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Whether the assessee is entitled to the allowance of weighted deduction under section 35B of the Income-tax Act in respect of the expenditure on payment of commission? Analysis: The judgment pertains to a dispute regarding the entitlement of the assessee to a weighted deduction under section 35B of the Income-tax Act for the expenditure incurred on commission payment. The assessee, engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling carpets, claimed weighted deduction for commission paid to a commission agent for facilitating export sales. The Income-tax Officer initially rejected the claim, stating that the expenditure did not align with the sub-clauses of section 35B(1)(b) of the Act. The Commissioner (Appeals) upheld this decision, emphasizing that the services provided did not meet the criteria specified in the relevant section. However, the Tribunal ruled in favor of the assessee, citing a direct nexus between the expenditure and export sales, thus allowing the weighted deduction. The Revenue challenged this decision, leading to the current reference. Upon careful consideration, the court analyzed section 35B, emphasizing that only expenditure directly related to activities specified in the sub-clauses of section 35B(1)(b) qualifies for weighted deduction. The court highlighted the need for each case to be assessed individually, with the burden of proof resting on the assessee to demonstrate expenditure alignment with the specified purposes. Referring to relevant case law, the court reiterated that the expenditure must be exclusively for the purposes outlined in the section to qualify for deduction. In the present case, the court disagreed with the Tribunal's decision, noting that the commission payment did not fall under any of the sub-clauses of section 35B(1)(b). The court clarified that the commission to the middleman for sales facilitation did not meet the criteria for deduction under sub-clauses (i), (ii), or (vi) of the section. Citing precedents, the court emphasized that the expenditure must be on activities promoting sales outside India to qualify for weighted deduction, which was not the case here. Drawing parallels with a similar Supreme Court decision, the court concluded that the commission payment in this case did not warrant a weighted deduction under section 35B(1) of the Act. The court ruled in favor of the Revenue, highlighting that the commission payment was essentially sales commission and did not align with the specified criteria for deduction under the relevant section. In conclusion, the court answered the reference question in the negative, favoring the Revenue and dismissing the assessee's claim for weighted deduction. The judgment provides a detailed analysis of the statutory provisions, case law interpretations, and factual considerations to reach a definitive conclusion on the disputed issue.
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