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Issues involved: Dismissal of writ petitions under section 264 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 for not claiming benefit under section 80HH, refusal to condone delay, and lack of manufacturing activity by the assessees.
Judgment Summary: The High Court of Madras dismissed eight writ petitions concerning the non-claiming of benefits under section 80HH of the Income-tax Act, 1961. The appellants had not claimed the benefit due to the omission by their previous auditor. The Commissioner of Income-tax dismissed the petition under section 264 of the Act, citing lack of evidence of manufacturing activity and inadequate explanation for the delay. The learned single judge upheld the dismissal, emphasizing the lack of vigilance by the writ petitioners. The High Court concurred with the single judge's decision, noting the appellants' failure to satisfy conditions for claiming the benefit under section 80HH, such as not submitting the required audit report and not engaging in manufacturing activity during the relevant period. The High Court rejected the appellants' argument that the Income-tax Officer should have granted the relief under section 80HH despite the omission by the appellants. The court emphasized that the obligation to grant relief could only be fulfilled with sufficient factual materials and clear data, which were lacking in this case. Additionally, the court found the delay in claiming the exemption relief to be inordinate, ranging from more than nine years to eight years for different assessment years. The appellants' plea of ignorance of law was deemed insufficient to justify the delay, and the Commissioner's decision to refuse condonation of delay was upheld. In conclusion, the High Court found no grounds to interfere with the decision. The writ appeals were dismissed, and no costs were awarded.
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