Case Law Details
In the present case, the income computed as per the normal procedure was less than the income determined by legal fiction namely book profits under Section 115JB of the Act. On the basis of normal provision, the income was assessed in the negative i.e. at a loss of Rs. 369521018. On the other hand, assessment under Section 115 JB of the Act resulted in calculation of profits at Rs. 40163180.
In view thereof, in conclusion, the assessment order records as follows:-
“Assessed at Rs. 40163180 u/s 115 JB, being higher of two. Interest u/s 234B and 234C has been charged as per the provisions of Income Tax Act, 1961. Penalty proceedings u/s 271 (1) © of the Income Tax Act, 1961 have been initiated. Issue necessary forms.”
The income of the assessee was thus assessed under Section 115 JB and not under the normal provisions. It is in this context that we have to see and examine the application of Explanation 4.
Judgment in the case of Gold Coins (supra), obviously, does not deal with such a situation. What is held by the Supreme Court in that case is that even if in the income tax return filed by the assessee losses are shown, penalty can still be imposed in a case where on setting off the concealed income against any loss incurred by the assessee under other head of income or brought forward from earlier years, the total income is reduced to a figure lower than the concealed income or even a minus figureThe court was of the opinion that „the tax sought to be evaded‟ will mean the tax chargeable not as if it were the total income. Once, we apply this rationale to Explanation 4 given by the Supreme Court, in the present case, it will be difficult to sustain the penalty proceedings. Reason is simple. No doubt, there was concealment but that had its repercussions only when the assessment was done under the normal procedure. The assessment as per the normal procedure was, however, not acted upon. On the contrary, it is the deemed income assessed under Section 115JB of the Act which has become the basis of assessment as it was higher of the two. Tax is thus paid on the income assessed under Section 115JB of the Act. Hence, when the computation was made under Section 115JB of the Act, the aforesaid concealment had no role to play and was totally irrelevant. Therefore, the concealment did not lead to tax evasion at all.
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