Case Law Details
Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd Vs. CIT (Gujarat High Court)
In the present case it is not the case of the Revenue that the new unit by itself is not capable of production of goods but the case of the Revenue is that it takes help of the old existing unit. We are of the view that, that itself should not be the reason to reject the claim under Section 80-I of the Act. Thus, whether an undertaking is a “new industrial undertaking” entitled to the exemption under Section 80-I of the Act depends on the facts of each case. No hard and fast rule can be laid down. Use by the assessee of the old undertaking for the purpose of production in its new undertaking is not a decisive test in construing Section 80-I of the Act.
The new undertaking must not be substantially the same old business. Substantial investment of new capital is imperative and in the present case, there has been a huge substantial investment of around Rs.7 crore almost three decades ago. The words “the capital employed” in the principal clause of Section 80-I of the Act are significant, for fresh capital must be employed in the new undertaking claiming exemption. Manufacture or production of articles yielding additional profit attributable to the new outlay of capital in a separate and distinct unit is essential to earn the benefit of Section 80-I. The fact that an assessee by establishment of a new industrial undertaking expands his existing business which he certainly does, would not on that score deprive him of the benefit under Section 80-I. Every new creation in business is some kind of expansion and advancement. The true test is not whether the new industrial undertaking connotes expansion of the existing business of the assessee but whether it is a new identifiable endevour where substantial investment of fresh capital is made to enable earning of profit attributable to that new capital.
