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TMI Blog2019 (9) TMI 1464X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... scientific research expenses incurred by it @ 200% of the expenses in terms of the above said section. The AO noticed that the assessee has not furnished Form No.3CL issued by DSIR, New Delhi. Form No.3CL is a certificate issued by the prescribed authority certifying the expenses incurred on scientific research. The assessee had claimed both revenue and capital expenditure u/s 35(2AB) of the Act @ 200%. The AO restricted the claim of revenue expenditure to 100% and disallowed capital expenditure. He also rejected the alternative claim of the assessee to allow depreciation on the capital expenditure. The Ld CIT(A) confirmed the orders passed by the AO in both the years on this issue. 4. We heard the parties and perused the record. We noticed that the issue as to whether furnishing of Form No.3CL is mandatory for allowing deduction u/s 35(2AB) of the Act came to be considered by the coordinate bench in the case of M/s Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd., Vs. ACIT (ITA No.641/Bang/2017 dated 14/9/2018) and the Tribunal, by considering the decision rendered in the following cases, held that prior to 1/7/2016, Form No.3CL had no legal sanctity. It was further held that, only w.e.f 1/7/201 ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... audited every year by an Auditor as defined in subsection (2) of section 288 of the IT Act 1961. (The statutory auditors of the Company should audit the R&D accounts. To facilitate this audit separate books of accounts for R&D should be maintained. Also, the statutory auditors should sign the auditors' certificate in the details required to be submitted as per annexure-IV of the guidelines to facilitate submission of Report in Form 3CL). (ii) As per guideline 5(vi) of the guidelines, the audited accounts for each year maintained separately for each approved centre shall be furnished to the Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research by 31st day of October of the succeeding year, along with information as per Annexure-IV of the Guidelines. (iii) As per guideline 5(ix) Expenditures, which are directly identifiable with approved R&D facility only, shall be eligible for the weighted tax deduction. However, expenditure in R&D on utilities which are supplied from a common source which also services areas of the plant other than R&D may be admissible, provided they are metered/measured and subject to certification by a Chartered Accountant. (iv) As per guideline 5 (x) ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... o.309/Pun/2014 for AY 2009-10 order dated 15.5.2018 had an occasion to consider a case where part of the claim for deduction u/s.35(2AB) of the Act was claimed supported by Form No.3CL but part of it was not supported by Form No.3CL. The Pune ITAT held as follows:- "45. The issue which is raised in the present appeal is that whether where the facility has been recognized and necessary certification is issued by the prescribed authority, the assessee can avail the deduction in respect of expenditure incurred on in-house R&D facility, for which the adjudicating authority is the Assessing Officer and whether the prescribed authority is to approve expenditure in form No.3CL from year to year. Looking into the provisions of rules, it stipulates the filing of audit report before the prescribed authority by the persons availing the deduction under section 35(2AB) of the Act but the provisions of the Act do not prescribe any methodology of approval to be granted by the prescribed authority vis-à-vis expenditure from year to year. The amendment brought in by the IT (Tenth Amendment) Rules w.e.f. 01.07.2016, wherein separate part has been inserted for certifying the amount of expend ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... pon the judgment of Gujarat High Court in CIT vs. Claris Lifesciences Ltd. 326 ITR 251 (Guj). In its decision the Hon'ble Gujarat High Court held that the cut-off date mentioned in the certificate issued by the DSIR would be of no relevance. What is to be seen is that the assessee was in indulging in R&D activity and had incurred the expenditure thereupon. Once a certificate by DSIR is issued, that would be sufficient to hold that the assessee fulfils the conditions laid down in the aforesaid provisions. The Hon'ble Delhi High Court followed the decision of the Hon'ble Gujarat High Court and upheld the decision of the Tribunal. The Hon'ble Delhi High Court quoted the following observations of the Hon'ble Gujarat High Court and agreed with the said view: "7. ... The lower authorities are reading more than what is provided by law. A plain and simple reading of the Act provides that on approval of the research and development facility, expenditure so incurred is eligible for weighted deduction. 8. The Tribunal has considered the submissions made on behalf of the assessee and took the view that section speaks of : (i) development of facility; (ii) incurring of expenditure by th ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ion u/s.35(2AB)(1)(i) of the Act, as expenditure on scientific research. Deduction u/s.35(1)(i) and Sec.35(2AB) of the Act are similar except that the deduction u/s.35(2AB) is allowed as weighted deduction at 200% of the expenditure while deduction u/s.35(1)(i) is allowed only at 100%. The conditions for allowing deduction u/s.35(1)(i) of the Act and under Sec.35(2AB) of the Act are identical with the only difference being that the Assessee claiming deduction u/s.35(2AB) of the Act should be engaged in manufacture of certain articles or things. It is not in dispute that the Assessee is engaged in business to which Sec.35(2AB) of the Act applied. The other condition required to be fulfilled for claiming deduction u/s.35(2AB) of the Act is that the research and development facility should be approved by the prescribed authority. The prescribed authority is the Secretary, Department of Scientific Industrial Research, Govt. Of India (DSIR). It is not in dispute that the Assessee in the present case obtained approval in Form No.3CM as required by Rule 6 (5A) of the Rules. In these facts and circumstances and in the light of the judicial precedents on the issue, we are of the view that t ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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