Commissioner of Income Tax vs Best and Company (P.) Ltd.

Thanikkachalam, J.—At the instance of the Department, in accordance with the directions given by this court, u/s 256(2) of the Income Tax

Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as ""the Act""), the Tribunal referred the following questions for our opinion :

1967-68 :

Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the cases, the Appellate Tribunal was right in holding that for the purpose of computing the

profits of the priority industry u/s 80E of the Act, both the bonus and the commission paid to the directors of the assess-company should not be

excluded ?

1968-79 and 1969-70 :

Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Appellate Tribunal was right in holding that for the purpose of computing the

profits of the priority industry u/s 80-I of the Act both the bonus and the commission paid to the directors of the assessee-company should not be

excluded ?

The reference applications relate to the assessment years 1967-68 to 1969-70. The assessee-company has several manufacturing activities. The

assessee has claimed for the assessment year 1967-68 deduction of Rs. 1,82,469 being eight per cent. on the assessable profits from the dynamo

and starter motor factory (priority industry) as worked out at Rs. 22,80,858. In working out the profits, the assessee has not taken into account

the proportionate bonus and commission payable to the directors relatable to this factory. After deducting bonus and commission to the directors

at Rs. 2,30,020 and depreciation of Rs. 7,931, the net profit arrived at by the Income Tax Officer was Rs. 20,42,907. The Income Tax Officer

allowed deduction of Rs. 1,63,432 being eight per cent. on the net profit of Rs. 20,42,907 u/s 80E of the Act instead of Rs. 1,82,469 claimed.

So also for the assessment year 1968-69, the assessee has claimed deduction u/s 80-I of the Act out of the profits derived from the priority

industry. The profits from the above-said factory were worked out by the assessee at Rs. 4,44,205. After deducting the bonus payment of Rs.

1,03,403, commission of Rs. 5,875 and depreciation of Rs. 4,850, the net profit was arrived at Rs. 3,30,077. The Income Tax Officer allowed

deduction of eight per cent. thereon amounting to Rs. 26,406. This was allowed against Rs. 35,536 claimed by the assessee.

Thus the Income Tax Officer in computing the relief u/s 80E and section 80-I of the Act deducted the figure of bonus and commission payable

to the directors and also the depreciation for the purpose of arriving at the net assessable profits. According to the assessee, deduction of eight per

cent. should be given from the profits before deduction bonus, commission paid to the directors and also the depreciation. However, this was not

accepted by the Income Tax Officer.

On appeal, for both the assessment year under consideration, the Appellate Assistant Commissioner held that the deduction is not to be

calculated at eight per cent. of the income, but it should be calculated at eight per cent. of the profits and gains of the business. Section 80E of the

Act does not permit the profits attributable to the priority industry being reduced to a portion of an amount paid to the directors. He, therefore,

directed that the deduction u/s 80E of the Act for the assessment year 1967-68 and u/s 80-I of the Act for the assessment year 1968-69 should

be granted without taking into account the proportionate bonus and commission payable to the directors.

On appeal, before the Tribunal the Revenue contended that bonus, commission and depreciation should be excluded for the purpose of

calculating the relief u/s 80E/section 80I of the Act. However, the Tribunal held that the Appellate Assistant Commissioner was correct in stating

that the relief u/s 80E/section 80-I should be granted without taking into account the proportionate bonus and commission payable to the directors.

In other words, the Tribunal held that the bonus and commission paid to the directors should not be included in the profits for the purpose of

calculating the relief u/s 80E/section 80-I of the Act. The Tribunal held that the position with regard to the depreciation is different since this is

referable to the machinery, etc., utilised in the new industrial undertaking. Accordingly, in working out the profits of the new industrial undertaking

depreciation referable to that undertaking has to be deducted. In view of the matter, the order passed by the Appellate Assistant Commissioner

was modified to that extent.

Learned standing counsel for the Revenue submitted as under :

The relief is available to the income of a priority industry. There is no distinction for this purpose between the income or profits and gains. Under

the Act no such distinction can be made. All the expenses directly relatable to the new industrial undertaking have to be deducted before the

income or the profits or gains of that industrial undertaking can be worked out since the relief is not given on receipts, etc. Such income has to be

worked out as per section 28 of the Act, which means that proportionate expenses such as bonus, commission, depreciation, etc., have to be

allowed. Income, profits and gains which have the same meaning under the Act cannot be said to have different meanings when applied to section

80E of the Act. Learned standing counsel pointed out that the Tribunal was not correct in holding that the profits earned by the new industrial

undertaking may not depend entirely on the capital employed, work done or expenditure incurred in connection with the undertaking. Learned

standing counsel further pointer out that the Tribunal was not justified in stating that to a very large extent the goods manufactured by the new

industrial undertaking might have been purchased only because it goes with the goodwill of the company of which the new industrial undertaking is

a part. The Tribunal was not correct in stating that the entire company was looked after by several directors, and therefore, the profits earned by

the priority industrial unit alone cannot be attributable to a particular director. Learned standing counsel pointed out that simply because the new

industrial unit has made profits, it cannot be said that commission on proportionate basis should be considered as earned by the director from that

unit. It was, therefore, submitted that the Tribunal was not correct in holding that relief u/s 80E/section 80I of the Act should be granted before

deducting commission and bonus payable to the director from the profit earned by the new industrial undertaking.

On the other hand, learned counsel for the assessee-company submitted as under :

For the purpose of working out the profit, if at all any deduction can be made, that should be a payment before the profit is earned. Chapter VI-A

of the Act does not deal with a deduction of expenditure but with reliefs. Bonus is a payment after the income or profits is made and business has

been completely done. It cannot have any bearing on the business results of any particular undertaking not to mention the new undertaking.

Commission is paid to a director at a particular percentage on the working of the entire company and on the entire results of the company.

Therefore, it is not correct to state that the new industrial undertaking has in any way contributed to the success of the assessee-company on a

proportionate basis. Hence, according to learned counsel, both the commission and the bonus formed concepts outside to the working of the

undertaking and, therefore, they should be excluded.

We have heard the rival submissions. The point that arises for consideration in these references is whether the assessee is entitled to claim eight

per cent. deduction before deducting commission and bonus payable to one of its directors or after deducting commission and bonus payable to

the director from the profits earned by the new industrial undertaking.

After the enactment of the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, bonus paid to an employee is part of his salary or wages. Payment of bonus is no

longer considered as a share of profits or gift or bounty given by an employer at his sweet will and pleasure. The employee by reason of his

contribution or participation in the business of the employer is considered to be entitled to payment of the same though the exact amount payable

depends on various circumstances. (See Commissioner of Income Tax Vs. India Radiators Ltd., ).

So also in Gestetner Duplicators Pvt. Ltd. Vs. Commissioner of Income Tax, West Bengal, , the Supreme Court held that : ""the commission

paid by the assessee to its salesmen would clearly fall within the expression ''salary'' as defined in rule 2(h) of Part A of the Fourth Schedule to the

Act, and, therefore, that would be taxable u/s 36(1)(iv) of the Act"".

The Supreme Court while considering the provisions of section 80E of the Act in the case of Cambay Electric Supply Industrial Co. Ltd. Vs.

The Commissioner of Income Tax, Gujarat-II, Ahmedabad, held as under (at page 91) :

On reading sub-section (1) of section 80E, it will become clear that three important steps are required to be taken before the special deduction

permissible thereunder is allowed and the net total income exigible to tax is determined. First, compute the total income of the concerned assessee

in accordance with the other provisions of the Act, i.e., in accordance with all the provisions except section 80E; secondly, ascertain what part of

the total income so computed represents the profits and gains attributable to the business of the specified industry (here generation and distribution

of electricity); and, thirdly, if there be profits and gains so attributable, deduct eight per cent thereof from such profits and gains and then arrive at

the net total income exigible to tax.

The above decision was followed by the Supreme Court while considering the provisions of section 80M of the Act in the case of Distributors

(Baroda) Pvt. Ltd. Vs. Union of India (UOI) and Others, .

Learned counsel appearing for the assessee relied upon the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Commissioner of Income Tax

(Central), Madras Vs. Canara Workshops (P) Ltd., Kodialball, Mangalore, . In that case, the question that arose before the Supreme Court was

whether in the application of section 80E of the Act, the profits and gains earned by one priority industry can be reduced by the loss suffered by

any other industry or industries owned by the assessee. The Supreme Court held that : ""each industry must be considered on its own working only,

when adjudging its title to the deduction u/s 80E. It cannot be allowed to suffer because it keeps company with some other industry in the hands of

the assessee. It makes no difference that the other industry is also a priority industry."" Therefore, this decision would not render any assistance to

learned counsel appearing for the assessee to contend that eight per cent. deduction should be given before deducting the payment of bonus and

commission payable to the director.

Learned counsel for the assessee relied upon another decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the case of Commissioner of Income

Tax Vs. Patiala Flour Mills Co. P. Ltd., . In that case while considering the relief u/s 80J of the Act, the said High Court pointed out that while

calculating the gross income the benefits permissible under sections 33(1)(c) and 33(2) of the Act are to be allowed and only then the figure

regarding gross total income will be arrived at. It is on this figure that the deduction in respect of profits and gains from a newly established

industrial undertaking are to be allowed. If the deductions permissible, like depreciation or development rebate, have already been adjusted against

the profits or income from other business concerns, the said development rebate cannot again be adjusted against the income from the newly

established industrial undertaking.

According to the facts arising in the aforesaid case, the assessee which owned two flour mills started a cold storage unit in the previous year

relevant to the assessment year 1967-68. For the assessment year 1971-72, the total income of the assessment was computed at Rs. 10,60,240

after deduction of development rebate of Rs. 41,174 in respect of the cold storage unit. The profit attributable to the unit was Rs. 47,027, and

there was a deficiency for purposes of section 80J of Rs. 1,09,329 for that year. The assessee claimed that the deduction u/s 80J should be

allowed before considering the deficiency of earlier assessment years. It also contended that since the Income Tax Officer himself, while computing

its total income at Rs. 10,60,240, had worked out the gross total income by allowing a deduction of development rebate in respect of the unit, the

same amount should not be reduced while working out the profit from the industrial undertaking for the purpose of the relief u/s 80J. It is on these

facts that the Punjab and Haryana High Court held as above. Therefore, his decision would not be applicable to the facts of the present case.

Sub-section (1) of section 80E of the Act contemplates three steps being taken for computing the special deduction permissible thereunder and

arriving at the net income exigible to tax and the first two steps read together contain the legislative mandate as to how the total income of which

the profits and gains attributable to the business of the specified industry form a part of the concerned assessee is to be computed and according to

the parenthetical clause, which contains the key words, the same is to be computed in accordance with the provisions of the Act except section

80E and since in this case it is income from business the same will have to be computed in accordance with sections 30 to 43A which would

include section 32(2). In other words, in computing the total income, the concerned assessable items of commission and bonus paid to the director

of the new industrial undertaking will have to be deducted before arriving at the figure that will become exigible to the deduction of eight per cent.

contemplated by section 80E(1). In sub-section (1) of section 80E the expression ""total income"" is followed by the words ""as computed in

accordance with the other provisions of this Act"" in parenthesis and the mandate of these words clearly negatives the argument that the expression

total income"" has been used in the sense of commercial profits. Secondly, the expression ""total income"" has been defined in section 2(45) of the

Act as meaning ""the total amount of income referred to in section 5, computed in the manner laid down in this Act"" and when this definition has

been furnished by the Act itself the expression as appearing in section 80E(1) must, in the absence of anything in the context suggesting to the

contrary, be construed in accordance with such definition. Since the words in parenthesis occurring in sub-section (1) of section 80E lay down the

manner in which the total income of the concerned assessee is to be computed, there would be no scope for excluding items like commission and

bonus while computing the total income as contemplated u/s 80E, sub-section (1) of the Act.

Learned counsel for the assessee lastly relied on a decision in the case of Commissioner of Income Tax, Mysore Vs. Balanoor Tea and

Rubber Co. Ltd., . This decision was considered by the Supreme Court in the decision in the case of Cambay Electric Supply Industrial Co. Ltd.

Vs. The Commissioner of Income Tax, Gujarat-II, Ahmedabad, , wherein the Supreme Court held as under (at page 98) :

Reference was also made by counsel for the assessee to the decisions of the Mysore High Court in the case of Commissioner of Income Tax,

Mysore Vs. Balanoor Tea and Rubber Co. Ltd., . In our view that decision has nothing whatever to do with the question posed before us. In that

case the question was whether the loss incurred by an assessee in non-priority business could be set off against the profits and gains made by the

assessee in the priority business while computing the eight per cent. deduction u/s 80E and the High Court upheld the Tribunal''s view that, for the

purpose of allowing a deduction u/s 80E, the words ''such profits'' occurring in that section mean ''the profits and gains attributable to an activity as

specified in the Fifth Schedule of the Act'' and, therefore, the deduction was required to be worked out without reference to the loss incurred in

non-priority business. The decision was rendered on the language of section 80E(1), but it cannot avail the assessee on the point raised in the

appeal.

The requirement of section 80E of the Act are : (i) determination of the profits attributable to the priority industry, (ii) a sum calculated at eight

per cent, from such profits is liable to be deducted in arriving at the total income of the assessee. The deduction is not calculated at eight per cent.

of the income, but it is calculated at eight per cent. of the profits and gains of the business. According to the assessee, eight per cent. deduction

should be given on profits earned by the new industrial undertaking before deducting the amounts paid by way of bonus and commission to its

directors. The section had to be so constructed as to effectuate the object of the Legislature. The manner in which the benefits are contemplated

u/s 80E of the Act is clearly chalked out in the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Cambay Electric Supply Industrial Co. Ltd. Vs. The

Commissioner of Income Tax, Gujarat-II, Ahmedabad, . This decision was relied on by the Supreme Court in the subsequent decision rendered in

the case of Distributors (Baroda) Pvt. Ltd. Vs. Union of India (UOI) and Others, . The above two decisions were referred to in the subsequent

decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Commissioner of Income Tax (Central), Madras Vs. Canara Workshops (P) Ltd., Kodialball,

Mangalore, . In the above-said three decisions of the Supreme Court, it was clearly held that the benefit u/s 80E is exigible on the net profits of the

new industrial undertaking and not on the gross profit. That is in the present case the benefit u/s 80E of the Act is available only after deduction of

bonus and commission payable to the director. The reasons given by the Tribunal in order to support its view are totally outside the purview of

what is stated in section 80E of the Act. Since the reasons given by the Tribunal are extraneous to the provisions contained in section 80E of the

Act, we are unable to agree with the conclusion arrived at by the Tribunal that the benefits u/s 80E of the Act would be available on the profit of

the new industrial undertaking before deduction of the bonus and commission payments made to its directors. Accordingly, we answer the

questions referred to us for the assessment years 1967-68 and 1968-69 in the negative and in favour of the Revenue. The question referred to us

for the assessment year 1969-70 does not arise out of the order of the Tribunal. Therefore, we are not answering the same. No costs. Counsel''s

fee is fixed at Rs. 1,000.