TMI Blog2021 (1) TMI 1233X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... a written submission had been submitted by the assessee. 3. Following grounds have been raised in this appeal. 1. The CPC has erred in law and facts in making an addition of ₹ 1,63,487/- on account of delay in deposit of part of Employee Contribution under ESI and EPF which was deposited late from the due date prescribed under the relevant Acts but The Employer makes the payment along with delayed interest before the date of filing the return of income under Income tax Act, 1961. In so far as the Income-tax Act is concerned, the assessee can get the benefit if the actual payment is made before the return is filed. The Employee share for EPF is ₹ 1,17,494/- and ESI is ₹ 45,993/-. The learned CIT Appeals ignored the correct facts and confirmed addition of ₹ 1,63,487/- Thus the addition of ₹ 1,63,487/- deserves to be deleted. 2. That C.I.T (Appeals] has erred in law in not following the judgement of Hon'ble Court of Punjab Haryana and ITAT Chandigarh in the case of CIT Vs. Rai Agro Industries Ltd. reported in 334 ITR 122 and in the case of Amir apparels Vs. THE ITO/ITA No. 137/CHD/2021 dated 23.08.2021. 3. That the appellant craves ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... urn of income u/s. 139(1) of the Act. 8.1 Identical issue with the similar facts have already been adjudicated by the various Benches of the ITAT. 8.2 In the case of Harendra Nath Biswas vs DCIT Kolkata, ITA No. 186/Kol/2021 for the A.Y. 2019-20, similar issue has been decided vide order dated 16.7.2021 by the ITAT 'B' Bench, Kolkata. The Relevant findings have been given in para 4 of the said order, which read as under;- 4. We have heard both the parties and perused the record. First of all we do not countenance this action of the Ld. CIT(A) for the simple reason that the Explanation 5 was inserted by the Finance Act, 2021, with effect from 01.04.2021 and relevant assessment year before us is AY 2019-20. Therefore the law laid down by the Jurisdictional Hon'ble High Court will apply and since this Explanation-5 has not been made retrospectively. So we are inclined to follow the same and we reproduce the order of Hon'ble Calcutta High Court in the case of Vijayshree Ltd. supra wherein the Hon'ble Calcutta High Court has taken note of the Hon'ble Supreme Court decision in CIT vs. Alom Extrusion Ltd. reported in 390 ITR 306. The Hon'ble Cal ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... assessee. 9. Similar view has been taken by the ITAT Hyderabad 'SMC Bench in ITA No. 644/Hyd./2020 for the AY 2019-20 in the case of Salzgitter Hydraulics Private Ltd., Hyderabad vs ITO vide order dt 15.6.2021. The relevant findings given in para 2 of the said order read as under:- 2. Coming to the sole substantive issue of ESI/PF disallowance of ₹ 1,09,343/- and ₹ 3,52,622/-, the assessee's and revenue's stand is that the same has been paid before the due date of filing sec. 139(1) return and after the due date prescribed in the corresponding statutes; respectively. I notice in this factual backdrop that the legislature has not only incorporated necessary amendments in Sections 36(va) as well as 43B vide Finance Act, 2021 to this effect but also the CBDT has issued Memorandum of Explanation that the same applies w.e.f. 1.4.2021 only. It is further not an issue that the foregoing legislative amendments have proposed employers contributions; disallowances u/s. 43B as against employee u/s. 36 (va) of the Act; respectively. However, keeping in mind the fact that the same has been clarified to be applicable only with prospective effect from 1.4.2021 ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... lear that the legislature brought in the statute Section 43(B)(b) to curb the activities of such tax payers who did not discharge their statutory liability of payment of dues, as aforesaid; and rightly so as on the one hand claim was being made under Section 36 for allowing the deduction of GPF, CPF, ESI etc. as per the system followed by the assessees in claiming the deduction i.e. accrual basis and the same was being allowed, as the liability did exist but the said amount though claimed as a deduction was not being deposited even after lapse of several years. Therefore, to put a check on the said claims/deductions having been made, the said provision was brought in to curb the said activities and which was approved by the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Allied Motors (P) Ltd. (supra). 21. A conjoint reading of the proviso to Section 43-B which was inserted by the Finance Act, 1987 made effective from 01/04/1988, the words numbered as clause (a), (c), (d), (e) and (f), are omitted from the above proviso and, further more second proviso was removed by Finance Act, 2003 therefore, the deduction towards the employer's contribution, if paid, prior to due date of filing ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ling of the return of income under section 139(1), the same cannot be disallowed under section 43B read with section 36(1)(va) of the Act. 17. We further note that though the ld. CIT(A) has not disputed the various decisions of Hon'ble Rajasthan High Court but has decided to follow the decisions rendered by the Hon'ble Delhi, Madras, Gujarat and Kerala High Courts. Given the divergent views taken by the various High Courts and in the instant case, the fact that the jurisdiction over the Assessing officer lies with the Hon'ble Rajasthan High Court, in our considered view, the ld. CIT(A) ought to have considered and followed the decision of the jurisdictional Rajasthan High Court, as evident from series of decisions referred supra, as the same is binding on all the appellate authorities as well as the Assessing officer under its jurisdiction in the State of Rajasthan. 18. In light of aforesaid discussion and in the entirety of facts and circumstances of the case, the addition by way of adjustment while processing the return of income u/s. 143(1) amounting to ₹ 4,38,530/- so made by the CPC towards the delayed deposit of the employees's contribution tow ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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