The Mumbai Bench found that short deduction of TDS, if any, could have been considered as liability under the Income-tax Act as due from the assessee. Therefore, the disallowance of the entire expenditure, whose genuineness was not doubted by the assessing officer is not justified. A similar view was also taken by the Kokatta Bench of this Tribunal in the case of CIT vs M/s S.K. Tekriwal (supra). In this case, on appeal by the revenue, the Calcutta High Court confirmed the order of the Kolkatta Bench of the Tribunal.
In view of the above, this Tribunal is of the considered opinion that section 40(a)(ia) does not envisage a situation where there was short deduction / lesser deduction as in case of section 201(1A) of the Act. There is an obvious omission to include short deduction / lesser deduction in section 40(a)(ia) of the Act. Therefore, this Tribunal is of the considered opinion that in case of short / lesser deduction of tax, the entire expenditure whose genuineness was not doubted by the assessing officer, cannot be disallowed. Accordingly, the orders of lower authorities are set side and the entire disallowance is deleted.
