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2024 (3) TMI 1200 - AT - Income Tax


Issues Involved:
1. Transfer Pricing Adjustment on Administrative Support Services
2. Taxability of Interest Income on Foreign Currency Loans
3. Deduction under Section 44C of the Income Tax Act
4. Inclusion of Comparable Companies for Transfer Pricing
5. Taxability of Interest on Income Tax Refund under India-Canada DTAA

Summary:

Issue 1: Transfer Pricing Adjustment on Administrative Support Services
The appeals ITA No. 4981/MUM/2017 and ITA No. 4899/MUM/2017 for Assessment Year 2010-11 involved the issue of Transfer Pricing (TP) adjustment on account of administrative support services related to Inter Bank Indemnities (IBI). The assessee's grounds of appeal No. 8 to 12 were identical to those in ITA No. 3862/Mum/2013 for Assessment Year 2008-09, where the Tribunal had decided in favor of the assessee. The Tribunal found that the facts for the impugned assessment year were identical, and thus, for parity of reasons, allowed the grounds of appeal 8 to 12 in favor of the assessee.

Issue 2: Taxability of Interest Income on Foreign Currency Loans
The Revenue's appeal for Assessment Year 2010-11 raised the issue of whether interest income earned on foreign currency loans should be taxed at 40% under normal provisions or at 20% under Section 115A of the Income Tax Act. The Tribunal noted that this issue had been consistently held in favor of the assessee in previous years, including Assessment Year 1997-98. Therefore, the Tribunal dismissed the Revenue's ground No. 1, holding that the interest income is taxable at 20%.

Issue 3: Deduction under Section 44C of the Income Tax Act
The Revenue's grounds No. 2 to 4 for Assessment Year 2010-11 concerned the deduction under Section 44C. The Assessing Officer had disallowed a substantial part of the assessee's claim for head office expenses. The CIT(A) allowed the full claim, supported by the Tribunal's decisions in similar cases, stating that head office expenses attributable to the business in India are allowable under Section 44C. The Tribunal upheld the CIT(A)'s decision, dismissing the Revenue's grounds No. 2 to 4.

Issue 4: Inclusion of Comparable Companies for Transfer Pricing
In ground No. 5 of the Revenue's appeal for Assessment Year 2010-11, the issue was the inclusion of M/s. Allianz Securities Ltd. as a comparable. The assessee did not contest this ground due to the smallness of the amount, and thus, the Tribunal decided in favor of the Revenue, allowing this ground.

Issue 5: Taxability of Interest on Income Tax Refund under India-Canada DTAA
In the assessee's appeal for Assessment Year 2013-14, the issue was whether interest on income tax refund is exempt from tax under Article 11(3)(a)(i) of the India-Canada DTAA. The Tribunal referred to the decisions of the Hon'ble Bombay High Court and Madras High Court, which held that interest on income tax refund is not effectively connected with the PE and is exempt under the relevant DTAA provisions. Therefore, the Tribunal allowed the assessee's ground No. 2, holding that the interest on income tax refund is exempt from tax.

Conclusion:
The appeals of the assessee for Assessment Years 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13, and the Revenue's appeal for Assessment Year 2010-11 were partly allowed. The assessee's appeal for Assessment Year 2013-14 was fully allowed. The Tribunal's decisions were based on consistent application of previous rulings and relevant DTAA provisions.

 

 

 

 

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