Bombay High Court
Group M Media India Private Limited vs Deputy Commissioner Of Income Tax ... on 18 December, 2023
Author: K.R. Shriram
Bench: K. R. Shriram, Neela Gokhale
2023:BHC-OS:15121-DB
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION
WRIT PETITION (L) NO.12786 OF 2023
Group M Media India Private Limited, )
a company incorporated in India, having )
registered office at 7th and 8th Floor, Wing A, )
The ORB Sahar, Village Marol, Andheri East, )
Mumbai - 400 099 )
PAN : AACCM7365H ) ....Petitioner
V/s.
1. Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, )
International Tax, Circle - 1(1)(2), Mumbai, )
having office at 5th Floor, Air India Building, )
Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021 )
2. Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, )
International Tax, Range 1(1), Mumbai, )
having office at 5th Floor, Air India Building, )
Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021 )
3. Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, )
International Tax - 1, Mumbai, having office )
at Air India Building, Nariman Point, )
Mumbai - 400 021 )
4. Assistant Director of Income Tax, )
Centralised Processing Centre, Bengaluru, )
Income Tax Department, Bengaluru - 560 )
500 )
5. The Central Board of Direct Taxes, )
Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, )
Government of India, North Block, New )
Delhi - 110 001 )
6. The Union of India, Through the Secretary, )
Ministry of Finance, Government of India, )
North Block, New Delhi - 110 001 ) ....Respondents
----
Mr. Dharan V. Gandhi a/w. Ms. Aanchal Vyas for petitioner.
Mr. Devvrat Singh for respondents - Revenue.
----
CORAM : K. R. SHRIRAM &
DR. NEELA GOKHALE, JJ.
DATED : 18th DECEMBER 2023
Gauri Gaekwad
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ORAL JUDGMENT (PER K.R. SHRIRAM, J.) :
1 Since pleadings have been completed, we decided to hear the
petition at the admission stage itself.
2 Therefore, Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith.
3 Petitioner has approached this Court alleging that there is
failure on the part of respondents to release the undisputed refund due and
determined by respondents themselves in the intimation/order issued under
Section 168(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (the Act) for Financial Year
2017-2018 corresponding to Assessment Year 2018-2019 despite reminders
sent and for a direction to respondents to refund an admitted amount of
Rs.4,23,60,940/- plus interest thereon.
4 Mr. Gandhi states that after the petition was filed, petitioner
received an amount of Rs.4,23,60,940/- towards refund on 21st August
2023 but no interest has been paid.
5 Mr. Singh appearing for respondents states that the question of
paying any interest does not arise because the Act does not provide for
payment of any interest in cases of this nature.
6 Petitioner has been availing specified services as defined in
clause (i) of Section 164 of the Finance Act, 2016 which came into force
with effect from 1st April 2016. Section 164 of the Finance Act, 2016
provides in clause (i), unless the context otherwise requires - "specified
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service" means online advertisement, any provision for digital advertising
space or any other facility or service for the purpose of online advertisement
and includes any other service as may be notified by the Central
Government on this behalf.
7 The equalisation levy under Chapter VIII of the Finance Act,
2016 came to be introduced due to exponential increase in digital economy,
which due to digital presence, without any physical presence in India posed
challenges in levy of tax under the Act. Due to absence of any physical
presence, the Act was unable to bring within the ambit of tax all such
transactions. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) has recommended, in Base Erosion and Profit
Shifting (BEPS) project under Action Plan 1, several options to tackle the
direct tax challenges, including levy of a final withholding tax on certain
payments for digital goods or services provided by a foreign e-commerce
provider or imposition of a equalisation levy on consideration for certain
digital transactions received by a non-resident from a resident or from a
non-resident having permanent establishment in other contracting state.
Accordingly, the Legislature introduced Equalisation Levy vide Finance Act,
2016. Some of the facets of such levy are as under :
(a) Equalisation Levy is a tax paid/deducted on specified
services availed at the rate of 6% of the amount of consideration paid for
such services as per Section 165 of the Act;
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(b) Specified service has been defined in Section 164(i) of the
Act to mean online advertisement, any provision for digital advertising
space or any other facility or service for the purpose of online advertisement
and includes any other service as may be notified by the Central
Government in this behalf;
(c) The charge of tax is on the recipient of the services and
such person has to deduct tax from the amount of consideration as per
Section 166 of the Act;
(d) Such tax is to be paid to the credit of the Central
Government by the seventh day of the month immediately following the
calendar month in which such amount is deducted;
(e) Assessee is required to furnish a statement under Section
167 of the Act to the Assessing Officer in such form, verified in such manner
and setting forth such particulars as may be prescribed, in respect of all
specified services during such financial year;
(f) Such statement furnished has to be processed under Section
168 of the Act, and after processing the sum payable or refundable shall be
determined and intimated to the assessee;
(g) Refund, if any, determined has to be granted with the
intimation;
(h) Similarly, there are provisions for rectification of mistakes,
appeal, penalty and prosecution.
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8 For Assessment Year 2018-2019, petitioner filed its statement
of specified income originally on 26th June 2018 disclosing total
consideration for specified services at Rs.3,99,41,76,889/- and equalisation
levy thereon at Rs.23,96,50,668/-. After declaring total levy paid of
Rs.23,96,50,670/-, refund of Rs.60/- was claimed which was later revised
to Rs.4,23,60,940/-.
9 Since 2022 emails were sent for processing payment of refund
which, for some inexplicable reasons, was never paid and as noted earlier,
was finally paid after this petition was filed. The issue that remains to be
decided in this petition is whether petitioner was entitled to interest on the
amount refunded.
10 As noted earlier, the stand of the Revenue is interest is not
provided for refund of amounts deposited under the equalisation levy and,
therefore, the question of payment of any interest does not arise.
Mr. Gandhi, at the outset, submitted that Section 170 of the Finance Act,
2016 provides for every assessee, who fails to credit the equalisation levy or
any part thereof as required under Section 166 to the account of the Central
Government within the period specified in that section, shall pay simple
interest at the rate of one percent of such levy for every month or part of a
month by which such crediting of the tax or any part thereof is delayed and,
therefore, if the assessee has paid the amount in excess of what was due
and liable to be paid should equally be compensated with interest.
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Mr. Gandhi relied upon the judgment of the Apex Court in Union of India
V/s. Tata Chemicals Ltd.1, Universal Cables Ltd. V/s. Commissioner of
Income Tax, Jabalpur2 and also Circular No.11/2016 dated 26 th April 2016
issued by CBDT accepting the view expressed by the Apex Court in Tata
Chemicals Ltd. (Supra) and an order passed by this Court in UPS Freight
Services India Pvt. Ltd. V/s. Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Central
Circle - 3(2)3.
11 In Tata Chemicals Ltd. (Supra) the issue that arose for
consideration was whether the Revenue is legally responsible under Section
244A of the Act for payment of interest on the refund of tax made to the
resident/deductor under Section 240 of the Act. In that case, the
resident/deductor had approached the Income Tax Officer under Section
195(2) of the Act requesting him to advise as to what percentage of tax
should be withheld from the amounts payable to the foreign company. The
Income Tax Officer directed the resident/deductor to deduct/withhold tax
at the rate of 20% before remitting any amounts to the foreign company.
Accordingly, resident/deductor deducted tax of Rs.1,98,878/- on the
amounts paid to the foreign company and credited the same in favour of
the Revenue. Subsequently, the Appellate Authority allowed the appeal filed
by resident/deductor and concluded that the reimbursement of expenses
was not a part of the income for deduction of tax at source under Section
1 (2014) 43 taxmann.com 240 (SC)
2 (2020) 113 taxmann.com 353 (SC)
3 Writ Petition (L) No.10314 of 2023 dated 28.08.2023
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195 of the Act and accordingly, directed the refund of the tax that was
deducted and paid over to the Revenue. After disposal of the appeal, the
resident/deductor claimed the refund with interest thereon as provided
under Section 244A(1) of the Act. The Assessing Officer declined the claim
and observed that Section 244A provides for interest only on refunds due to
the assessee under the Act and not to the deductor and since the refund in
the instant case is in view of two circulars issued by CBDT and not under
the statutory provisions of the Act, no interest would accrue. The Assessing
Officer, while granting refund of the tax paid, refused to entertain the claim
for interest. Appellant carried it to the Commissioner of Income Tax
(Appeals) [CIT(A)] and later to Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) and
the matter finally reached the Apex Court. The Apex Court, after
reproducing various provisions of the Act and recording the submissions of
the parties, decided the question whether the resident/deductor is also
entitled to interest on refund of excess deduction or erroneous deduction of
tax at source under Section 195 of the Act.
12 We must keep in mind that even in that case, the stand of the
Revenue was since there was no provision which provides for interest on
refund of excess deduction or erroneous deduction of tax at source under
Section 195 of the Act, no interest was payable. The same stand is taken
before us also.
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13 The Apex Court, in Tata Chemicals Ltd. (Supra), observed that
the Tribunal and the High Court granted interest on the amount of tax
deducted by the resident/deductor from the date of payment on the
grounds that the Revenue for having retained the sum by way of tax has to
compensate the person who had deposited the tax. The Court also held that
a tax refund is a refund of taxes when the tax liability is less than the tax
paid. The deductor/assessee having paid taxes pursuant to a special order
passed by the Assessing Officer/Income Tax Officer, when the amount is
refunded it should carry interest in the matter of course.
In the case before us also the deductor/assessee has paid taxes
pursuant to Section 165 of the Finance Act, 2016 and, therefore, when the
said amount is refunded it should carry interest in the matter of course.
The Apex Court went on to hold, as held by the Courts while
awarding interest, that it is a kind of compensation for use and retention of
the money collected unauthorizedly by the Department.
14 When the collection is illegal, there is corresponding obligation
on the revenue to refund such amount with interest in as much as they have
retained and enjoyed the money deposited.
15 In Tata Chemicals Ltd. (Supra) the Apex Court also held that
refund due and payable to the assessee is debt owed and payable by the
Revenue.
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The Government, there being no express statutory provision for
payment of interest on the refund of excess amount/tax collected by the
Revenue, cannot shrug off its apparent obligation to reimburse the
deductors lawful monies with the accrued interest for the period of undue
retention of such monies. The State having received the money without
right, and having retained and used it, is bound to make the party good,
just as an individual would be under like circumstances. The obligation to
refund money received and retained without right implies and carries with
it the right to interest. Whenever money has been received by a party which
ex ae quo et bono ought to be refunded, the right to interest follows, as a
matter of course. Paragraph 32 to 39 of Tata Chemicals Ltd. (Supra) read as
under :
32. The question before us is, whether the resident/deductor is
also entitled to interest on refund of excess deduction or
erroneous deduction of tax at source under Section 195 of the
Act.
33. We would begin our discussion by referring to circular No.
790, dated 20.04.2000, issued by the Board. Omitting what is
not necessary, the material portion of the circular is extracted :
"........
6. Refund to the person making payment under Section
195 is being allowed as income does not accrue to the
non-resident. The amount paid into the Government
account in such cases, is no longer 'tax'. In view of this, no
interest under section 244A is admissible on refunds to be
granted in accordance with this Circular or on the refunds
already granted in accordance with Circular No. 769."
34. What the deductor/ resident primarily contend is that, what
has been deposited by him is a tax, may be for and on behalf of
non-resident/ foreign company and when the beneficial circular
provides for refund of tax to the deductor under certain
circumstances, the refund of tax should carry interest.
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35. The circular issued by Central Board of Direct Taxes ("the
Board" for short) is binding on the department. Binding nature
of the circular is explained by this Court in the case of UCO
Bank v. CIT 237 ITR 889, wherein this Court has observed that
the circulars issued by the Board in exercise of its powers under
Section 119 of the Act would be binding on the income tax
authorities even if they deviate from the provisions of the Act, so
long as they seek to mitigate the rigour of a particular Section
for the benefit of the assessee. Therefore, we cannot be taking
exception to the reasoning and conclusion reached by the
authorities under the Act. However, the Tribunal and the High
Court, have granted interest on the amount of tax deposited by
the resident/ deductor from the date of payment on the ground,
firstly, the refund of tax is directed by the first appellate
authority in the appeal filed by the deductor/ resident under
Section 240 of the Act and secondly, the Revenue for having
retained the sum by way of tax has to compensate the person
who had deposited the tax.
36. Section 240 of the Act provides for refund of any amount
that becomes due to an assessee as a result of an order in appeal
or any other proceedings under the Act. The phrase "other
proceedings under the Act" is of wide amplitude. This Court has
observed, that, the other proceedings under the Act would
include orders passed under Section 154 (rectification
proceedings), orders passed by the High Court or Supreme
Court under Section 260 (in reference), or order passed by the
Commissioner in revision applications under Section 263 or in
an application under Section 273A.
37. A "tax refund" is a refund of taxes when the tax liability is
less than the tax paid. As per the old section an assessee was
entitled for payment of interest on the amount of taxes refunded
pursuant to an order passed under the Act, including the order
passed in an appeal. In the present fact scenario, the
deductor/assessee had paid taxes pursuant to a special order
passed by the assessing officer/Income Tax Officer. In the appeal
filed against the said order the assessee has succeeded and a
direction is issued by the appellate authority to refund the tax
paid. The amount paid by the resident/ deductor was retained
by the Government till a direction was issued by the appellate
authority to refund the same. When the said amount is refunded
it should carry interest in the matter of course. As held by the
Courts while awarding interest, it is a kind of compensation of
use and retention of the money collected unauthorizedly by the
Department. When the collection is illegal, there is
corresponding obligation on the revenue to refund such amount
with interest in as much as they have retained and enjoyed the
money deposited. Even the Department has understood the
object behind insertion of Section 244A, as that, an assessee is
entitled to payment of interest for money remaining with the
Government which would be refunded. There is no reason to
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restrict the same to an assessee only without extending the
similar benefit to a resident/ deductor who has deducted tax at
source and deposited the same before remitting the amount
payable to a non-resident/ foreign company.
38. Providing for payment of interest in case of refund of
amounts paid as tax or deemed tax or advance tax is a method
now statutorily adopted by fiscal legislation to ensure that the
aforesaid amount of tax which has been duly paid in prescribed
time and provisions in that behalf form part of the recovery
machinery provided in a taxing Statute. Refund due and payable
to the assessee is debt-owed and payable by the Revenue. The
Government, there being no express statutory provision for
payment of interest on the refund of excess amount/tax
collected by the Revenue, cannot shrug off its apparent
obligation to reimburse the deductors lawful monies with the
accrued interest for the period of undue retention of such
monies. The State having received the money without right, and
having retained and used it, is bound to make the party good,
just as an individual would be under like circumstances. The
obligation to refund money received and retained without right
implies and carries with it the right to interest. Whenever money
has been received by a party which ex ae quo et bono ought to
be refunded, the right to interest follows, as a matter of course.
39. In the present case, it is not in doubt that the payment of tax
made by resident/ depositor is in excess and the department
chooses to refund the excess payment of tax to the depositor. We
have held the interest requires to be paid on such refunds. The
catechize is from what date interest is payable, since the present
case does not fall either under clause (a) or (b) of Section 244A
of the Act. In the absence of an express provision as contained in
clause (a), it cannot be said that the interest is payable from the
1st of April of the assessment year. Simultaneously, since the
said payment is not made pursuant to a notice issued under
Section 156 of the Act, Explanation to clause (b) has no
application. In such cases, as the opening words of clause (b)
specifically referred to "as in any other case", the interest is
payable from the date of payment of tax. The sequel of our
discussion is the resident/deductor is entitled not only the
refund of tax deposited under Section 195(2) of the Act, but has
to be refunded with interest from the date of payment of such
tax.
16 In Universal Cables Ltd. (Supra), the Apex Court followed Tata
Chemicals Ltd. and held that there is no reason to deny payment of interest
to the deductor who had deducted tax at source and deposited the same
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with the Treasury. Paragraphs 2 to 4 of the said judgment read as under :
2. The limited issue that needs to be considered in the present
appeal is whether the appellant would be entitled to interest on
the amount refunded by the Department. The appellant relies
on the decision of this Court in the Union of India Vs. Tata
Chemicals Ltd. reported in (2014) 6 SCC 335, in particular,
paragraph 37 of the said decision. The same reads thus : -
"37. A "tax refund" is a refund of taxes when the tax
liability is less than the tax paid. As per the old section an
assessee was entitled for payment of interest on the
amount of taxes refunded pursuant to an order passed
under the Act, including the order passed in an appeal. In
the present fact scenario, the deductor/assessee had paid
taxes pursuant to a special order passed by the assessing
officer/Income Tax Officer. In the appeal filed against the
said order the assessee has succeeded and a direction is
issued by the appellate authority to refund the tax paid.
The amount paid by the resident/deductor was retained by
the Government till a direction was Signature Not Verified
issued by the appellate authority to refund the Digitally
signed by RAJNI MUKHI same. When the said amount is
refunded it should carry interest in the matter of course. As
held by the Courts while awarding interest, it is a kind of
compensation of use and retention of the money collected
unauthorizedly by the Department. When the collection is
illegal, there is corresponding obligation on the Revenue to
refund such amount with interest inasmuch as they have
retained and enjoyed the money deposited. Even the
Department has understood the object behind insertion of
Section 244-A, as that, an assessee is entitled to payment
of interest for money remaining with the Government
which would be refunded. There is no reason to restrict the
same to an assessee only without extending the similar
benefit to a resident/deductor who has deducted tax at
source and deposited the same before remitting the
amount payable to a non-resident/foreign company."
3. From the dictum in this judgment, it is clear that there is no
reason to deny payment of interest to the deductor who had
deducted tax at source and deposited the same with the
Treasury. In our opinion, this observation squarely applies to the
appellant.
4. As a result, we allow this appeal and direct the Department to
pay interest as prescribed under Section 244-A of the Income
Tax Act as applicable at the relevant time at the earliest.
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17 In UPS Freight Services India Pvt. Ltd. (Supra) also the stand
taken was the DTVSV Act does not provide for any interest on excess
amount under Section 244A of the Act. The Court, while rejecting the stand
of the Revenue, held that simple interest at 6% has to be paid which is the
rate prescribed under Section 244A of the Act. Paragraphs 6 to 9 of the said
order read as under :
6. Mr Bajpayee submits, relying upon the affidavit in reply, that
DTVSV Act does not provide for any interest on excess amount
under Section 244A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (the Act). In
response, Mr. Gandhi relies on the judgment of the Hon'ble
Delhi High Court in Mrs. Anjul v. Office of Principal
Commissioner of Income-tax to submit that the Hon'ble Delhi
High Court relying upon the judgment of the Hon'ble Apex
Court in Union of India v. Tata Chemicals Ltd. has held, State
having received the money without right and having retained
and used it, is bound to make the party good, just as an
individual would be under like circumstances. The obligation to
refund money received and retained without right implies and
carries with it the right to interest. Mr. Gandhi submits that in
that case, Petitioner was an individual and the Court granted
5% simple interest. In the case at hand, Petitioner is a corporate
entity, which has to borrow amount at very high rate of interest
for paying these amounts and, therefore, this Court should grant
at least the rate of interest which is provided for in Section 244A
of the Act.
7. It will be useful to reproduce paragraph 2 of the circular
11/2016 (F.No.279/MISC./M-140/2015-ITJ] dated 26.4.2016
that Mr Gandhi tendered. It reads as under:
"2. The issue of eligibility for interest on refund of excess
TDS to a tax deductor has been a subject matter of
controversy and litigation. The Hon'ble Supreme Court of
India in the case of Tata Chemicals Limited, Civil Appeal
No.6301 of 2011 vide order dated 26.2.2014, held that
"Refund due and payable to the assessee is debt-owed and
payable by the Revenue. The Government, there being no
2 [2014] 43 taxmann.com 240 Shivgan 403-oswpl-10314-
2023.doc express statutory provision for payment of
interest on the refund of excess amount/tax collected by
the Revenue, cannot shrug off its apparent obligation to
reimburse the deductors lawful monies with the accrued
interest for the period of undue retention of such monies.
The State having received the money without right, and
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having retained and used it, is bound to make the party
good, just as an individual would be under like
circumstances. The obligation to refund money received
and retained without right implies and carries with it the
right to interest. "
8. It will be apposite to re-produce paragraphs 37 and 38 of Tata
Chemicals Ltd. (Supra) and the same reads as under :
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
9. In the present case, it is not in doubt that Petitioner was
entitled to refund of Rs.62,81,983/- which ought to have been
processed and paid latest by 31st July 2021. The amount as
stated in the affidavit-in-reply has been paid only on 26th May
2023. Consequently, we are of the view that Petitioner is entitled
to interest on this amount of Rs.62,81,983/- from 1st August
2021 upto 26th May 2023 at the rate of 6% p.a. which is the
rate prescribed under Section 244A of the Act.
Since the Circular No.11 of 2016 relied upon by Mr. Gandhi has
already been reproduced in UPS Freight Services India Pvt. Ltd. (Supra), we
are not reproducing the same here again.
18 In the present case, it is not in doubt that petitioner was
entitled to refund of Rs.4,23,60,940/- because the amount has been paid
after the petition was filed. Since the excess amount has been paid over by
petitioer on various dates during Financial Year 2017-2018, in our view, the
refund ought to have been processed and paid latest by 31 st July 2018. The
interest, therefore, of course, will become payable from 1 st April 2018 if we
apply the principles prescribed in Section 244A of the Act. The amount, as
noted earlier, has been paid only on 21 st August 2023. Consequently, we are
of the view that petitioner is entitled to interest on this amount of
Rs.4,23,60,940/- from 1st April 2018 upto 21st August 2023 at the rate of
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6% p.a. which is the rate prescribed under Section 244A of the Act.
19 Mr. Gandhi is pressing for costs. Since we have awarded simple
interest at 6%, we are not granting any cost in this case.
20 Rule made absolute.
21 This order shall be given effect to and the interest shall be paid
over on or before 15th February 2024. If not paid, with effect from
16th February 2024, the rate of interest payable will be at 9% p.a. until the
date of payment.
This will be in addition to other proceedings to hold the
department and concerned officers to be in willful disobedience of the
orders passed by this Court. The difference of 3% (9% - 6%) will be
recovered from the Officer who will be responsible to have the interest
paid.
(DR. NEELA GOKHALE, J.) (K. R. SHRIRAM, J.)
Signed by: Gauri A. Gaekwad
Gauri Gaekwad
Designation: PS To Honourable Judge
Date: 21/12/2023 15:52:34
