TMI Blog2022 (10) TMI 348X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... which the making of a claim of deduction is mandatory but the timing is directory. Even if the claim is made during the course of assessment proceedings, such a claim has to be allowed. In view of the foregoing discussion, we are satisfied that the authorities below were not justified in rejecting the assessee s claim of deduction u/s 80P only on the ground that such a claim was not made in the return but during the course of assessment proceedings. The impugned order is ergo set aside and the matter is remitted to the file of the AO for examining the claim of deduction u/s 80P on merits. Appeal of assessee is allowed for statistical purposes. - ITA No.182/NAG/2019 - - - Dated:- 7-10-2022 - Shri R.S. Syal, Vice President For the Assessee : Shri Jayant Ranade For the Revenue : Shri G.J. Ninawe ORDER PER R.S. SYAL, VP: This appeal by the assessee is directed against the order dated 28-05-2019 passed by the CIT(A)-2, Nagpur in relation to the assessment year 2009-10. 2. A small but interesting issue raised in this appeal is against denial of deduction of Rs.11,70,858 u/s 80P of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as the Act ). 3. P ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... nally or pursuant to notice u/s 148. Computation of income was filed during the course of assessment proceedings in which the deduction u/s 80P was claimed. Whereas, the authorities below have canvassed a view that the assessee violated section 80A(5) and hence the deduction was not available; the assessee has made out a case that section 80A(5) does not apply where no return is furnished and rather it is section 80AC which would govern the case and because of omission of section 80P in the list of sections given in section 80AC, the deduction should be granted. In order to appreciate the contention of the ld. AR, it would be apposite to reproduce section 80AC, before its substitution by the Finance Act, 2018 w.e.f 1.4.2018, which reads as under: Where in computing the total income of an assessee of any previous year relevant to the assessment year commencing on the 1st day of April, 2006 or any subsequent assessment year, any deduction is admissible under section 80-IA or section 80-IAB or section 80-IB or section 80-IC or section 80-ID or section 80-IE, no such deduction shall be allowed to him unless he furnishes a return of his income for such assessment year on or before t ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... nse, section 80AC is an exception to section 80A(5), making the mandate of the latter section more stringent in the prescribed cases. Whereas other deductions of Part C of Chapter VI-A, including section 80P, can be claimed in the return filed under any section, including section 139(4); the six deductions as referred to in section 80AC must necessarily be claimed in the return filed u/s 139(1) only. Ex consequenti, the contention that since section 80P is not covered under section 80AC, the deduction under this section becomes automatically allowable without adhering to the requirement of section 80A(5), is bereft of force and hence dismissed. 10. Now I advert to the requirements of section 80A(5), which stipulates that no deduction under other sections including 80P shall be allowed if the assessee fails to make such a claim in the return of income. Thus, there are twin conditions, viz., first, claiming deduction u/s 80P and second, claiming such deduction in the return of income. There is no dispute on the first condition, which has been satisfied in this case as the assessee did claim the deduction albeit during the course of assessment proceedings. The whole controversy rev ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... owable. 12. Recently, the Hon'ble Supreme Court was confronted with the claim of benefit u/s 10B in Pr.CIT vs. Wipro Limited (2022) 446 ITR 1 (SC). The assessee furnished original return taking the benefit of section 10B and did not carry forward the loss. Thereafter, a revised return was filed foregoing the claim of deduction u/s 10B. The AO rejected the withdrawal of exemption under Section 10B by holding that assessee did not furnish the necessary declaration in writing before due date of filing return of income, which was an essential requirement for not claiming the benefit of section 10B. The Hon ble High Court decided the issue in favour of the assessee by holding that the requirement of filing the declaration was mandatory but filing it along with the return of income u/s 139(1) was a directory requirement. The matter was brought by the Revenue before the Hon'ble Supreme Court. The assessee, inter alia, relied on the judgment of the Apex Court in G.M. Knitting Industries (supra). Their Lordships held that the requirement of filing the report in support of deduction u/s 10B was not a directory but a mandatory requirement. It further held that both the conditions o ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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