Case: Commissioner of Income Tax Vs. Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company Limited

It was held by this court that it was an expenditure deductible under section 10(2)(xv) of the Income-tax Act. It was held that the transaction of acquisition of the asset was closely related to the commencement and carrying on of the assessees business and, therefore, interest paid on the unpaid balance of the consideration for the assets acquired had, in the normal course, to be regarded as expenditure for the purpose of the business which was carried on in the accounting periods. In the course of the judgment, this court referred to the earlier decision of this courtin State of Madras v. G. J. Coelho, wherein it was held that the interest on the amount borrowed for acquiring a capital asset is deductible as revenue expenditure. It is true, that in the said decision, this court reaffirmed the well-established principle that any expenditure laid out for acquiring an asset of a permanent character would be capital expenditure, held at the same time that inasmuch as the acquisition of the other company was in the course of carrying on of the assessees business, the interest paid thereon was deductible under section 10(2)(xv) of the Act. In this case too, the Tribunal has recorded a finding that the acquisition of Nawrosjee Wadia Ginning and Pressing Company was necessary for the smooth and efficient conduct of the assessees business. Following the ratio of the aforementioned decisions of the court, we hold that the expenditure incurred towards professional charges of the solicitors firm for the services rendered in connection with the said amalgamation was in the course of carrying on of the assessees business and, therefore, deductible as a revenue expenditure. In this view of the matter, it is not necessary for us to deal with the other decisions cited before us on this questionNow, coming to the second question, the finding of the Tribunal is that the amount of Rs. 2, 25, 000 was contributed by the assessee to the Maharashtra Housing Board towards construction of tenements for the companys workers. It was contended by the assessee that the said expenditure was incurred wholly and exclusively on the welfare of the employees and, therefore, constitutes legitimate business expenditure. The Income-tax Officer and the Appellate Assistant Commissioner rejected the plea, The Tribunal, however, upheld the assessees contention holding that the expenditure in question brought into existence no capital asset to the assessee-company as the tenements remained the property and the assets of the Housing Board. The assessee-company acquired no ownership rights in the said tenements, it held. The Tribunal found further that there was no obligation on the assessee-company to provide its workers tenements constructed by the Housing Board and that the benefit of better and cheaper housing in this case obtained by the industrial workers of the assessee-company did not constitute a direct benefit of an enduring nature to the assessee. The expenditure, it observed, was incurred merely with a view to carry on the business of the assessee-company more efficiently by having a contented labour force. 3. Dr. V. Gaurishankar, learned counsel for the Revenue, places strong reliance upon the decision of this court in Travancore-Cochin Chemicals Ltd. v. CIT. The facts of the case are the following : The assessee-company was receiving and despatching material required for its purposes through trucks. The approach road to its premises was not a pucca road and was causing difficulties and inconvenience on several occasions. Along with three other public undertakings, the assessee approached the Kerala Government for laying a new road to that area. While the Government bore the cost of acquisition of land and part of the cost of construction of the road, the remaining cost was met by four companies including the assessee. The question was whether the said expenditure is allowable as a revenue expenditure. This court held that by having the new road constructed for the improvement of transport facilities, the appellant had acquired an enduring advantage for its business and, therefore, the expenditure incurred by the assessee was of a capital nature. Dr. Gauri Shankar says the principle of the said decision is equally applicable herein inasmuch as provision for better housing to the assessees workers was ultimately a benefit and an enduring benefit to the assessee. On the other hand, learned counsel for the assessee brought to our notice a later decision of this court in L. H. Sugar Factory and Oil Mills (P.) Ltd. v. CIT where, after discussing the facts and the principle of the decision in Travancore-Cochin Chemicals case (SC), it has been held that the ratio of the said decision must be confined to the peculiar facts of that case alone for reasons assigned in that behalf. The decision in L. H. Sugar Factory and Oil Mills case was also a case where certain expenditure was incurred towards part of the cost of construction of the roads in the area around the factory and it was held that it was a business expenditure. Our attention is also invited to an order of this court in CIT v. T. V. Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Pvt. Ltd., wherein it has been held that the amount advanced by the assessee for construction of houses under a subsidised industrial scheme for its employees is in the nature of a revenue expenditure. In this case too, the amount was advanced to the Government which purchased the land in its own name and the buildings constructed thereon became the property of the Government and not of the assessee. Having regard to the facts of the appeals before us and in the light of the findings recorded by the Tribunal, we think that the principle of L. H. Sugar Factory and Oil Mills case (SC) and CIT v. T. V. Sundaram Iyengar and Sons P. Ltd. (SC) is more appropriate than the principles in Travancore-Cochin Chemicals case (SC)We are, therefore, of the opinion that the High Court was justified in rejecting the application under section 256(2) of the Income-tax Act. 4.

Decision (1 = appeal accepted, 0 = rejected): 0

Explanation:
0[ds]Our attention is also invited to an order of this court in CIT v. T. V. Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Pvt. Ltd., wherein it has been held that the amount advanced by the assessee for construction of houses under a subsidised industrial scheme for its employees is in the nature of a revenue expenditure. In this case too, the amount was advanced to the Government which purchased the land in its own name and the buildings constructed thereon became the property of the Government and not of the assessee. Having regard to the facts of the appeals before us and in the light of the findings recorded by the Tribunal, we think that the principle of L. H. Sugar Factory and Oil Mills case (SC) and CIT v. T. V. Sundaram Iyengar and Sons P. Ltd. (SC) is more appropriate than the principles in Travancore-Cochin Chemicals casee are, therefore, of the opinion that the High Court was justified in rejecting the application under section 256(2) of the Income-tax Act.