Commissioner of Income Tax v. Indian Overseas Bank
2000-11-13
K.GNANAPRAKASAM, R.JAYASIMHA BABU
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Judgment :- R. JAYASIMHA BABU, J. We are very surprised at the conduct of the Revenue in seeking a reference, in a matter which admits of no doubt at all. The assessment of the assessee, a public sector bank, for the asst. yr. 1970-71 was completed on 28th February, 1973, and it was revised twice on 31st Dec, 1973 and 10th October, 1977. The matter was once again sought to be reopened on the allegation that the assessee had failed to furnish relevant particulars with regard to the interest on securities, which according to the Revenue audit was taxable on accrual basis and not on the basis of realisation, and that the provisions for foreign exchange entitlement certificate should not have been treated as a liability and it should have been treated as provisional liability. The assessee-bank having appealed to the CIT(A) against the order, the order of re-assessment was set aside by the CIT(A) who recorded a finding that the income offered from the interest on securities for income-tax purposes by the bank, was the correct one and was in accordance with law and further that the provisions for foreign exchange entitlement certificate was in accordance with the computation made, which had been brought to the notice of ITO in a special note. The Tribunal, on further appeal by the Revenue, held that in respect of both these items, primary facts had been furnished by the assessee even at the time of original assessment. It is instructive to quote what the Tribunal has said further in the matter, "We are entirely at a loss to understand how the jurisdiction under s. 147(a) could have been assumed in such a case. There is not even a whisper of any fact, whether material or not, which has not been brought to the notice of the ITO in the statements annexed to the return in respect of either of the two items. In fact, the assessee has been following the same method of adjustment for income-tax purposes of the book income from interest on securities year after year and has also worked out the provision in respect of foreign exchange entitlement certificates consistently. There has been no escapement of any income over the years.
In fact, the assessee has been following the same method of adjustment for income-tax purposes of the book income from interest on securities year after year and has also worked out the provision in respect of foreign exchange entitlement certificates consistently. There has been no escapement of any income over the years. Even if this year is considered independently, we have to agree with the CIT(A) that the assessee's method of reckoning the taxable income in respect of these two items is valid even on merits and that there is no reason whatsoever for presuming that there was any underassessment." Despite all this, the Revenue sought a reference and has brought the matter before us. This matter, due to the workload of the Court has been lying here for the past 15 years and the assessment made for the asst. yr. 1970-71 in the year 1973 had not been allowed to reach finality on account of the conduct of the Revenue. We must strongly disapprove the manner in which the Revenue has been, as a matter of course, seeking references to this Court from almost every adverse order made by the Tribunal and even when the Tribunal has affirmed the orders made by the CIT(A) after considering every relevant aspect of the matter. The mere fact that liberty is given under the law to seek a reference, does not imply a licence to use that liberty indiscriminately against the assessees, and not allow matters to reach finality for decades. While answering the questions in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue, we direct the Revenue to pay a sum of Rs. 3, 000 as costs to the assessee.