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2022 (2) TMI 324

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..... essment year 2021-22 and subsequent assessment years . In the instant case, the impugned assessment year is assessment year 2019-20 and therefore, the said amended provisions cannot be applied in the instant case - See SHRI GOPALAKRISHNA ASWINI KUMAR VERSUS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF INCOME TAX, BENGALURU [ 2021 (10) TMI 952 - ITAT BANGALORE] Thus addition of deposit of the employees s contribution towards ESI and PF though paid before the due date of filing of return of income u/s 139(1) of the Act is hereby directed to be deleted. - Decided in favour of assessee. - ITA. No. 313/JP/2021, 320/JP/2021, 314/JP/2021, 315/JP/2021, 317/JP/2021, 319/JP/2021, 328/JP/2021, 07/JP/2022 - - - Dated:- 20-1-2022 - Shri Sandeep Gosain, JM And Dr. M.L. Meena, AM For the Assessee : Vedant Agarwal (Adv.), Shri Vedant Agarwal (Adv.), Shri B.L. Bhojwani (C.A.), Shri R.S. Poonia (C.A.), Shri Shrawan Kumar Gupta (Adv.), Shri Amit Mundhra (C.A.), Shri R.S. Poonia (C.A.) For the Revenue : Smt. Runi Pal (Addl.CIT), Smt. Runi Pal (Addl.CIT), Smt. Monisha Choudhary (JCIT) ORDER PER BENCH: The present appeals filed by the captioned assesses are directed against the respectiv .....

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..... ough with a delay of few days from the due dates mentioned in the respective Acts, however the same was deposited well before the due date of filing of return of income. It was submitted that the said fact is not under dispute and where such contribution has been deposited before the due date of filing of the return of income, no disallowance U/s 36(1)(va) of the Act can be made and in support, reliance was placed on the Hon ble Rajasthan High Court decision in case of CIT vs. Rajasthan State Beverages Corporation Ltd. (2017) 392 ITR 2 and CIT vs. State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (2014) 43 taxmann.com 411. It was further submitted that the recently Jodhpur Benches of the Tribunal has also taken a similar view in case of Mohangarh Engineers and Construction company vs DCIT, CPC (in ITA No. 405/JODH/2021 dated 12.08.2021) and similar view has been taken by the Bangalore Benches in case of Shri Gopalkrishna Aswini Kumar vs. ACIT (in ITA No. 359/Bang/2021 dated 12.10.2021). It was further submitted that the explanation added to Section 36(1)(va) of the Act by the Finance Act, 2021 will take effect from 1st April, 2021 and will apply from the assessment year 2021-22 and subsequent asses .....

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..... have heard the rival contentions and purused the material available on record. In case of Mohangarh Engineers and Construction Company vs DCIT, CPC (Supra), we have extensively dealt with the identical matter relating to employee s contribution towards ESI/PF and our findings therein read as under: 13. We have heard the rival contentions and perused the material available on record. On perusal of the details submitted by the assessee as part of its return of income, it is noted that the assessee has deposited the employees s contribution towards ESI and PF well before the due date of filing of return of income u/s 139(1) and the last of such deposits were made on 16.04.2019 whereas due date of filing the return for the impugned assessment year 2019-20 was 31.10.2019 and the return of income was also filed on the said date. Admittedly and undisputedly, the employees s contribution to ESI and PF which have been collected by the assessee from its employees have thus been deposited well before the due date of filing of return of income u/s 139(1) of the Act. 14. The issue is no more res integra in light of series of decisions rendered by the Hon ble Rajasthan High Court start .....

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..... cordingly, contention of counsel for the revenue is not tenable for the reason aforesaid that deductions out of the gross income for payment of tax at the time of submission of return under Section 139 is permissible only if the statutory liability of payment of PF or other contribution referred to in Clause (b) are paid within the due date under the respective enactments by the assessees and not under the due date of filing of return. 22. We have already observed that till this provision was brought in as the due amounts on one pretext or the other were not being deposited by the assessees though substantial benefits had been obtained by them in the shape of the amount having been claimed as a deduction but the said amounts were not deposited. It is pertinent to note that the respective Act such as PF etc. also provides that the amounts can be paid later on subject to payment of interest and other consequences and to get benefit under the Income Tax Act, an assessee ought to have actually deposited the entire amount as also to adduce evidence regarding such deposit on or before the return of income under sub-section (1) of Section 139 of the IT Act. 23. Thus, we are of t .....

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..... explanation to section 36(1)(va) and section 43B by the Finance Act, 2021 and has also referred to the rationale of the amendment as explained by the Memorandum in the Finance Bill, 2021, however, we find that there are express wordings in the said memorandum which says these amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2021 and will accordingly apply to assessment year 2021-22 and subsequent assessment years . In the instant case, the impugned assessment year is assessment year 2019-20 and therefore, the said amended provisions cannot be applied in the instant case. Similar view has been taken by the Coordinate Bangalore Benches in case of Shri Gopalkrishna Aswini Kumar vs. ACIT (supra) wherein it has held as under:- 7. The Hon'ble Karnataka High Court in the case of Essae Teraoka Pvt. Ltd., (supra) has taken the view that employee's contribution under section 36(1)(va) of the Act would also be covered under section 43B of the Act and therefore if the share of the employee's share of contribution is made on or before due date for furnishing the return of income under section 139(1) of the Act, then the assessee would be entitled to claim deduction. Therefore, the .....

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