1998 (2) TMI 141 - AT - Income Tax

Summary

Issues Involved:

1. Deletion of addition for suppressed production.
2. Treatment of interest income as business income for deductions u/s 80HH and 80-I.
3. Applicability of interest u/s 215 due to disallowance u/s 43B.
4. General grounds for upholding the Assessing Officer's order.

Summary:

Issue 1: Deletion of Addition for Suppressed Production

The revenue challenged the deletion of an addition of Rs. 36,42,030 for alleged suppressed production by the CIT(A). The assessee, a discretionary trust, maintained two sets of books but did not keep a day-to-day stock register due to the secret nature of the production formula. The Assessing Officer used parameters such as electricity consumption, packing materials, and rated capacity of packing machines to estimate production, leading to the addition. The CIT(A) found these parameters unreliable and noted that similar issues were resolved in favor of the assessee in previous years. The ITAT upheld the CIT(A)'s decision, agreeing that the parameters used by the Assessing Officer were not sufficient grounds for rejecting the books of account, especially in the absence of evidence for purchases or sales outside the books.

Issue 2: Treatment of Interest Income as Business Income for Deductions u/s 80HH and 80-I

The assessee claimed deductions u/s 80HH and 80-I on interest income of Rs. 1,82,284, arguing it was earned in the ordinary course of business. The Assessing Officer denied this, treating the interest as income from other sources. The CIT(A) accepted the assessee's explanation that the funds were kept in short-term deposits for business necessities, such as potential excise duty liabilities and margin money for Letters of Credit. The ITAT upheld the CIT(A)'s decision, noting that the deposits were a business compulsion and not an investment to earn interest, thus qualifying for deductions u/s 80HH and 80-I.

Issue 3: Applicability of Interest u/s 215 Due to Disallowance u/s 43B

The Assessing Officer levied interest u/s 215 due to an addition made u/s 43B for unpaid sales tax. The CIT(A) held that no interest should be levied as the assessee could not have anticipated the disallowance, and the addition did not represent real income. The ITAT agreed, referencing the Gujarat High Court's decision in CIT v. Chandulal Venichand and the Supreme Court's upholding of the same, which allowed such amounts as deductions in the year of claim itself, thus negating the basis for interest u/s 215.

Issue 4: General Grounds for Upholding the Assessing Officer's Order

The grounds were general in nature and did not require specific comments. The ITAT dismissed these grounds.

Conclusion:

The appeal by the revenue was dismissed, with the ITAT upholding the CIT(A)'s decisions on all issues.