The Agent shall always keep the principal informed about their activities and shall supply the principal, at least once every quarter, with reports on economic developments and market conditions in the territory (area) and at the same time, convey to the principal, the Agent's observations with respect to activities of competitors. The Agent shall report immediately on particular profitable business possibilities and extraordinary events. 2.4. The Agent shall abstain from any competition whatsoever against the principal and shall not promote competition by third persons. In particular, the Agent shall not act for competitive firms as a commercial Agent, Commission Merchant or Distributor, nor shall the Agent associate directly or indirectly with competitive firms. The Agent shall not, for all time exploit or disclose to other persons any business and production secrets of the principal that have been communicated to them or which they have otherwise come to know, irrespective o .....

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..... (vii) Income by way of fees for technical services payable by- (a) the Government; or (b) a person who is a resident, except where the fees are payable in respect of services utilized in a business or profession carried on by such person outside India or for the purposes of making or earning any income from any source outside India ; or (c) a person who is a non-resident, where the fees are payable in respect of services utilized in a business or profession carried on by such person in India or for the purposes of making or earning any income from any source in India : [Provided that nothing contained in this clause shall apply in relation to any income by way of fees for technical services payable in pursuance of an agreement made before the 1st day of April, 1976, and approved by the Central Government.] [Explanation 1.-For the purposes of the foregoing proviso, an agreement made on or after the 1st day of April, 1976, shall be deemed to have been made before that date if the agreement is made in accordance with proposals approved by the Central Government before that date.] .....

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..... ents did not have any tax implications in India, no fault can be found in not deducting tax at source from these payments or, for that purpose, even not approaching the Assessing Officer for order under section 195. In our considered view, the assessee, for the detailed reasons set our above, did not have tax withholding liability from these payments. As held by Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of GE India Technology Centre (P.) Ltd. v. CIT [2010] 327 ITR 456/193 Taxman 234/7 taxmann.com 18, payer is bound to withhold tax from the foreign remittance only if the sum paid is assessable to tax in India. The assessee cannot, therefore, be faulted for not approaching the Assessing Officer under section 195 either. As regards the withdrawal of the CBDT circular holding that the commission payments to non-resident agents are not taxable in India, nothing really turns on the circular, as de hors the aforesaid circular, we have adjudicated upon the taxability of the commission agent's income in India in terms of the provisions of the Income Tax Act as also the relevant tax treaty provisions. 4. We see no reasons to take any other view of the matter than the view s .....

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..... before the Learned CIT(A): I have carefully considered the facts of the case, assessment order and submission of the appellant. The AO has made the disallowance of the professional and consultancy fee of ₹ 1,91,712/- invoking the provisions of section 40(a)(ia) of the Act, due to non deduction of TDS upon such payments. The said consultancy fee was paid to 'Momaja SRO' for the professional services having rendered outside India. It has been noticed that in European countries the import of chemicals from outside country is subjected to restriction establishing office there or by first registering the assessee company under REACH (EU Regulations, 1907/2006). Therefore, to export in these countries is for making income from sources outside India, otherwise, it would not be able to earn any Income by exports to these EU countries and in this regard, Momaja SRO has done the necessary formalities for compliance with REACH under EU Regulations to make appellant eligible to export in EU countries and therefore section 9(1)(vii) do not apply. 4.4. It has been noticed that for the aforesaid services rendered by the professiona .....

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