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2024 (2) TMI 272 - AT - Income Tax


Issues Involved:
1. Delay in filing the appeal.
2. Validity of the impugned order due to lack of Document Identification Number (DIN).
3. Addition on account of alleged bogus purchases.
4. Disallowance of sundry creditors.
5. Ad hoc additions for lower household withdrawal and various expenses.

Summary of Judgment:

1. Delay in Filing the Appeal:
The assessee filed the appeal after a delay of 525 days, attributing the delay to the pandemic and lockdown in Maharashtra. The Tribunal noted the Supreme Court's order extending the limitation period for filing appeals due to Covid-19 and concluded that the appeal was filed within the extended time, thus proceeding to decide the appeal on merits.

2. Validity of the Impugned Order Due to Lack of DIN:
Ground no. 2, which challenged the impugned order for not having a Document Identification Number (DIN) as required by Circular No. 19/2019, was not pressed during the hearing and was dismissed as not pressed.

3. Addition on Account of Alleged Bogus Purchases:
The assessee was found to have made purchases from parties listed as Hawala parties by the Sales Tax Department. The AO disallowed the entire amount of Rs. 80,08,830 as bogus purchases. The learned CIT(A) restricted the addition to 12.5% of the bogus purchases, following the Tribunal's decision in Simit P. Sheth v/s ITO. The Tribunal upheld this decision, noting that while the purchases were not genuine, the sales were not doubted, indicating that the material was purchased from elsewhere at a lower cost. The Tribunal found no infirmity in restricting the disallowance to 12.5%.

4. Disallowance of Sundry Creditors:
The AO added Rs. 64,17,345 as unexplained sundry creditors due to the assessee's failure to prove their identity, creditworthiness, and genuineness. The learned CIT(A) upheld this addition. The Tribunal, however, noted that the purchases and payments were made during the year and that the outstanding balances were trade creditors. Citing the Special Bench decision in Manoj Agarwal v/s DCIT and other precedents, the Tribunal held that trade creditors cannot be added under section 68 if the purchases are genuine and directed the AO to delete the addition.

5. Ad Hoc Additions for Lower Household Withdrawal and Various Expenses:
The AO made ad hoc additions of Rs. 75,000 for low household withdrawal and Rs. 50,000 for various expenses incurred in cash without proper bills. The learned CIT(A) upheld these additions. The Tribunal found these additions to be without merit and directed the AO to delete them.

General Grounds:
Grounds no. 1 and 9-12 were general in nature and did not require separate adjudication.

Conclusion:
The appeal by the assessee was partly allowed, with specific directions to delete certain additions while upholding others.

Order Pronounced:
The order was pronounced in the open Court on 29/12/2023.

 

 

 

 

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