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Issues Involved:
1. Whether the executors ceased to be executors and became trustees, making Section 41 of the Income-tax Act applicable. 2. Whether the maintenance paid to the widow and the mother of the testator under the will was an allowable deduction under the Income-tax Act. Issue-wise Detailed Analysis: 1. Whether the executors ceased to be executors and became trustees, making Section 41 of the Income-tax Act applicable: The primary contention was whether the executors had ceased to be executors and had become trustees, thus making Section 41 of the Income-tax Act applicable. The executors were appointed under the will of V.M.R. Seshachalam Naidu, who directed that his business should be continued after his death. The will included various provisions for the distribution of assets and maintenance of family members. The Income-tax Officer assessed the income of the estate in the hands of the executors as an "association of persons." The appellants contended that they should be assessed as trustees under Section 41 of the Income-tax Act, not as executors. The Tribunal held that the executors did not cease to be executors and, therefore, Section 41 was not applicable. The Court examined the distinction between executors and trustees, noting that an executor holds the estate as a representative of the deceased, while a trustee holds the property for the benefit of the beneficiaries. The Court referred to several English cases to establish that until the residuary estate is ascertained, the residuary legatees acquire no interest in the property. The Court found that the executors had not discharged their duties, as several legacies and maintenance provisions had not been fulfilled. Therefore, the executors continued to be executors and had not become trustees. The assessment as an association of persons by the Income-tax authorities was justified. 2. Whether the maintenance paid to the widow and the mother of the testator under the will was an allowable deduction under the Income-tax Act: The second issue was whether the maintenance paid to the widow and the mother of the testator under the will was an allowable deduction under the Income-tax Act. The appellants argued that the maintenance allowances were an allocation by the deceased of part of his income and a charge upon the estate, and therefore, should be deducted from the income of the estate. The Court held that the income received by the executors was part of the income of the testator's estate and was applied to discharge the obligations to pay maintenance. The decision in Raja Bejoy Singh Dudhuria v. Commissioner of Income-tax, Calcutta, was distinguished, and the case was found to be governed by the principles in P.C. Mallick v. Commissioner of Income-tax, Bengal. The claim of the executors was rightly rejected, and the maintenance payments were not allowable deductions under the Income-tax Act. Conclusion: The Court answered both questions in the affirmative and in favor of the Income-tax Commissioner, holding that the executors did not cease to be executors and that the maintenance payments were not allowable deductions. The Commissioner was entitled to costs of Rs. 250.
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