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2007 DIGILAW 666 (PNJ)

Commissioner Of Income Tax v. Avon Cycles (P) Ltd.

2007-03-26

M.M.KUMAR, RAJESH BINDAL

body2007
Judgment M.M.Kumar, J. 1. On the basis of an application filed by the Revenue under Section 256(1) of the IT Act, 1961, the Revenue had requested the Tribunal to make a reference to this Court for its opinion on two questions of law which were claimed to have arisen from the order of the Tribunal dt. 1st Nov., 1987 passed in ITA No. 1196/Chd/ 1986 in respect of the assessee respondent for the asst. yr. 1983-84. The questions which have been claimed are as under: 1. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was right in law in allowing the assessees claim for Rs. 22,60,375 on account of undisclosed liability towards sales-tax/Central sales-tax and education tax in asst. yr. 1983-84 ? 2. Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, and on a proper interpretation of ExpIn. 2 to Section 80J(4), the Tribunal was right in law in holding that second-hand machinery worth Rs. 1,08,568 should be taken as part of the capital employed for allowing the assessees claim for deduction under Section 80J ? 2. It remains undisputed that the controversy raised by the first question is covered against the Revenue in view of the Division Bench judgment of this Court in the case of Sirsa Industries v. CIT, laying down that wherever an assessee follows the mercantile system of accounting, then deduction could be claimed only in the year in which the liability is finalised or the amount is actually paid. Accordingly, the question has to be answered against the Revenue. 3. On the second question, the Tribunal has allowed deduction under Section 80J on the second-hand machinery worth Rs. 1,08,568 by treating the same as part of the capital employed on the reasoning that in the present case, the secondhand machinery was purchased from a third person and it was not brought in as an asset by mere transfer. 3. On the second question, the Tribunal has allowed deduction under Section 80J on the second-hand machinery worth Rs. 1,08,568 by treating the same as part of the capital employed on the reasoning that in the present case, the secondhand machinery was purchased from a third person and it was not brought in as an asset by mere transfer. The Tribunal has placed reliance on the view taken by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in the case of Electronic Corporation of India v. CIT, (AP) holding that the only amount ineligible for deduction under Section 80J is where the old machinery has been transferred by the assessee from his earlier business but where the machinery was purchased from a third person and was not brought in as an asset by mere transfer from one undertaking to another by the same assessee then the deduction under Section 80J was allowable even on the second-hand machinery. Raising the issue of interpretation of provisions of Expln. 2 to Section 80J, the Tribunal in para 8 has observed as under: 8. Coming to the last dispute, the matter in dispute is squarely covered by the decision of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in the case of Electronic Corporation of India v. CIT. There being no contrary decision of any other High Court and the question being one of pure interpretation of the provision of the Expln. 2 to Section 80J, we are not inclined to interfere with the decision of the CIT(A) taken in this behalf. 4. A Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Electronic Corporation of Indias case (supra) has placed reliance on various Division Bench judgments of Calcutta and Bombay High Courts, namely, CIT v. Indian Oxygen Ltd., CIT v. Satellite Engineering Ltd., CIT v. Suessin Textile Bearing Ltd. and CIT v. N. Guru Investment (P) Ltd. 5. We have heard learned Counsel for the parties at length and with their able assistance have perused the record. 6. It would be appropriate to make a reference to Section 80J of the Act, as it stood on the relevant day and the relevant extract thereof reads as under: 80J. We have heard learned Counsel for the parties at length and with their able assistance have perused the record. 6. It would be appropriate to make a reference to Section 80J of the Act, as it stood on the relevant day and the relevant extract thereof reads as under: 80J. (1) Where the gross total income of an assessee includes any profits and gains derived from an industrial undertaking or a ship or the business of a hotel, to which this section applies, there shall, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of this section, be allowed, in computing the total income of the assessee, a deduction from such profits and gains reduced by the deduction, if any, admissible to the assessee under Section 80HH or Section 80HHHA of so much of the amount thereof as does not exceed the amount calculated at the rate of six per cent per annum on the capital employed in the industrial undertaking or ship or business of the hotel, as the case may be, computed in the manner specified in Sub-section (1A) in respect of the previous year relevant to the assessment year (the amount calculated as aforesaid being hereafter, in this section, referred to as the relevant amount of capital employed during the previous year): Provided that in relation to the profits and gains derived by an assessee, being a company, from an industrial undertaking which begins to manufacture or produce articles or to operate its cold storage plant or plants after the 31st day of March, 1976, or from a ship which is first brought into use after that date, or from the business of a hotel which starts functioning, after that date, the provisions of this sub-section shall have effect as if for the words six per cent, the words seven and a half per cent had been substituted. (1A) X X X X X X X X (II) The aggregate of the amounts representing the values of the assets as on the first day of the computation period of the undertaking or of the business of the hotel to which this section applies shall first be ascertained in the following manner: (i) In the case of assets entitled to depreciation, their written down value; (ii) in the case of assets acquired by purchase and not entitled to depreciation, their actual cost to the assessee; (iii) in the case of assets acquired otherwise than by purchase and not entitled to depreciation, the value of the assets when they became assets of the business; (iv) in the case of assets, being debts due to the person carrying on the business, the normal amount of those debts; (v) in the case of assets, being cash in hand or bank, the amount thereof. Explanation 1 : In this clause, actual cost has the same meaning as in Clause (1) of Section 43. Explanation 2 : In this clause and in Clause (HI), computation period means the period for which profits and gains of the industrial undertaking or business of the hotel are computed under Sections 28 to 43A. Explanation 3 : In this clause and in Clause (V), written down value has the same meaning as in Clause (6) of Section 43. Explanation 4 : Where the cost of any asset has been satisfied otherwise than in cash the then value of the consideration actually given for the asset shall be treated as the actual cost of the asset. X X X X X X X X X X X 7. A perusal of the aforementioned section reveals that deductions have been allowed in respect of profits and gains from newly established undertakings along with others. The object of the provision made in the year 1968 appears to be to encourage the industrialisation in the country by extending them various incentives. Section 80J(1A)(II) of the Act would reveal that aggregate amount representing the value of the assets as on the first day of the computation period of undertaking is to be ascertained. In case of assets acquired by purchase which are not entitled to depreciation by computing their actual cost to the assessee. Section 80J(1A)(II) of the Act would reveal that aggregate amount representing the value of the assets as on the first day of the computation period of undertaking is to be ascertained. In case of assets acquired by purchase which are not entitled to depreciation by computing their actual cost to the assessee. In the present case, the assessee had purchased second-hand machinery from a third person and he had not brought the same either from his own undertaking where the machinery was being used or from any sister-concern. In such a situation, the case of the assessee would be covered by Section 80J(1A)(II)(ii) of the Act. Even otherwise, this interpretation has been supported by the view taken by a Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in the case of Electronic Corporation of India (supra) in which various judgments of other Courts have been followed and applied. No judgment taking a contrary view has been cited by learned Counsel for the Revenue Therefore, there is no escape from the conclusion that the question deserves to be answered against the Revenue Accordingly, the question is answered against the Revenue. The reference is disposed of. accordingly.