Sunday, 27 September 2020

Pre conditions for revision of other orders under section 264 by Principal Commissioner or Commissioner

An assessee aggrieved by an order passed by the Assessing Officer may file an appeal against the same to the CIT(A). As an alternative remedy the assessee may prefer an application to the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner for revising the orders passed by the Assessing Officer. A remedy under section 264 is contemplated by the Legislature only to meet a situation faced by an aggrieved assessee who is unable to approach the appellate authorities for relief and has no other alternative remedy under the Act. Even those orders which are not appealable before the CIT(A), may be referred by the assessee to the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner  for seeking revision or modification.

Pre conditions for revision of other orders

This is alternate remedy available with the Assessee, however various conditions are required to be fulfilled before making an application to the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner for revision of the order. The conditions are-

(i)           Applicable to any order other than an order to which section 263 applies

• Applies to any order :

(a) other than an order to which section 263 applies

(b) Passed by an authority subordinate to the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner

(ii)         Principal Commissioner or Commissioner may act suo moto or on application made by the assessee.

Principal Commissioner or Commissioner can on his own motion revise any order and such revision can be done within one year from the date of order. Hence, similar to the provisions of section 263, which favors revenue, provisions of section 264 is incorporated to favor assessee.


(iii)       Principal Commissioner or Commissioner may call for the record of any proceedings under the Act in which such order has been passed.

(iv)       Order may be passed not being prejudicial to the assessee. However an order declining to interfere is not an order prejudicial to the assessee.

(v)     In case any order pass by any authority subordinate to assessing officer (other than order passed under section 263), any authority subordinate to assessing officer, may on himself or on application filed by assessee, call for any information & pass revision order, after relevant inquiry & collecting information.

(vi)    After revision under section 263, revision under section 264 is not possible. However, after revision under section 264, revision under section 263 is possible.

(vii)   Revision under section 264 is not possible on any issue, if an appeal has been filed to CIT(Appeals).

(viii)  Application is made within one year from the date of service of order to be revised or from the date on which the assessee came to know of the order, whichever is earlier – (discretion is given to condone the delay in filing the application if assessee prevented by sufficient cause)

(ix)    The order under this section shall be passed within 1 year from end of financial year, in which application under section 264 is filed by assessee.

(x)     Fees of Rs. 500/- to be paid alongwith filing the application.

 

Assessee seeking CIT blessing under section 264 can not be surprised with revisionary order under section 263

Section 264 debars Commissioner from passing any order which is prejudicial to assessee and, therefore, once assessee approaches Commissioner for getting relief under section 264, Commissioner can not pass an order by invoking provisions of section 263.

 

Intimation under Section 143(1) is regarded as an order for the purpose of Section 264 and therefore an application under Section 264 is maintainable against such an intimation

The Delhi High Court in the case of Vijay Gupta had held that an intimation under Section 143(1) of the Act is regarded as an ‘order’ for the purpose of Section 264 of the Act. However, the Assessing Officer relying on the Supreme Court decision in the case of Rajesh Jhaveri Stock Brokers (P) Ltd. has been contending that an intimation under Section 143(1) of the Act could not be treated as an ‘order’. Therefore, no petition under Section 264 of the Act could be maintained against such ‘intimation’. The Delhi High Court permitted the taxpayer to rectify its tax return by virtue of revision powers under Section 264 of the Act against an intimation under Section 143(1) to claim benefit of lower tax rate on FTS by applying Most Favored Nation (MFN) clause under the tax treaty. - [Vijay Gupta v. CIT (2016) 386 ITR 643 : 238 Taxman 505 : 68 taxmann.com 131 (Del)]

 

Whether section 264 debars Commissioner from passing any order which is prejudicial to assessee and, therefore, once assessee approaches Commissioner for getting relief under section 264, Commissioner can not pass an order by invoking provisions of section 263 - Held, yes [Para 11] [In favour of assessee]

11. From the above, it is evident that under Section 264, the CIT can revise any order passed by any authority subordinate to him on his own motion or on the application made by the assessee. He can pass the order as he thinks fit not being an order prejudicial to the assessee. Thus, it is very clear that under Section 264, the CIT cannot pass any order which is prejudicial to the assessee. Now, in the case under appeal before us, it is evident that the assessee moved revision petition under Section 264 before the CIT, Central-II for quashing the penalty order. On the other hand, the CIT, Central-II initiated proceedings under Section 263 of the Income-tax Act and passed order thereon which was prejudicial to the interests of the assessee. That Section 264 of the Income-tax Act debars the CIT from passing any order which is prejudicial to the assessee. Therefore, in our opinion, when the CIT cannot pass the order prejudicial to the assessee under Section 264, once the assessee approached him for getting relief under Section 264, if he is allowed to pass order under Section 263 prejudicial to the assessee, it would make prohibition under Section 264 that the CIT cannot pass the order prejudicial to the assessee as nullity. Therefore, in our opinion, on the facts of the assessee's case, the order under Section 263 cannot be sustained. (Related Assessment years : 2005-06 & 2006-07) – [Vineet Sharma v. CIT (2014) 148 ITD 619 : 41 taxmann.com 141 (ITAT Delhi)]

 

Commissioner – Revision of other order – Set aside assessment – Power of Assessing Officer

Where the Commissioner exercising its revisional authority under section 264 of the Act, directed the Assessing Officer to adjudicate and examine a specific issues. However, the assessment was framed by the Assessing Officer on a higher income by assuming more powers than that of revisional authority. The action of the Assessing Officer was held patently illegal and without jurisdiction. (Related Assessment years : 1989-90 to 1999-2000) – [N. Seetharaman v. CIT (2008) 298 ITR 210 : 216 CTR 238 : 6 DTR 238 (Mad.)]

 

Order under section 264 cannot be prejudicial to the assessee

As per the provisions of Section 264(1), the order passed by the CIT under section 264, cannot be prejudicial to the assessee. An order by the CIT declining to interfere shall not be deemed to be an order prejudicial to the assessee, according to Explanation - 1 to Section 264.

 

Order passed by the CIT under section 264 should not be prejudicial to the assessee even indirectly

In this case, on a petition under section 264 by the assessee the CIT set aside the assessment, with a direction to make a fresh assessment. The Assessing Officer completed the fresh assessment without any change in total income and tax originally assessed. The Assessing Officer also initiated penalty proceedings under section 271(1)(c), though no such penalty proceedings were initiated in the original order of the Assessing Officer. The Tribunal held that order under section 264 of the CIT, had indirectly resulted in the levy of penalty under section 271(1)(c) and as such was prejudicial to the interest of the assessee. The cancellation of order under section 271(1)(c) was accordingly held to be justified. – [ACIT v.  M.V. Kenlucky (1997) 60 ITD 492 (ITAT Pune)]

 

Even an order passed in violation of principles of natural justice can be corrected under section 264

Even an order wherein the principles of natural justice have been ignored, can be corrected in exercise of revisional powers under section 264. (Related Assessment year : 1964-65) - [Mohammadi Begum v. CIT (1986) 158 ITR 622 (AP)]

 

CIT has the power under section 264 to issue directions to  Assessing Officer

Section 264 is not a provision of law dealing with the question of imposition of liability on the assessee. It is only a part of machinery section. It cannot be construed in a narrow manner. The CIT has the power under section 264, to issue directions to the Assessing Officer. (Related Assessment year : 1964-65) – [Mohammadi Begum v. CIT (1986) 158 ITR 622 (AP)]

 

New ground can be entertained by the CIT

The revisional powers conferred by Section 264 on the CIT are very wide. It is open to the CIT to entertain even a new ground, not urged before the lower authorities, while exercising revisional powers. – [C. Parikh & Co v. CIT (1982) 138 ITR 689 (All)]

 

A new claim for deduction made by the assessee in revision petition is to be examined on merits. (Related Assessment year : 1975-76)[Rashtriya Vikas Ltd. v. CIT 99 CTR 68(All)]

 

Assessee can file a revision petition against an addition erroneously accepted by him

The CIT cannot reject a petition for revision on the ground that the assessee itself had returned income which it claims in the revision petition as not its income. In such a situation the CIT is bound to apply his mind to the question whether the assessee is liable to be taxed in respect of that income. — [Pt. Sheonath Prasad Sharma v. CIT (1967) 66 ITR 647 (All)]

 

Even those orders which are not appealable before the Dy CIT(A) or CIT(A), may be referred by the assessee to the CIT for seeking revision or modification. – [Dwarka Nath v. ITO (1965) 57 ITR 349(SC)]

 

 

 

 

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