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Issues Involved: Whether estate duty payable on property inherited can be deducted while computing capital gains.
Judgment Summary: The judgment of the court was delivered concerning the issue of whether estate duty payable on the property inherited by the assessee should be considered as a deduction while computing capital gains. The assessee claimed that the estate duty should be allowed as a deduction, thereby eliminating any capital gain. However, the Income Tax Officer (ITO) rejected this claim, stating that estate duty is not a valid deduction under section 48 of the Income Tax Act. The matter was taken to the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal, which concluded that the estate duty payable on the property could not be deducted in computing the capital gain. The Tribunal also noted the statutory obligation on the assessee to pay the estate duty due to the first charge created on the property under section 74(1) of the Estate Duty Act. The standing counsel for the Income-tax Department argued that estate duty is a personal liability and not attached to the property, hence not qualifying for deduction under the relevant sections of the Income Tax Act. The counsel relied on previous court decisions to support this argument. On the other hand, the counsel for the assessee contended that estate duty enhances the value of the property and should be considered as part of the cost of the asset for computing capital gains. The counsel also emphasized the application of ordinary commercial principles in determining capital gains. The court analyzed the provisions of the Income Tax Act and concluded that estate duty does not qualify as a deduction under the relevant sections. The court held that estate duty is a personal liability of the accountable person and not directly related to the property inherited. The court referenced previous judgments to support this view and emphasized that estate duty does not constitute expenditure referable to the property. The court also highlighted that the full value of consideration for the sale of the property cannot be reduced by the estate duty liability unless it qualifies as a valid deduction under the Act. In conclusion, the court answered the question in the negative, favoring the Revenue and rejecting the assessee's claim for deduction of estate duty while computing capital gains. No costs were awarded in this matter.
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