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1999 DIGILAW 989 (MAD)

Commissioner of Wealth Tax v. P. M. Itoop

1999-09-21

A.SUBBULAKSHMY, R.JAYASIMHA BABU

body1999
Judgment :- R. JAYASIMHA BABU, J. We find no substance in this reference. In the case of CWT vs. Sharvan Kumar Swarup & Sons it has been held that the rules providing for method of valuation under the WT Act are not substantive but procedural law and that the provisions of the amended rules are applicable to all pending proceedings. The Court, inter alia, held, "Rule 1BB of the WT Rules, 1957, which came into force, on 1st April, 1979, prescribing the method for valuing a house wholly or mainly used for residential purposes, merely provides a choice amongst well-known and well-settled modes of valuation. Even in the absence of r. 1BB, it would not have been objectionable, nor would there have been any legal impediment, to adopt to mode of valuation embodied in r. 1BB, namely, the method of capitalisation of income on a number of years' purchase value." The Court has also observed that procedural law, generally speaking, is applicable to pending cases and that no suitor can be said to have a vested right in procedure. Learned counsel for the Revenue, however, sought to contend that notwithstanding the judgment of the Supreme Court, the valuation of property for the purpose of wealth-tax for the assessment years preceding 1st April, 1989, cannot be made by applying the rules which came to be incorporated on 1st April, 1989, when Sch. III was inserted in the WT Act by the Direct Tax Laws Amendment Act. We deprecate the attempt on the part of the Revenue to reagitate matters which are settled by the law declared by the Supreme Court. Whatever justification the Revenue may have in seeking to advance contradictory argument before different High Courts in the country, there is no justification whatever for trying to canvass a proposition which runs counter to the law declared by the Supreme Court and to which decision, the Revenue is a partyThe question involved herein is as to whether the Tribunal and CWT are right in holding that the ITO was in error in not adopting the method of valuation provided for in Sch. III to the WT Act for the asst. yr. 1984-85. The assessment had not become final when the WT Act was amended in the year 1989, as the appeal against the order of assessment was pending. III to the WT Act for the asst. yr. 1984-85. The assessment had not become final when the WT Act was amended in the year 1989, as the appeal against the order of assessment was pending. Though the assessment was made on 13th March, 1989, the order of assessment was open to challenge and the assessment order was capable of being examined in the light of the procedural law that prevailed at the time, the appeal was considered. The CIT, was therefore, right in holding that the property, namely, residential house, of the assessee at No. 12, North Gopalapuram, Chennai, should be valued by applying the amended r. 1BB found in Sch. III to the WT Act, which rule was introduced w.e.f. 1st April, 1989. The Tribunal was equally right in affirming the order of the CWT. The question referred to us, namely, "whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal is right in law in holding that Sch. III to the WT Act is applicable to the facts of the case for the asst. yr. 1984-85 and in directing the WTO to determine accordingly the value of the immovable properties held by the assessee ?" Is, therefore, answered in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue.