Case Law Details
Financial Software and Systems Private Limited Vs DCIT (ITAT Chennai)
ITAT held that the ATM machines are eligible for depreciation at 60% as applicable to computer software.
The submission of the ld. CIT-Departmental Representative that higher rate of depreciation cannot be allowed on ATM machines as applicable to the computers cannot be accepted in view of the fact the Hon’ble Karnataka High Court in the case of Diebold Systems (P.) Ltd. (supra) wherein while interpreting an entry in the schedule in Karnataka Sales Tax Act, 1957 on the basis of commercial parlance meaning, over technical meaning, holding thereunder that ATM is not a computer by itself but are electronic goods would not govern the interpretation to be assigned on the same issue arising under the Income-tax Act, 1961 in view of the settled principle of judicial interpretation, namely, that the words and expressions defined in one statute as judicially interpreted do not afford a guide to the construction of the same words or expression in another statute, unless both the statutes are pari materia legislations or it is specifically provided in one statute to give the same meaning to the words as defined in another statute [Jagatram Ahuja v. CGT (2000) 246 ITR 609/113i Taxman 459 (SC]. The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the case of Jagatram Ahuja (supra) while laying down the said principle clarified that aims and object of the two legislations, namely, the Gift Tax Act and the Estate Duty Act, are not similar. The Karnataka Sales Tax Act and the Income-tax Act, 1961 are not similar, i.e., pari materia legislations. In the matter of interpretation of an entry under the sales tax laws ‘Trade Test’ or ‘Common Parlance Test’ is applied while considering whether a particular item/goods fall in an entry or not, whereas under the Income-tax Act, 1961, particularly when considering whether an item is to be considered as ‘plant and machinery’ and/or ‘building’ or any of the items specified in the Appendix to the Income-tax Rules, 1962, functional test is the decisive test, as ruled by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in numerous cases, one such being CIT vs. Anand Theatres (2000) 244 ITR 192/110 Taxman 338. In other words, the test would be: Does an ATM fulfil the functions of a Computer in the business activity of an assessee? Is it a tool of his trade with which it carries on his business? If the answer is in affirmative, it would be a computer and moreover the issue was already decided in favour of the assessee in assessee ‘s own case by the Co-ordinate Bench of the Tribunal and hence, we do not find any reason to depart from the findings of the Co-ordinate Bench of the Tribunal. Accordingly, we direct the Assessing Officer to allow depreciation @60% as claimed by the assessee.
FULL TEXT OF THE ORDER OF ITAT CHENNAI
This appeal filed by the assessee is directed against the order of the ld. Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) 18, Chennai, dated 25.02.2022, relevant to the assessment year 2017-18.
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