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TMI Blog2015 (5) TMI 1097X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... (Appeals), Belgaum, relating to assessment year 2009-10. 2. The assessee is a co-operative society. It is engaged in the business of providing credit facilities to its members. The assessee had claimed deduction u/s. 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act of a sum of ₹ 14,81,686. Under Sec.80P(2)(i) of the Act where the gross total income of a coITA operative society includes income from carrying on the business of banking or providing credit facilities to its members, the same is allowed deduction. By the Finance Act, 2006 w.e.f. 1-4-2006, Sub-section (4) was inserted in Sec.80-P which provides as follows: (4) The provisions of this section shall not apply in relation to any co-operative bank other than a primary agricultural credit society or a primary co-operative agricultural and rural development bank. Explanation : For the purposes of this sub-section,- (a) co-operative bank and primary agricultural credit society shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in Part V of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949); (b) primary co-operative agricultural and rural development bank means a society having its area of operation confined to a taluk ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... accepting deposits from the public is for making investments and for lending to members. Confining the lending only to members makes no difference. iii) Deposits collected from the depositors are repayable on demand and do not go into the corpus of the appellant. iv) Though withdrawal of money is not done by cheques, drafts or pay-out slips, pay orders are issued in favour of a person on behalf of the depositor. v) The assessee society came within the Explanation to subsection (4) of section 80P of the Act as a banking institution. 4. In the light of the above-mentioned observations, the AO held that the appellant was not entitled to exemption in respect of the amount of ₹ 27,24,702/- earned by it u/s 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act and brought the same to tax. 5. Before CIT(A) the assessee submitted that the AO erred in treating the assessee as a commercial banking institution and in denying the deduction available to it u/s 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act in respect of income arising from the transactions only with its members. The Assessee relied on the decision in the case of ACIT, Circle-3(1), Bangalore v. M/s Bangalore Commercial Transport Credit Co-operat ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... or rural development bank. For the purpose of the said sub section, cooperative bank shall have the meaning assigned to it in part V of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. In Part V of the Banking Regulation Act, cooperative bank means a State Cooperative Bank, a Central Cooperative Bank and a Primate Cooperative Bank. 9.2 From the above section, it is clear that the provisions of section 80P(4) has got its application only to cooperative banks. Section 80P(4) does not define the word cooperative society . The existing sub-section 80P(2)(a)(i) shall be applicable to a cooperative society carrying on credit facility to its members. This view is clarified by Central Board of Direct Tax vide its clarification No.133/06/2007-TPL dated 9th May, 2007. The difference between a cooperative bank and a cooperative society are as follows:- Nature Cooperative society registered under Banking Regulation Act, 1949 Banking Regulation Act, 1949 Cooperative society registered under Karnataka Cooperative Society Act, 1959 Registra tion Under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and Cooperative So ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... s into the taxation structure was mainly to bring in par with commercial banks. Since the assessee is a cooperative society and not a cooperative bank, the provisions of section 80P(4) will not have application in the assessee s case and therefore, it is entitled to deduction u/s 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act. Hence, we are of the view that the order of the CIT(A) is correct and in accordance with law and no interference is called for. 8. The Hon ble Gujarat High Court in the case of Tax appeal No.442 of 2013 with Tax appeal No.443 of 2013 with Tax appeal No.863 of 2013 in the case of CIT Vs. Jafari Momin Vikas Co-op Credit Society Ltd. by judgment dated 15.1.2014 on had to deal with the following question of law: Whether the Hon ble Tribunal is correct in allowing deduction under section 80P(2)(a)(i) to assessee s society even though same is covered under section 80P(4) rws 2(24) (viia) being income from providing credit facilities carried on by a co-operative society with its member? The Hon ble Court held as follows: 4. As per section 80P(4), the provisions of section 80P would not apply in relation to any co-operative bank other than primary agricultural cred ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... 4. Thus, if the Delhi Co op Urban T C Society Ltd. does not fall within the meaning of Co-operative Bank as defined in part V of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, subsection(4) of section 80P will not apply in this case. 5. The issues with the approval of Chairman,Central Board of Direct Taxes. 7. From the above clarification, it can be gathered that subsection( 4) of section 80P will not apply to an assessee which is not a co-operative bank. In the case clarified by CBDT, Delhi Coop Urban Thrift Credit Society Ltd. was under consideration. Circular clarified that the said entity not being a cooperative bank, section 80P(4) of the Act would not apply to it. In view of such clarification, we cannot entertain the Revenue s contention that section 80P(4) would exclude not only the cooperative banks other than those fulfilling the description contained therein but also credit societies, which are not cooperative banks. In the present case, respondent assessee is admittedly not a credit co-operative bank but a credit cooperative society. Exclusion clause of sub-section (4) of section 80P, therefore, would not apply. In the result, Tax Appeals are dismissed. ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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