Payment of PF and ESI contribution done before filing return is allowable as deduction

Gulermak – TPL Pune Metro Joint Venture Vs Assistant Commissioner of Income (ITAT Mumbai)

ITAT Mumbai held that disallowance of payment towards PF and ESI contributions, under section 36(1)(va) r.w.s. 2(24)(x) when payment made well before due date of filing Income Tax Return u/s 139(1) is unsustainable even if reported by the auditor in tax audit report.

Facts-

The common grievance in all these appeals is that the first appellate authority was not justified in upholding the adjustment, made by the Centralized Processing Centre Bengaluru while processing income tax returns under section 143(1) based on certain inputs from the tax audit reports of the assessee in question, in respect of the disallowance on account of delay in making the payment towards the employees’ contribution for the provident fund and ESI dues, under section 36(1)(va) r.w.s. 2(24)(x) of the Act, particularly when there are judgments of Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court permitting such a deduction.

Conclusion-

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