TDS cannot be imposed on payment made before amendment of law

DCIT (TDS) Vs M/s. Rediff. Com. India Ltd. (ITAT Mumbai) The dispute with regard to the nature of payment made for purchase of software was settled at rest only by Finance Act 2012 through which Explanation-4 was added to Sec. 9(1)(vii). Although the said amendment was given retrospective effect, legal maxim, lex non cogit ad impossibillia, meaning thereby that the law cannot possibly compel a person to do something which is impossible to perform. As mentioned elsewhere, the amendment was given a retrospective effect but by that time the assessee has already done the transactions without deduc...