1981 (2) TMI 1 - SC - Income Tax

Whether the transfer of the goodwill of a newly commenced business can give rise to a capital gain taxable under s. 45 - held that charging section and the computation provisions together constitute an integrated code - case to which the computation provisions cannot apply, such a case was not intended to fall within the charging section - held that transfer does not give rise to capital gains

Issues Involved:
1. Whether the transfer of the goodwill of a newly commenced business can give rise to a capital gain taxable under Section 45 of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Detailed Analysis:

1. Background and Facts:
The assessee, a registered firm manufacturing and selling agarbattis, had a clause in its partnership agreement that the goodwill of the firm would be valued upon dissolution. The firm was dissolved on December 31, 1965, and a new partnership took over all assets, including goodwill, valued at Rs. 1,50,000. The Income Tax Officer (ITO) did not include any capital gain from the transfer of goodwill in the assessment for the year 1966-67. The Commissioner, finding the assessment prejudicial to revenue, directed a fresh assessment to include capital gains from the goodwill transfer. The Income-tax Appellate Tribunal, however, held that the sale did not attract capital gains tax under Section 45 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The High Court of Karnataka affirmed this view, leading to the current appeals.

2. Legal Question:
The primary legal question was whether the transfer of goodwill by the assessee-firm to a newly constituted firm could result in capital gains taxable under Section 45 of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

3. Definition and Nature of Goodwill:
The judgment elaborated on the nature of goodwill, citing various definitions and judicial interpretations. Goodwill is described as the benefit arising from business connections and reputation. It is intangible, varying in composition across different businesses, and is generated over time rather than existing from the start of a business.

4. Section 45 and Capital Asset:
Section 45(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, charges income tax on profits or gains from the transfer of a capital asset. The term "capital asset" is broadly defined in Section 2(14) but does not explicitly include goodwill. The judgment examined whether goodwill falls within the definition of a capital asset under Section 45.

5. Computation Provisions:
The judgment emphasized the importance of the computation provisions under Section 48, which require the deduction of the cost of acquisition from the full value of the consideration received. For an asset to fall under Section 45, it must be capable of being acquired at a cost. Goodwill generated in a new business does not have an identifiable acquisition cost, making it difficult to apply the computation provisions of Section 48.

6. Judicial Precedents:
The judgment noted conflicting views among various High Courts. The majority, including the Madras, Calcutta, Delhi, Kerala, Bombay, and Madhya Pradesh High Courts, held that the transfer of goodwill generated in a business does not result in taxable capital gains. In contrast, the Gujarat and Calcutta High Courts held that goodwill, even without an acquisition cost, is a capital asset for capital gains purposes.

7. Conclusion and Decision:
The Supreme Court concluded that goodwill generated in a newly commenced business cannot be described as an "asset" within the terms of Section 45 and, therefore, its transfer is not subject to income tax under the head "Capital gains." Consequently, the appeals were dismissed, affirming the decisions of the High Courts that had ruled in favor of the assessee.

8. Costs:
The appeals were dismissed with costs.

Summary:
The Supreme Court held that the transfer of goodwill generated in a newly commenced business does not give rise to taxable capital gains under Section 45 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, as goodwill does not have an identifiable acquisition cost necessary for applying the computation provisions. The appeals were dismissed, affirming the majority judicial opinion that such transfers are not subject to capital gains tax.

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