Case Law (HC) -- Exemption u/s 11(1) and (2) cannot be denied on only on the ground that audit report was not filed along with return if same was filed at a later stage and was available with AO when he processed return u/s 143(1), the requirement of law was satisfied.
Association of Indian Panel board Manufacturer v. DCIT [2023:GUJHC:27028-DB)]
"5.6 The tribunal further committed an error in appreciating the import of Section 119 2(b) of the Act inasmuch as the application contemplated thereunder is only additional remedy for the assessee which could not be said to be compulsorily resorted to by the assessee. The circular No.7/18 dated 20.12.2018 issued under Section 119 of the Act could not be, therefore said to have taken away the appellate remedy.
5.7 The tribunal misdirected
itself in yet another way when it observed that The Finance Act, 2015 with
effect from 1.4.2016, that is from assessment year 2016-17 changed the legal
position. There is no such change which could be said to have altered the legal
position. The only change is with regard to compulsory filing of audit report
in Form 10B in electronically form which is made mandatory under Rule 12 (2) of
the Income Tax Rules, 1962 but there is no change with regard to the
substantive law about filing of audit report as stated above.
6. The moot aspect thus
centres around to the requirement of the availability of the audit report when
the assessment was undertaken by the Assessing Officer even though the same may
not have been filed along with the return of income. Filing of audit report is
held to be substantive requirement but not the mode and stage of filing, which
is procedural. Once the audit report in Form 12B is filed to be available with
the Assessing Officer, before assessment proceedings take place, the
requirement of law is satisfied. In that view, the Income Tax Tribunal was not
justified in dismissing the appeal of the assessee.
6.1 The appellant assessee has
to be held to be eligible and entitled to exemptions under Section 11(1) and
11(2) of the Act and the alleged ground of non-filing of audit report alongwith
return of income which was at the best procedural omission, could never to an
impediment in law in claiming the exemption."
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