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2023 (1) TMI 727 - HC - Income TaxRectification u/s 154 - Credit for Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) as deducted in respect of the Transferor Company - scheme of arrangement of amalgamation - specified undertakings of the companies were demerged in the three petitioners and the residual Transferor Company was amalgamated with petitioner no.1 - grievance of the petitioners stems from the fact that the Income Tax Authorities have not devised any procedure for immediately providing credit for Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), which was deducted in respect of the Transferor Company - HELD THAT - Insofar as the petitioners prayer for rectification of the order is concerned, this Court is informed that rectification orders under Section 154 of the Act have already been passed and the said prayer does not survive. Petitioners states that petitioner no.1 continues to be aggrieved as the income tax portal reflects an outstanding demand of ₹1,24,97,631/-. He states that petitioner no.1 is unaware as to how the said amount has been computed. This Court considers it apposite to dispose of the present petition by issuing the following directions - (a) respondent no.1 shall communicate the computation of the amount of the tax demand which is reflected as outstanding against petitioner no.1 within a period of two weeks from date; and (b) respondent no.1 shall consider whether it is feasible to modify its software to show the credit of TDS in similar cases where schemes of amalgamation, demerger or arrangement are sanctioned by the concerned authority.
Issues:
1. Rectification application under Section 154 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. 2. Credit of TDS/TCS in the hands of petitioners under Section 199 of the Act. 3. Modification of Income Tax Department software to allow credit of TDS/TCS in cases of amalgamation, arrangement, or demerger. Issue 1: Rectification Application under Section 154 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 The petitioners filed a writ petition seeking a direction for the disposal of their rectification application under Section 154 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. They claimed that the Income Tax Authorities failed to provide immediate credit for Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) deducted in respect of the Transferor Company following a scheme of arrangement. The petitioners had previously filed returns for Assessment Years 2017-2018 and 2018-19, but the credit of TDS was not reflected in the assessment orders issued under Section 143(1) and 143(3) of the Act. The Court noted that rectification orders had already been passed, and the petitioners' prayer for rectification did not survive. Issue 2: Credit of TDS/TCS in the hands of petitioners under Section 199 of the Act The petitioners sought credit for TDS/TCS in their names as per Section 199 of the Act and Rule 37BA(2)(i) of the Income Tax Rules, 1962, based on the Form 26AS of the Erstwhile Transferor Company. The National Company Law Tribunal had approved a scheme of arrangement, demerging specified undertakings into the petitioners and amalgamating the residual Transferor Company with petitioner no.1. The petitioners argued that they were entitled to the appropriate credit of the TDS of the Transferor Company. The Court directed respondent no.1 to communicate the computation of the outstanding tax demand against petitioner no.1 and consider the feasibility of modifying the software to reflect TDS credit in similar cases of amalgamation, demerger, or arrangement. Issue 3: Modification of Income Tax Department Software The petitioners requested the modification of the Income Tax Department software to allow for the credit of TDS and TCS in cases of schemes of amalgamation, arrangement, or demerger. The Court acknowledged the petitioners' concerns and directed respondent no.1 to evaluate the possibility of modifying the software to accommodate such credit in scenarios involving schemes of amalgamation, demerger, or arrangement. The Court disposed of the petition with directions for communication of the tax demand computation and consideration of software modification feasibility within a specified timeline. This judgment addressed the issues of rectification applications under Section 154, credit of TDS/TCS under Section 199, and software modification for reflecting TDS credit in cases of amalgamation, arrangement, or demerger. The Court provided specific directions to ensure the communication of tax demand computation and the assessment of software modification feasibility, thereby resolving the petitioners' grievances related to tax credit issues arising from corporate restructuring processes.
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