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Income Tax : This guide explains how unexplained cash credits under Section 68 and related provisions can attract steep taxation under Section ...
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Income Tax : Assessing Officers should follow the sequence as noted below for applying provisions of section 68 of the Act: Step 1: Whether the...
In the original assessment order deduction under section 80I had been granted on the total income, inclusive of the income under section 68 of the Act. The grant of such deduction was not questioned by the revenue at the relevant time. When the matter reached the Tribunal, the same was remitted to the Assessing Officer for reconsideration of the issue pertaining to addition of Rs. 59,56,000/- credited in the books of account by way of share application money on the ground that the same was an unexplained credit out of income from undisclosed sources of the assessee.
We, next, consider the assessee’s argument that the document itself explains the source of the money with it (as on the relevant dates), so that the mandate of the section is satisfied, and no addition could be made. That is, the Department cannot take a contrary stand, accepting the document as true, yet overlooking the fact that the same itself clearly spells out the source of the money.
An assessee’s duty to establish that the amounts which the AO proposes to add back, under Section 68 are properly sourced, does not cease by merely furnishing the names, addresses and PAN particulars, or relying on entries in a Registrar of Companies website.
We may notice the judgment of Apex Court in CIT v. United Trading & Construction Co., [2001] 247 ITR 819 that there is nothing in Section 24 of the Finance (no. 2) Act which prevents the Income Tax officer, if he is not satisfied with the explanation of the assessee about the genuineness of sources of amounts found credited in his books to add them to the assessee’s income amount in spite of these having already been made the subject matter of the declaration made by the depositors/creditors. This point, thus, also goes against the appellant.
The Revenue preferred an appeal to the Tribunal in ITA 398/Del/2006. As seen from paragraphs 6 & 7 of the impugned order of the Tribunal, the Revenue disputed before the Tribunal the contention of the assessee that it had furnished the confirmation letters from the share applicants along with their income tax details, statement of bank accounts etc. The assessee, as seen from paragraph 5 of the impugned order had contended that the share subscribers were assessed to tax and since their identity stood established, no addition can be made in the hands of the assessee, having regard to the judgment of the Supreme Court cited above.
Where there was difference of amount in question somewhere as per cash in hand as per books of account and lesser cash as per seized documents, it would also not suffice to make addition under section 68 or 69A because every person is at liberty to spend their own amount anywhere as per his choice and assessee had not claimed any deduction in this case. Examining the case of assessee from every possible angle, addition of Rs.37,30,710/- was wholly unjustified.
The principle is that the assessee has to prove the identity of the creditor, the genuineness of the transaction and the creditworthiness of the creditor in order to discharge the burden cast on him, that a particular cash credit found in his books is genuine having regard to the nature and the source thereof and, therefore, cannot be added to his income under section 68.
Assessee had received a gift of Rs. 22,76,750/-in U.S. dollars from an NRI, N.Mohan and the assessee had filed two confirmation letters, one in December 2006 and another on 10-07-2007 given by the donor stating that he had gifted the above amount to the assessee, that the assessee is his close relative, that he is a man of means owning a software company of a net worth of US $ 25 million, that he had gifted during the year 2002-03 Rs. 2.00 crores to rebuild a government school,
AO and the CIT(A) did not make any effort to verify the confirmations, identity and creditworthiness of the creditors in question and they also ignored the fact that the transaction of cash credits received and its repayment were made through bank and we also hold that the authorities below did not bring any incriminating material or evidence against the assessee trust to establish that the amount shown in the balance sheet as cash credits amounting to Rs.1,70,000 actually belonged or was owned by the assessee trust itself.
We are unable to uphold the view of the Tribunal that it is incumbent upon the Assessing Officer, on the facts and circumstances of the case, to establish with the help of material on record that the share monies had come or emanated from the assessee’s coffers. Section 68 of the Act casts no such burden upon the Assessing Officer.
