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TMI Blog2023 (1) TMI 262X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ring loss of Rs.21,36,26,297/-. The appellant company also reported the following international transactions within the meaning of section 92B of the Act: Sr. No. Nature of Transactions Amount of Transactions MAM 1 Purchase of raw materials, spare parts & consumables 75,45,92,737 TNMM (for the material imported from AE's only) 2 Purchase of finished goods 19,61,95,142 TNMM 3 Payment of Royalty 3,88,57,633 CUP 4 Payment of Global licence fees 46,07,579 -- 5 Reimbursement of expenses 10,193,065 -- Total 100,44,46,156 3. Noticing the above international transactions, the Assessing Officer (AO) referred the matter to Transfer Pricing Officer (TPO) u/s 92CA(1) of the Act for the purpose of benchmarking the above international transactions reported by the appellant company in Form No.3CEB. The TPO vide order dated 29.01.2015 passed u/s 92CA(3) of the Act suggested the TP adjustments on account of Advertising & Marketing (A&M) expenses of Rs.11,05,12,223/-. While doing so, the TPO computed the expenditure incurred on account of advertisement at Rs.43,15,29,634/- which works out to 16.91% of the sales. According to the TP ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... companies as a comparable; - Accept Reject Matrix and Annual reports of the comparable companies - Confirmation from the AE certifying the mark-up charged on supply of raw material - Certificate issued by Independent Cost Accountant certifying the mark-up charged by the AE to the Appellant on supply of raw material. 6. However, the TPO rejected the TP study submitted by the appellant company on the international transaction of import of raw materials by stating that the (i) certificates submitted by the appellant company are self certified evidences as the same are signed by the AEs, (ii) the certificate issued by third party vendors cannot be considered as evidences as the said third party vendors are considered to be an AE of the appellant company, (iii) Certificates obtained from third party vendors do not fit under CUP method requires comparison of controlled transaction with uncontrolled transaction under CUP method, (iv) the appellant has not provided the details i.e. Annual reports, RPT calculation and calculation of the margins of the foreign comparables therefore, the arm's length price charged by the AEs cannot be examined and (v) considering intrinsic con ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... n account of international transaction of A&M expenditure, subject to subsuming the same with the addition on account of import of raw materials. The Hon'ble DRP further vide para 6.4.1 directed the Assessing Officer to make alternative adjustment by disallowing of A&M expenditure incurred of Rs.11,05,12,223/- u/s 37(1) of the Act. On receipt of directions from the DRP, the AO passed final assessment order vide order dated 22.01.2016 passed u/s 143(3) r.w.s. 144C(13) of the Act making addition on account of international transaction of import of raw materials of Rs.11,05,12,223/- while complying with directions of DRP restricting TP adjustment only to the extent of AE transactions. 7. Being aggrieved, the appellant is in appeal before us in the present appeal. 8. The ground of appeal no.1 challenges the addition on account of Transfer Pricing adjustment of Rs.11,05,12,223/- in respect of A&M expenses incurred by the appellant . The TPO as well as the Hon'ble DRP inferred the existence of international transactions on noticing that the appellant had incurred excess expenditure on A&M expenses as compared to the expenses incurred by the comparables chosen by the TPO and then proc ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... rnative addition of A&M expenses by disallowing u/s 37(1), he submits that no disallowance of expenditure can be made u/s 37(1) by holding that the a third party also gets the benefit of expenditure placing reliance on the decisions of the Hon'ble Jurisdictional High Court in the case of CIT vs. N.G.C. Network (India) (P.) Ltd., 368 ITR 738 (Bombay-HC) and in the case of CIT vs. M/s. Star India P. Ltd. in Income Tax appeal No.165 of 2009 dated 24.03.2009 and the decision of the Co-ordinate Bench of the Delhi Tribunal in the case of Nestle India Ltd. vs. DCIT, 111 TTJ 498 (Delhi). 10. On the other hand, the ld. CIT-DR submitted that the issue of computation of TP adjustments should be remanded back to the file of the Assessing Officer/TPO in the light of the decision of the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in the case of Sony Ericsson India Pvt. Ltd. (supra). 11. In the rejoinder, the ld. Sr. Counsel vehemently opposed the remand to the Assessing Officer/TPO placing reliance on the decision of Hon'ble Delhi High Court in the case of Valvoline Cummins Pvt. Ltd. (supra). He also relied on the decisions of this Tribunal passed in assessee's own case for AYs 2008-09 and 2009- 10, orders dated ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... mount of value addition on account of processing in terms of total revenue is not clear from the material on record. That apart, the assessee-company has been throughout contesting before all the authorities the very existence of international transaction on account of incurring AMP expenditure between assessee-company and its AE and therefore, the contentions that the law laid down by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communication India (P) Ltd. (supra) should be applied to the case on hand, is not correct. Therefore, the submission of the learned Departmental Representative that the matter be remanded to the file of TPOD for fresh decision in the light of law laid down by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in the case of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communication India (P) Ltd.(supra), cannot be acceded to. 20. Subsequent to the decision in the case of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communication India (P) Ltd.(supra), the Hon'ble Delhi High Court had rendered five decisions on the same issue. Those decisions are: (i) Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. Vs. CIT (282 CTR 1), (ii) CIT vs. Whirlpool of India Ltd. (129 DTR (169), (iii) Bausch & Lomb Eyecare (India) (P) Ltd. Vs. Addl.CIT ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... India Ltd.) and many of the points urged by the counsel in these appeals have been considered in these two judgments. 53. A reading of the heading of Chapter X ["Computation of income from international transactions having regard to arm's length price"] and Section 92 (1) which states that any income arising from an international transaction shall be computed having regard to the ALP and Section 92C (1) which sets out the different methods of determining the ALP, makes it clear that the transfer pricing adjustment is made by substituting the ALP for the price of the transaction. To begin with there has to be an international transaction with a certain disclosed price. The transfer pricing adjustment envisages the substitution of the price of such international transaction with the ALP. 54. Under Sections 92B to 92F, the pre-requisite for commencing the TP exercise is to show the existence of an international transaction. The next step is to determine the price of such transaction. The third step would be to determine the ALP by applying one of the five price discovery methods specified in Section 92C. The fourth step would be to compare the price of the transaction that i ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... , incomes or losses", for a 'transaction' there has to be two parties. Therefore for the purposes of the 'means' part of clause (b) and the 'includes' part of clause (c), the Revenue has to show that there exists an 'agreement' or 'arrangement' or 'understanding' between BLI and B&L, USA whereby BLI is obliged to spend excessively on AMP in order to promote the brand of B&L, USA. As far as the legislative intent is concerned, it is seen that certain transactions listed in the Explanation under clauses (i) (a) to (e) to Section 92B are described as an 'international transaction'. This might be only an illustrative list, but significantly it does not list AMP spending as one such transaction. 58. In Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (supra) one of the submissions of the Revenue was: "The mere fact that the service or benefit has been provided by one party to the other would by itself constitute a transaction irrespective of whether the consideration for the same has been paid or remains payable or there is a mutual agreement to not charge any compensation for the service or benefit." This was negatived by the Court by pointing out: "Even if the w ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... isition of substantial acquisition of shares etc. of the target company. It is another matter that the common objective or purpose may be in pursuance of an agreement or an understanding, formal or informal; the acquisition of shares etc. may be direct or indirect or the persons acting in concert may cooperate in actual acquisition of shares etc. or they may agree to cooperate in such acquisition. Nonetheless, the element of the shared common objective or purpose is the sine qua non for the relationship of "persons acting in concert" to come into being." 60. The transfer pricing adjustment is not expected to be made by deducing from the difference between the 'excessive' AMP expenditure incurred by the Assessee and the AMP expenditure of a comparable entity that an international transaction exists and then proceeding to make the adjustment of the difference in order to determine the value of such AMP expenditure incurred for the AE. In any event, after the decision in Sony Ericsson (supra), the question of applying the BLT to determine the existence of an international transaction involving AMP expenditure does not arise. 61. There is merit in the contention of the As ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... the existence of an international transaction will have to be established de hors the BLT. ...... 70. What is clear is that it is the 'price' of an international transaction which is required to be adjusted. The very existence of an international transaction cannot be presumed by assigning some price to it and then deducing that since it is not an ALP, an 'adjustment' has to be made. The burden is on the Revenue to first show the existence of an international transaction. Next, to ascertain the disclosed 'price' of such transaction and thereafter ask whether it is an ALP. If the answer to that is in the negative the TP adjustment should follow. The objective of Chapter X is to make adjustments to the price of an international transaction which the AEs involved may seek to shift from one jurisdiction to another. An 'assumed' price cannot form the reason for making an ALP adjustment." 71. Since a quantitative adjustment is not permissible for the purposes of a TP adjustment under Chapter X, equally it cannot be permitted in respect of AMP expenses either. As already noticed hereinbefore, what the Revenue has sought to do in the present case i ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... nature of the industry, the geographical peculiarities, economic trends both international and domestic, the consumption patterns, market behaviour and so on. A simplistic approach using one of the modes similar to the ones contemplated by Section 92C may not only be legally impermissible but will lend itself to arbitrariness. What is then needed is a clear statutory scheme encapsulating the legislative policy and mandate which provides the necessary checks against arbitrariness while at the same time addressing the apprehension of tax avoidance." 64. In the absence of any machinery provision, bringing an imagined transaction to tax is not possible. The decisions in CIT v. B.C. Srinivasa Setty (1981) 128 ITR 294 (SC) and PNB Finance Ltd. v. CIT (2008) 307 ITR 75 (SC) make this position explicit. Therefore, where the existence of an international transaction involving AMP expense with an ascertainable price is unable to be shown to exist, even if such price is nil, Chapter X provisions cannot be invoked to undertake a TP adjustment exercise. 65. As already mentioned, merely because there is an incidental benefit to the foreign AE, it cannot be said that the AMP expenses incur ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... st. This goes to show that the AMP expenditure was not subsumed in the operating profitability of the assessee-company. Therefore, in order to determine the ALP of international transaction with its AE, it is sine qua non that the AMP expenditure should be considered as a part of the operating cost. Therefore, we restore the issue of determination of ALP, on the above lines, to the file of the AO/TPO. The grounds of appeal raised by the assessee-company on this issue are partly allowed." 34. Thus, the ratio laid down by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in the case of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (supra) is reiterated in series of decisions like Bausch and Lomb Eyecare (India) Pvt. Ltd., 381 ITR 227 and the Hon'ble Rajasthan High Court followed the decision in the case CIT vs. Gillette India Ltd. (2019) 411 ITR 459 and the Hon'ble High Court had categorically ruled out the applicability of bright line test on advertising and marketing promotion expenditure. The ratio that can be culled out in all the decisions cited above is that (1) In the absence of any agreement between the assessee and its foreign AE to incur the advertising and marketing expenses to the benefit of foreign AE, no inf ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ssing Officer to make alternative addition u/s 37(1) by disallowing the excesses A&M expenditure runs contrary to the well settled legal position. As regards to the direction of the Hon'ble DRP to make addition alternatively by disallowing the A&M expenditure u/s 37(1), it is settled position that expenditure incurred for the purpose of an assessee's business is allowable as deduction, even if it results an advantage of third party. It cannot be said that the expenditure is not incurred only and exclusively for the business purpose of the assessee. Reliance in this regard can be made on the following decisions :- (i) Witshire Brewery Ltd. v. Bruce 6 Tax Cases 399 (HL); (ii) CIT v. Chandulal Keshavlal & Co. [1960] 38 ITR 601 (SC); (iii) CIT v. Royal Calcutta Turf Club [1961] 41 ITR 414 (SC); (iv) Eastern Investment Ltd. v. CIT [1951] 20 ITR 1 (SC); (v) Sassoon J. David & Co. (P.) Ltd. vs. CIT, 118 ITR 261 (SC). In view of the above well settled position of law, we vacate the direction of the Hon'ble DRP to Assessing Officer consider the addition u/s 37 alternatively. 14. The ground No.2 challenges TP adjustment on account of international transaction of import of r ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... rked since they are considered as "deemed international transactions" under section 92B(2) of the Act, as the price for such transactions is agreed by the AEs under the global pricing arrangement. However, by virtue of the provisions of section 92B(2) of the Act, the third party vendors do not become AEs or deemed AEs of the Appellant under section 92A of the Act as neither the Appellant nor any of the group entities participate in the capital or management of the third party vendors from whom raw material had been purchased during the year under consideration. Therefore, it is submitted that the lower authorities erred in rejecting the evidence, furnished by the Appellant, on the basis that the third party vendors are deemed AEs of the Appellant. 17. It is further submitted that it believed that the aforementioned pricing details should be considered sufficient documentary evidence to demonstrate the appropriateness of the pricing of the international transaction of import of raw materials from third party vendors, however, the Appellant further attempted to substantiate the arms' length price of the raw materials purchased from third party vendors with the help of Industry repor ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... us method. The gross margin of the Appellant for the year was 57.54% which was more than the average margin of the comparable companies of 36.55% which clearly reflects that the price paid for purchase of raw material is at arm's length as the Appellant has earned huge margin of 57.54% by using the raw material in manufacturing of the product. Therefore, the lower authorities erred in rejecting the gross margin under the cost plus method used for the purpose of benchmarking the international transaction. 22. We have heard the rival contentions and perused the record. The issue in the present ground of appeal relates to the benchmarking of international transaction of import of raw materials. The appellant company sought this transaction of import of raw materials to be justified at arm's length price by adopting benchmarking analysis by considering the AE as tested party taking the foreign companies as comparable entities by submitting the documents in the form of confirmation certificates from AE certifying the mark-up charged on supply of raw materials and certificate issued by Independent Cost Accountant certifying the mark-up charged by the AE to the appellant on supply of ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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