Scope Of S. 153A Search Assessment In S. 143(1) Cases

The following important judgement is available for download at itatonline.org.

Gurinder Singh Bawa vs. DCIT (ITAT Mumbai)

S. 153A: After expiry of s. 143(2) time limit, s. 143(1) assessment is final & addition u/s 153A can be made only if incriminating material is found in search

For AY 2005-06, the AO passed an intimation u/s 143(1) accepting the return as filed. Subsequently, there was a search u/s 132. The AO noticed that an amount of Rs. 93 lakhs received by the assessee as a loan in earlier years had been treated as a gift and credited to the capital account. He passed an assessment order u/s 153A in which he held that the said amount was assessable as a cash credit u/s 68. The CIT(A) partly confirmed the addition. Before the Tribunal, the assessee argued that as no incriminating material was found during the search, the addition could not be made u/s 153A. HELD by the Tribunal upholding the plea:

In All Cargo Global Logistics 137 ITD 287 (Mum)(SB), the Special Bench held that in a case where the assessment has abated the AO can make additions in the assessment, even if no incriminating material has been found. However, in a case where the assessment has not abated, an assessment u/s 153A can be made only on the basis of incriminating material (i.e. books of account & other documents found in the course of search but not produced in the course of original assessment and undisclosed income or property disclosed during the course of search). On facts, as the assessment was completed u/s 143(1) and the time limit for issue of s. 143(2) notice had expired on the date of search, there was no assessment pending and there was no question of abatement. Therefore, the addition could be made only on the basis of incriminating material found during search. As the addition u/s 153A was made on the information/material available in the return of income (i.e. the information regarding the gift was available in the return of income as capital account had been credited by the assessee by the amount of gift) and not on the basis of any incriminating material found during the search, the AO had no jurisdiction to make the addition u/s 153A.

See also Anil Kumar Bhatia 80 DTR 169 (Del), Pratibha Industries 141 ITD 151 (Mum), Article 1 & Article 2