The Indo-Mauritius DTAA requires that the first enterprise in the first mentioned State has and habitually exercised in that State an authority to conclude contracts in the name of the enterprise unless his activities are limited to the purchase of goods or merchandise for the enterprise is a condition which is not satisfied. Therefore, this is not a case of B4U India being an agent with an independent status. The findings of the Supreme Court judgment in Morgan Stanley & Co. that there is no need for attribution of further profits to the permanent establishment of the foreign company where the transaction between the two is at arm's length but this was only provided that the associate enterprise was remunerated at arm's length basis taking into account all the risk taking functions of the multinational enterprise. Thus, assuming B4U India is a dependent agent of the assessee in India it has been remunerated at arm's length price and, therefore, no profits can be attributed to the assessee
DIT V B4U International Holdings Limited
PFA
Indian agent of foreign company cannot be regarded as "Dependent Agent Permanent Establishment" if agent has no power to conclude contracts. If the agent is remunerated at arms' length basis, no further profit can be attributed to the foreign company. It is doubtful whether retrospective amendment to s. 9(i)(vi) can apply the DTAA. However, question is left open
The assessee is a foreign company incorporated in Mauritius. It had filed its residency certificate and pointed out that its business is of telecasting of TV channels such as B4U Music, MCM etc. During the assessment year under consideration, its revenue from India consisted of collections from time slots given to advertisers from India. The details filed by the assessee revealed that there is a general permission granted by the Reserve Bank of India to act as advertisement collecting agents of the assessee. The permissions were granted to M/s. B4U Multimedia International Limited and M/s. B4U Broadband Limited. In the computation of income filed along with the return, the assessee claimed that as it did not have a permanent establishment in India, it is not liable to tax in India under Article 7 of the DTAA between India and Mauritius. The argument further was that the agents of the assessee have marked the ad-time slots of the channels broadcasted by the assessee for which they have received remuneration on arm's length basis. Thus, in the light of the Central Board of Direct Taxes Circular No.23 of 1969, the income of the assessee is not taxable in India. The conditions of Circular 23 are fulfilled. Therefore, Explanation (a) to section 9(1)(i) of the IT Act will have no application. The Assessing Officer did not accept the contentions of the assessee. However, the Tribunal noted that paragraph 5 of Article 5 of the DTAA indicates that an enterprise of a contracting State shall not be deemed to have a permanent establishment in the other contracting State merely because it carries on business in that State through a broker, general commission agent, or any other agent of independent status, where such persons are acting in the ordinary course of their business. However, when the activities of such an agent are devoted exclusively or almost exclusively on behalf of that enterprise, he will not be considered an agent of an independent status within the meaning of this paragraph. The Tribunal held that the assessee carries out the entire activities from Mauritius and all the contracts were concluded in Mauritius. The only activity which is carried out in India is incidental or auxiliary / preparatory in nature which is carried out in a routine manner as per the direction of the principal without application of mind and hence B4U is not an dependent agent. Nearly 4.69% of the total income of B4U India is commission / service income received from the assessee company and, therefore, also it cannot be termed as an dependent agent. As far as the alternate contentions are concerned, it was held that the assessee and B4U India were dealing with each other on arm's length basis. 15% fee is supported by Circular No.742. Thus it was held that no further profits should be taxed in the hands of the assessee. On appeal by the department to the High Court, HELD dismissing the appeal:
(i) As per the agreement between the assessee and B4U, B4U India is not a decision maker nor it has the authority to conclude contracts Further, the Revenue has not brought anything on record to prove that agent has such powers and from the agreement any such conclusion could not have been drawn. Barring this agreement, there is no material or evidence with the Assessing Officer to disprove the claim of the assessee that the agent has no power to conclude the contract. This finding is rendered on a complete reading of the agreement. The Indo-Mauritius DTAA requires that the first enterprise in the first mentioned State has and habitually exercised in that State an authority to conclude contracts in the name of the enterprise unless his activities are limited to the purchase of goods or merchandise for the enterprise is a condition which is not satisfied. Therefore, this is not a case of B4U India being an agent with an independent status.
(ii) The findings of the Supreme Court judgment in Morgan Stanley & Co. that there is no need for attribution of further profits to the permanent establishment of the foreign company where the transaction between the two is at arm's length but this was only provided that the associate enterprise was remunerated at arm's length basis taking into account all the risk taking functions of the multinational enterprise. Thus, assuming B4U India is a dependent agent of the assessee in India it has been remunerated at arm's length price and, therefore, no profits can be attributed to the assessee. The argument that the assessee had not subjected itself to the transfer price regime and cannot derive assistance from this judgment is not correct because therequirement and in relation to computation of income from international transactions having regard to arm's length price has been put in place in Chapter-X listing special provisions relating to avoidance of tax by substituting section 92 to 92F by the Finance Act of 2001 with effect from 1st April, 2002. Therefore, such compliance has to be made with effect from assessment years 2002-03. In any event, we find that the Tribunal has rightly dealt with the alternate argument by referring to the Revenue Circular 742. There, 15% is taken to be the basis for the arm's length price. Nothing contrary to the same having been brought on record by the Revenue. Similarly, the Division Bench judgment of this Court in the case of Set Satellite (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. vs. Deputy Director of Income Tax (IT) & Anr. (2008) 307 ITR 265 would conclude this aspect.
(iii) The argument that the transponder charges being a consideration and process as clarified in terms of Explanation (6) to section 9 of the IT Act, the assessee was obliged to deduct tax at source under section 195 and having not deducted the same, there has to be a disallowance under section 40(a)(i) of the IT Act is not required to be answered. It was doubtful whether any payment which is stated to be made to a US based company by the assessee which is a Mauritius based company, can be brought to tax in terms of Indian tax laws. We are of the opinion that any wider question or controversy need not be addressed. We clarify that the arguments based on whether the payments made could be brought within the meaning of the word "process" and within the explanation can be raised and are kept open for being considered in an appropriate case.
Related Judgements
- DDIT vs. B4U International Holdings Ltd (ITAT Mumbai) Under Article 5(5), an agent is deemed not to be of independent status when his activities are devoted exclusively or almost exclusively to the non-resident enterprises. Though in DHL Operations B.V. 142 TM 1 (Mum) it was held that the question whether the agent is "dependent" has to be…
- Vodafone International Holdings B.V. vs. UOI (Bombay High Court) On facts, the argument that the transaction involved merely a sale of a share of a foreign company by one non-resident to another is not acceptable. It would be simplistic to assume that the entire transaction between the non-residents was fulfilled merely upon the transfer of a single share…
- SET Satellite (Singapore) vs. DDIT (Bombay High Court) The effect of Article 7 (1) of the DTAA and Circular No. 23 dated 23.7.1969 is that the income of a non-resident which is neither directly nor indirectly attributable to the PE cannot be brought to tax.
Read more › - B4U International Holdings Ltd vs. DCIT (ITAT Mumbai) In Asia Satellite 332 ITR 340 (Del) it was held that in order to constitute "royalty", the payer must have the right to control the equipment. A payment for a standard service would not constitute "royalty" merely because equipment was used to render that service. A similar view was…
- Vodafone International Holdings B.V. vs. UOI (Supreme Court) The High Court's finding that, applying the "nature and character of the transaction" test, the transfer of the CGP share was not adequate in itself to achieve the object of consummating the transaction between HTIL and VIH and that there was a transfer of other "rights and entitlements" which…
utilization of the Maersk Net Communication system was an automated software based communication system which did not require the assessee to render any technical services. It was merely a cost sharing arrangement between the assessee and its agents to efficiently conduct its shipping business. The Maersk Net used by the agents of the assessee entailed certain costs reimbursement to the assessee. It was part of the shipping business and could not be captured under any other provisions of the Income Tax Act except under DTAA
D I T V AP_Moller
PFA
Once it is held that the assessment has attained finality, then the AO while passing the independent assessment order under Section 153A read with Section 143 (3) of the I.T. Act could not have disturbed the assessment / reassessment order which has attained finality, unless the materials gathered in the course of the proceedings under Section 153A of the Income-tax Act establish that the reliefs granted under the finalised assessment/ reassessment were contrary to the facts unearthed during the course of 153A proceedings
C I T V Continental Warehouses Corporation Bombay High Court
PFA
S. 153A: No addition can be made in respect of an unabated assessment which has become final if no incriminating material is found during the search. An ICD is an "infrastructural facility" for s. 80-IA(4)
Pursuant to the judgement of the Special Bench of the ITAT in All Cargo Global Logistics 137 ITD 287 (SB) (Mum) the Bombay High Court had to consider two issues: (i) whether scope of assessment u/s 153A in respect of completed assessments is limited to only undisclosed income and undisclosed assets detected during search and (ii) whether in view of the Circular of the CBDT No. 10/2005 the assessee was entitled to deduction u/s 80 IA(4). HELD by the High Court:
(i) On a plain reading of Section 153A of the Income-tax Act, it becomes clear that on initiation of the proceedings under Section 153A, it is only the assessment / reassessment proceedings that are pending on the date of conducting search under Section 132 or making requisition under Section 132A of the Act stand abated and not the assessments/reassessments already finalised for those assessment years covered under Section 153A of the Act. By a circular No. 8 of 2003 dated 18-9-2003 (See 263 ITR (St) 61 at 107) the CBDT has clarified that on initiation of proceedings under Section 153A, the proceedings pending in appeal, revision or rectification proceedings against finalised assessment/reassessment shall not abate. It is only because, the finalised assessments/reassessments do not abate, the appeal revision or rectification pending against finalised assessment/reassessments would not abate. Therefore, the argument of the revenue, that on initiation of proceedings under Section 153A, the assessments/reassessments finalised for the assessment years covered under Section 153A of the Income-tax Act stand abated cannot be accepted. Similarly on annulment of assessment made under Section 153A (1) what stands revived is the pending assessment / reassessment proceedings which stood abated as per section 153A(1);
(ii) Once it is held that the assessment has attained finality, then the AO while passing the independent assessment order under Section 153A read with Section 143 (3) of the I.T. Act could not have disturbed the assessment / reassessment order which has attained finality, unless the materials gathered in the course of the proceedings under Section 153A of the Income-tax Act establish that the reliefs granted under the finalised assessment/ reassessment were contrary to the facts unearthed during the course of 153A proceedings. If there is nothing on record to suggest that any material was unearthed during the search or during the 153A proceedings, the AO while passing order under Section 153A read with Section 143(3) cannot disturb the assessment order;
(iii) A perusal of s. 80-IA(4) would indicate as to how the Legislature had in mind deduction in respect of profits and gains from industrial undertakings or enterprises engaged in the infrastructure development etc. We are concerned with sub-section (4) and as it read at the relevant time. It says that this section applies to any enterprise carrying on the business of developing or operating and maintaining any infrastructure facility which fulfills all the conditions, namely, it is owned by a company registered in India or by a consortium of such companies or by an authority or a board or a corporation or any other body established or constituted under any Central or State Act, it has entered into an agreement with the Central Government or a local authority or any other statutory body for developing or operating and maintaining or developing, operating and maintaining a new infrastructure facility and it has started or starts operating and maintaining the infrastructure facility on or after 1st day of April, 1995. The explanation defines the infrastructure facility to mean, inter alia, a port, airport, inland waterway, inland port or navigational channel in the sea. The word "inland port" was always there in clause (d). What was there prior to its substitution by Finance Act of 2007 with effect from 1st April, 2008, were the words "or inland port". Now the word "or" is deleted, but the words are "inland port or navigational channel in the sea". Thus, an "inland port" was always within the contemplation of the Legislature and it is treated specifically as a infrastructural facility (Commissioner of Income Tax (Central) Nagpur vs. M/s. Murli Agro Products Limited in Income Tax Appeal No.36 of 2009 followed; Anil Kumar Bhatia Canara Housing Development Co (Kar) (HC) distinguished
Related Judgements
- All Cargo Global Logistics Ltd vs. DCIT (ITAT Mumbai Special Bench) In assessments that are abated, the AO retains the original jurisdiction as well as the jurisdiction conferred on him by s. 153A for which assessments shall be made for each of the 6 assessment years separatelyRead more ›
- ACIT vs. Pratibha Industries Ltd (ITAT Mumbai) Three possible circumstances emerge on the date of initiation of search u/s 132(1): (a) proceedings are pending; (b) proceedings are not pending but some incriminating material is found in the course of search, indicating undisclosed income and/or assets and (c) proceedings are not pending and no incriminating material has…
- CIT vs. Murli Agro Products Ltd (Bombay High Court) S. 153A: No addition can be made in respect of an unabated assessment which has become final if no incriminating material is found during the search(iii) Once it is held that the assessment finalized on 29.12.2000 has attained finality, then the deduction allowed u/s 80HHC would attain…
- Anil Kumar Bhatia vs. ACIT (ITAT Delhi) S. 153A does not authorize the making of a de novo assessment. While under the 1st Proviso, the AO is empowered to frame assessment for six years, under the 2nd Proviso, only the assessments which are pending on the date of initiation of search abate. The effect is that…
- CIT vs. Smt. Shaila Agarwal (Allahabad High Court) The second proviso to s. 153A provides that "assessments relating to any assessment year falling within the period of six assessment years pending on the date of initiation of the search u/s 132 shall abate". The words "pending on the date of initiation of search" has to be assigned…
Chennai Properties & Investments Limited V C I T Supreme Court of India
PFA
S.22/28: Law on whether income from letting of properties is assessable as "business profits" or as "Income from house property" explained
The Supreme Court had to consider whether the income from letting of property is assessable as "profits and gains of business" or as "income from house property" and what are the tests to be applied. HELD by the Supreme Court:
(i) A mere entry in the object clause showing a particular object would not be the determinative factor to arrive at an conclusion whether the income is to be treated as income from business and such a question would depend upon the circumstances of each case, viz., whether a particular business is letting or not;
(ii) Each case has to be looked at from a businessman's point of view to find out whether the letting was the doing of a business or the exploitation of his property by an owner. We do not further think that a thing can by its very nature be a commercial asset. A commercial asset is only an asset used in a business and nothing else, and business may be carried on with practically all things. Therefore, it is not possible to say that a particular activity is business because it is concerned with an asset with which trade is commonly carried on. There is nothing to support the proposition that certain assets are commercial assets in their very nature;
(iii) Where there is a letting out of premises and collection of rents the assessment on property basis may be correct but not so, where the letting or sub-letting is part of a trading operation. The diving line is difficult to find; but in the case of a company with its professed objects and the manner of its activities and the nature of its dealings with its property, it is possible to say on which side the operations fall and to what head the income is to be assigned (Karanpura Development Co. Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax, West Bengal' [44 ITR 362 (SC) & East India Housing and Land Development Trust Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax, West Bengal [(1961) 42 ITR 49] as well as the Constitution Bench judgment of this Court in 'Sultan Brothers (P) Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax' [1964 (5) SCR 807 referred)
Related Judgements
- DCIT vs. Allied Investments Housing P. Ltd (ITAT Chennai) S. 14A & Rule 8D: Onus is on AO to show how assessee's claim is incorrect. AO has to show direct nexus between expenditure & exempt income. Disallowance cannot be made on presumptions(i) A disallowance u/s 14A read with Rule 8D cannot be made without recording satisfaction as…
- CIT vs. Smifs Securities Ltd (Supreme Court) Explanation 3 to s. 32 states that the expression "asset" shall mean an intangible asset, being know-how, patents, copyrights, trademarks, licences, franchises or any other business or commercial rights of similar nature. The words "any other business or commercial rights of similar nature" in clause (b) of Explanation 3…
- CIT vs. Indian Hotels Co Ltd (Supreme Court) The department filed a SLP challenging the order of the Bombay High Court dismissing an application requesting condonation of delay of 656 days in filing the appeal. The delay was explained as having been caused by "several facts such as non traceability of case records, procedural formalities involved in…
- Hill Properties Ltd vs. Union Bank (Supreme Court) Occupancy rights in flat conferred by Articles of Association confer ownership rights in flat. Restriction in Articles on transferability is voidThe right, title & interest over a flat conveyed is a species of property, whether that right has accrued under the provisions of the Articles of Association of a…
- Techno Shares & Stocks vs. CIT (Supreme Court) Under Rule 5 of the BSE Rules, membership is a personal permission from the Exchange which is nothing but a "licence" which enables the member to exercise rights and privileges attached thereto. It is this licence which enables the member to trade on the floor of the Exchange and…
__._,_.___
No comments:
Post a Comment