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August 2022

For determining interest u/s 244A, refund already granted has to be first adjusted against interest component

By Jagdish Punjabi, Chartered Accountant
Devendra Jain, Advocate
Reading Time 2 mins
21 DCIT vs. MSM Satellite (Singapore) Pte Ltd
TS-480-ITAT-2022 (Mum.)
A.Ys.: 2006-07 to 2008-09;
Date of order: 9th June, 2022
Section: 244A

For determining interest u/s 244A, refund already granted has to be first adjusted against interest component

FACTS

In the first round of proceedings, the Tribunal granted relief to the assessee. The Assessing Officer (AO) passed an order giving effect to the order of the Tribunal and determined the amount of refund payable to the assessee. Aggrieved by the short grant of refund, the assessee preferred an appeal to the CIT(A). The CIT(A) directed the AO to re-compute the interest granted u/s 244A by first adjusting the refund already granted to the assessee against the interest component and the balance, if any, towards the tax component of the refund due.

Aggrieved by the order of the CIT(A), the revenue preferred an appeal to the Tribunal.

HELD
The Tribunal noted that the present case is not a case where interest on interest due was claimed by the assessee. The issue arising in the present case is regarding the correct computation of the refund. As per the Revenue, while computing the refund and interest thereon u/s 244A, the refund already granted to the assessee should be adjusted against the tax component. However, as per the assessee, the refund already granted to the assessee should be adjusted against the interest component and balance, if any, to