9911796707
|
Home
Forgot password New User/ Regiser ⇒ Register to get Live Demo
2017 (5) TMI 1099 - AT - Income TaxDisallowances deduction u/s. 80HHC - scope of amendment - Held that - Hon ble Gujarat High Court in AVANI EXPORTS & OTHERS v/s CIT 2012 (7) TMI 190 - GUJARAT HIGH COURT held that the impugned amendment granting benefit restricting it to a class of assessees whose turnover is less than ₹ 10 crores is permissible prospectively but the way it has been enacted, it takes away an enjoyed right of a class of citizens who availed of the benefit by complying with the requirements of the then provisions of law. The Hon ble Court has further held that the impugned amendment is violative for its retrospective operation in order to overcome the decision of the Tribunal, and at the same time, for depriving the benefit earlier granted to a class of the assessees whose assessments were still pending although such benefit will be available to the assessees whose assessments have already been concluded. The Hon ble High Court has quashed the impugned amendment only to the extent that the operation of the said section could be given effect from the date of amendment and not in respect of the earlier assessment years of the assessees whose export turnover is above ₹ 10 crores. Therefore, in view of the above decision by the Hon ble Gujarat High Court, the disallowance u/s 80HHC amounting to ₹ 1,66,77,703/-, which was made merely on the basis of the amended provisions of Section 80HHC, was rightly deleted, which does not need any interference on our part, hence, we uphold the same and dismiss the ground raised by the Revenue.
Issues Involved:
1. Deletion of addition made by the AO on account of disallowance of deduction under Section 80HHC of the Income Tax Act, 1961. 2. Validity of retrospective amendment of Section 80HHC(3) as per the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Act, 2005. Detailed Analysis: Issue 1: Deletion of Addition Made by the AO on Account of Disallowance of Deduction under Section 80HHC The Revenue filed two appeals against the orders of the CIT(A)-XXII, New Delhi, which deleted the additions made by the AO for the assessment years 1999-2000 and 2004-05. The AO had disallowed the deduction claimed by the assessee under Section 80HHC, amounting to ?1,66,77,703/-, based on the retrospective amendment introduced by the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Act, 2005. The CIT(A) deleted the addition by following the judgment of the Hon'ble Gujarat High Court in the case of Avani Exports vs. Commissioner of Income Tax (2012) 348 ITR 0391, which quashed the retrospective amendment. Issue 2: Validity of Retrospective Amendment of Section 80HHC(3) The CIT(A) relied on the Gujarat High Court's decision, which held that the retrospective amendment to Section 80HHC(3) was discriminatory and illegal. The amendment restricted the benefit of deduction to a class of assessees with a turnover of less than ?10 crores, which was deemed unconstitutional. The Gujarat High Court quashed the retrospective operation of the amendment, stating that it should only be effective from the date of the amendment and not for earlier assessment years. The Tribunal, after hearing the Ld. Sr. DR and perusing the records, agreed with the CIT(A)'s decision. The Tribunal noted that the Gujarat High Court had quashed the retrospective amendment, emphasizing that the amendment violated Articles 14 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India by discriminating against assessees with a turnover exceeding ?10 crores. The Tribunal upheld the CIT(A)'s order, stating that the disallowance of ?1,66,77,703/- under Section 80HHC could not be sustained based on the quashed retrospective amendment. The Tribunal dismissed both appeals filed by the Revenue, thereby affirming the deletion of the additions made by the AO for the assessment years 1999-2000 and 2004-05. Conclusion The Tribunal concluded that the disallowance of the deduction under Section 80HHC, based on the retrospective amendment, was not sustainable. The Tribunal upheld the CIT(A)'s orders, which followed the Gujarat High Court's judgment quashing the retrospective amendment. Consequently, both appeals filed by the Revenue were dismissed.
|
