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May 2017

13. Income – Assessability – Land purchased for company by its director – Land shown as stock-in-trade of company – sale of land also shown in books of company and gains offered for tax – gains not assessable in hands of director

By K. B. Bhujle, Advocate
Reading Time 2 mins

CIT vs. Atma Ram Gupta; 392 ITR 12(Raj):

The assessee was a director of a company engaged in real estate business. In the course of business, the company purchased land in the name of the director and duly accounted for it in the books of the company. The sale proceeds of the land at Rs. 1,51,80,000/- were duly recorded in the books of account of the company and business profits were offered to tax in the case of the company. However, the Assessing Officer was of the opinion that the resultant gain being short term capital gains amounting to Rs. 1,23,47,880/- is liable to be taxed as short term capital gains in the hands of the assessee. The Tribunal set aside the assessment.

On appeal by the Revenue, the Rajasthan High Court upheld the decision of the Tribunal and held as under:

“i)  The material placed by the assessee and considered by both the appellate authorities, clearly proved that the assessee being a director executed title deeds for and on behalf of the company and the beneficial owner for all practical purposes was the limited company which had even paid due taxes later on at the time when the property was sold.

ii)            The finding by the appellate Tribunal was essentially a finding of fact based on the material on record after appreciation of evidence and no question of law much less a substantial question of law could be said to arise out of the order passed by the Tribunal and there was no perversity in the order impugned so as to call for interference of the court. The amount was not assessable in the hands of the assessee.“

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