Case Law Details
Suminter India Organics Pvt. Ltd. Vs DCIT (ITAT Mumbai)
ITAT held that When the overriding provisions of Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxations and Amendments of Certain Provisions) Act 2020 (TOLA) provide separate relaxations for the purpose of the legal obligations with respect to the filing of return vis-à-vis filing of other documents, to that extent, specific relaxation provisions under the TOLA must make way for rather general provisions with respect to various statutory obligations. If a relaxation provision, as the TOLA is, visualizes separate parameters of relaxation for the income tax returns vis-à-vis other documents, it cannot be open to the revenue to negate the same on the ground that the scheme of the Income Tax Act 1961 treats the filing obligations in respect of the same at par. When the economic activities worldwide were seriously disrupted on account of the Covid pandemic, if more relaxations were required to be given, in the wisdom of the legislature, in respect of filing documents other than income tax returns, such statutory relaxations could not be declined on the ground that this differentiation is alien to the scheme of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The general scheme of timeframe prescribed under the Income Tax Act 1961 has to make way for the specific relaxation provisions under the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxations and Amendments of Certain Provisions) Act 2020. The time permitted for filing of form 10-IC, by virtue of section 3(1)(b) of TOLA, must be treated as 31st March 2021, even as the time permitted for filing of the income tax return under section, in the light of third proviso to Section 3(1) and read with subsequent notification, was only upto 15th February 2021. The plea of the assessee thus is indeed correct.
In any event, the short question before us relates to the interpretation of provisions with respect to relaxations to mitigate the hardships caused during the Covid pandemic period, by the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxations and Amendments of Certain Provisions) Act 2020, and it is our considered view that such relaxation provisions must be interpreted in a liberal and non-pedantic manner, and so as to give full effect to the relaxations permitted by the legislature. Viewed thus also, the proposition canvassed by the assessee is a reasonably possible view of the matter, and it merits acceptance. In view of all these discussions, and bearing in mind the entirety of the case, we uphold the plea of the assessee, and direct the Assessing Officer to accept the exercise of the option by the assessee for the concessional taxation regime under section 115 BAA. The assessee must therefore get the relief, as admissible, on the application of the scheme of taxation under section 115BAA.
The time permitted for filing of form 10-IC, by virtue of section 3(1)(b) of TOLA, must be treated as 31st March 2021, even as the time permitted for filing of the income tax return under section, in the light of third proviso to Section 3(1) and read with subsequent notification, was only upto 15th February 2021. See Suminter India Organics Private Limited (Mum-Trib) Dated 26.07.2022
FULL TEXT OF THE ORDER OF ITAT MUMBAI
Please become a Premium member. If you are already a Premium member, login here to access the full content.
