HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT

Tax Appeal Nos. 519 TO 531, 551, 552 and 555 of 2013

M.R. Shah AND MS. SONIA GOKANI, JJ.

M.R. Bhatt and Mrs. Mauna M. Bhatt for the Appellant.
B.S. Soparkar for the Respondent.

Ms. Sonia Gokani, J. - These appeals are preferred by the Revenue challenging the order of the Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal, Ahmedabad (hereinafter referred to as 'the Tribunal') dated November 16, 2012.

2. Since all these appeals raise identical question of law, they are being decided by this common order and the facts wherever necessary for adjudication of these appeals shall be drawn from Tax Appeal No.551 of 2013.

3. A survey was conducted under section 133(A) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act') at the premises of the respondent-Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'the ONGC') at Vadodara and Ankleshwar. On examination of salary slips of employees of the respondent-assessee, it was noticed that the respondent-assessee was paying substantial amount in terms of money in the name of Conveyance Maintenance Reimbursement Expenditure (hereinafter referred to as 'the CMRE'), which was not reflected in Form No.16 nor was any value of the same reflected in Form No.12BA (perquisite form) forming part of Form No.16. It was noticed during the course of verification that the respondent-assessee paid uniform allowance and while computing the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) from the payment of salary of its employees, the amount attributable to the payment of this allowance/ perquisite was not considered. It was noticed by the Assessing Officer that the payment of CMRE was done on monthly basis along with the salary and the quantum of such CMRE ranged from Rs.4455/- per month to Rs. 18,330/-per month, based on the class of the employee.

3.1 This was treated as the additional salary in the form of allowance by the Assessing Officer within the meaning of provision of section 17(1)(iv) of the Act and was held liable to be taxed as salary income. The respondent-assessee did not deduct TDS from the payment of this amount. The respondent-assessee was treated as an assessee in default under section 201(1)/ 201(1A) of the Act and the order was passed raising a huge demand in respect of CMRE.

3.2 Aggrieved by such order of the Assessing Officer, the respondent-assessee preferred an appeal before the Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals), Vadodara and the CIT (Appeals) decided the said issue in favour of the respondent-assessee.

3.3 Aggrieved by the same, the Revenue challenged the decision of the CIT (Appeals) before the Tribunal, which confirmed the order of the CIT (Appeals) in respect of the aforementioned issue and, therefore, aggrieved by this decision of the Tribunal, the present set of appeals have been preferred for different assessment years raising the following substantial question of law for our consideration :

"(B) Whether the Appellate Tribunal has substantially erred in holding that the payment of conveyance maintenance reimbursement expenditure (CMRE), to the employees by the assessee is liable for fringe benefit tax (FBT) and by holding so, it overlooked the fact that the payment of CMRE was nothing but additional salary paid in the form of an allowance within the meaning of section 17(1)(iv) attracting the TDS provisions of sec. 192 of the I.T. Act ?"

4. We have heard Mr. M.R. Bhatt, learned Senior Counsel appearing with the learned advocate Mrs. M.M. Bhatt for the Revenue, who has fervently argued and urged that mere payment of Fringe Benefit Tax (hereinafter referred to as 'the FBT') by the respondent-assessee would not absolve the respondent-assessee of deducting the TDS, if the amount paid to the employees fall under section 17(1)(iv) of the Act. It is abundantly clear that the manner in which the scheme of CMRE is worked out, it is an additional amount which is a part of salary and not the perquisite. He further urged that the Tribunal has not discussed anything as to whether this would fall under the salary or a perquisite and straightway endorsed the decision of the CIT (Appeals), which is like abdicating one's authority and thereby, prayed for quashing and setting aside the impugned orders.

5. Per contra, Mr. S.N. Soparkar, learned Senior Counsel appearing with the learned advocate Mr. B.S. Soparkar for the respondent-assessee, fervently argued and urged that the issue is covered by the decision of this Court in the case of CIT v. Oil & Natural Gas Corpn. Ltd. [2002] 254 ITR 121/125 Taxman 698, whereby it is held that the FBT is an additional angle which would not preclude this Court from considering the fact that the issue is already covered by the decision of this Court. He has also urged that the only question this Court needs to examine is whether they are taxable receipts as it is not the question of payment of tax by the assessee, but deducting the TDS. Again, the FBT once already paid, the assessment in that respect when already admitted, there is no question of either attracting any penalty or any default or wilful default on the part of the respondent-assessee. He further urged that such allowance clearly falls under the perquisite and can, in no manner be said to be a part of salary under section 17(1)(iv) of the Act; and when both the CIT (Appeals) and the Tribunal have held in favour of the respondent-assessee, no interference is required by this Court. Mr. Soparkar has also relied upon the decision rendered in the case of CIT v. Larsen & Toubro Ltd. [2009] 313 ITR 1/181 Taxman 71 (SC), wherein it is held that no evidence is to be collected by the employer for deciding individually the claim of every employee in absence of any such requirement.

6. Upon thus hearing both the sides and on close examination of materials on record as also considering the case laws on the subject, for the reasons to follow hereinafter on the sole issue raised by the Revenue, we are of the opinion that the Tax Appeals deserve no entertainment :

6.1 The order dated October 24, 2008 of the respondent-ONGC in respect of the scheme of CMRE, concerning the amount of money payable to the employees, depending upon their status/ designation is as follows :

"Sub : Revision of rates of Conveyance Maintenance Reimbursement Expenditure (CMRE)

In super session to this Office Order of even No. dated 18.9.2008, the issue regarding revision of rates of conveyance maintenance reimbursement expenditure (CMRE) was further discussed in 336th meeting held on 22.10.2008 at New Delhi. It has been decided with the approval by EC to revise the existing rates of conveyance maintenance reimbursement expenditure (CMRE) for E01/SI & E1/S11 level employees drawing basic pay from Rs.12,000/- to Rs. 14,249/- and E-3/E-4 level executives as under :

This includes reimbursement of Rs. 6000/- p.m. towards subsidy, subject to self clarification by the concerned officer that he was not availing the facility of staff car.

2. In addition to above rates of CMRE, employees (Executives/ Non-executives) shall be paid Transport Allowance as provided in Office Order (11/2006) No.18(7)/2005-CMRE/CP dated 13.2.2006, at following rates, as is being paid at present :

3. Other terms and conditions of Conveyance Maintenance Reimbursement Expenditure (CMRE), scheme shall remain unchanged.

4. This order shall be effective from 01.09.2008."

6.2 The employer respondent-ONGC paid the CMRE allowance to all its employees as per their status and designation and treated the same as non-taxable income. The FBT also has been paid on these allowances by the respondent-assessee. The Assessing Officer noted that the TDS provisions are attracted inasmuch as the amount is a part of salary income and mere payment of FBT on CMRE would not extinguish the liability of the respondent-assessee of deducting the TDS. When the judgment of this Court rendered in the case of the very respondent-assessee was shown to the Assessing Officer, he was of the opinion that it has lost its relevance as the CMRE has been treated as perquisite by the respondent-assessee.

6.3 The CIT (Appeals) has held that the CMRE was granted to the employees towards running and maintenance expenditure of their personal vehicles for using such vehicles for official work and the same has been paid as per the ceiling prescribed for different employee grades and on the basis of a declaration made by the employee every month in respect of expenditure incurred in the declaration for running and maintenance of the vehicle for official work. On the basis of such declaration, the CMRE at fixed rates has been paid.

6.4 The Tribunal also took into account the FBT under clauses (F) and (H) of section 115WB(2) of the Act and held that the decision of the Gujarat High Court rendered in the case of Oil & Natural Gas Corpn. Ltd. (supra) would cover the issue in favour of the respondent-assessee. The Tribunal was of the opinion that the CIT (Appeals) correctly appreciated the issue. It has held thus :

"18. We have considered the rival submissions and perused the material on record and gone through the orders of authorities below. We find that this issue was decided by Ld.CIT (A) as per para-3.3 of his order, which is reproduced:

3.3 I have considered the submission of the learned Authorized Representative, Remand Report of learned ACIT and reply of remand report of authorized representative and further considering the arguments of both the appellant and respondent and facts of the case. It is seen that the Conveyance Maintenance Reimbursement (CMRE) scheme was introduced in ONGC to reimburse to employees the expenditure incurred by them on maintenance and use of their own vehicles in the performance of official duties and thereby reduce pressure on ONGC vehicles and maintenance cost thereof thus saving a portion of expenditure, which otherwise could have been borne by the appellant. The CMRE is not blanket payment, but the reimbursement is for the actual amount incurred in maintaining and running the vehicle restricted to maximum amounts per month fixed by ONGC, taking various parameters into account. Each employee is required to submit his claim on monthly basis for reimbursable running & maintenance expenditure incurred in the preceding month, in the prescribed form. The claims are submitted by employee on line by making necessary entries in the appellant's computerized system. It is also not true that all employees automatically become eligible for receiving CMRE payments. Rather, CMRE is allowed only to those employees in respect of whom permission is granted by a competent authority to, do so after applications are made by the employee's controlling officers, on a through scrutiny. In addition, employees are also allowed reimbursement once every year towards the cost of insurance incurred by them on the vehicles for which they have been allowed to claim CMRE. This reimbursement is allowed on production of receipt for payment of insurance premium and copy of insurance policy/ cover note etc., Restrictions on payments when employees were on leave or absent from duties for more than 30 days and 60 days reveal that the contention of the AO that even when the vehicles were not used, the CMRE was paid falls flat. There is a considerable merit in the submissions of the appellant that when the employees are on onshore duty for longer periods, then expenses like insurance, maintenance expenses etc., are necessary to be reimbursed to employees coming under the scheme is acceptable. Even though may checks and balances were in vogue like selection of the employees coming under this scheme, procedure for reimbursements online claim by the employees etc. is there, for any shortcomings committed by the employees, the employer cannot be found fault with, rather it is for the AO assessing the employees to find out the correctness of the claim and in case of any default to take appropriate action. The fact that the employer is paying fringe benefit tax on CMRE cannot be ignored. Thus, taking the overall picture of the CMRE, there is no hesitation to hold such reimbursement to employees coming under the scheme as not part of the salary and accordingly no TDS is attracted in the hands of the employer. Hence I am of the view that the Assessing Officer was not justified by treating the assessee in default u/s.201(1) and 201(1A) of the Act. Hence the Assessing Officer is directed to delete the same i.e. the levies u/s.201(1) and 201(1A)."

6.5 If one looks at the aforementioned decision of this Court in the case of Oil & Natural Gas Corpn. Ltd. (supra), it directly covers the entire issue in question. The questions which arose before this Court in the aforementioned case are as follows :

6.6 This very CMRE scheme was in operation and was challenged in the aforementioned Tax Appeal. After examining both the above quoted questions, the Court held that no question of law referable to the Court arises as the answer was evident. It would be profitable to reproduce the relevant para of the said decision as under :

... The tax at source in the case of an employee in receipt of salaries is deducted on the basis of estimate of income under the head "Salary" emanating from the employer. That estimate also include a fair estimate by the employer whether any amount paid by him is not likely to be subjected to tax under any provisions of the Income-tax Act. As we have noticed above, the evidence regarding operation of the scheme clearly attracted the provisions of sec. 10(14) inasmuch as reimbursement is granted for use of one vehicle owned and possessed by the employee for expenses incurred in undertaking official journeys and the payment is made on employee issuing a certificate that he has incurred more expenses than the amount which is being reimbursed to him at the end of the month. The fact that reimbursement upto a maximum limit and not more does not detract from the fact that expenses are being paid as far as employer is concerned towards reimbursing actual expenses incurred by the employee in undertaking official journeys upto the extent amount is actually reimbursed. Nor the fact that the employee, during the course of his assessment, is not found entitled to full benefit u/s 10(14), does in any way reflect on the estimate of income tax payable on income of the employee at the time when such amount is paid. Whether an employee actually incurs such amount for the official purposes is relevant for assessment of employee because exemption operates in his terms and conditions of availing such exemption that is to be fulfilled by him whether the employee is able to substantiate his claim to exemption has no bearing on estimate of income liable to tax to be made by the employer. These findings do not give rise to any question of law. The fact that ultimately on the assessment of employees they have been found in not utilising the full amount received by them from the employer does not reflect in any manner on the estimate of the employer at the end of each month about the income of the employee receiving from his employer liable to tax as per the mark it bears...."

6.7 Tribunal has aptly approached the issue to hold that eventually for any shortcoming of employees, employer cannot be found fault with. As this question concerns respondent to a limited extent as to whether tax was to be deducted at source for being taxable receipts and the issue since is squarely covered by the decision of this Court in assessee's own case, the present Tax Appeals on this issue deserve no consideration.

6.8 As rightly determined by CIT (Appeals) and the Tribunal, the CMRE is not the payment in blanket, without actual usage nor in absence of the verification. It also has a slab as per different parameters, including the grades of employees and also contains the ceiling. The Competent Authority of the Assessee-company requires to sanction the claims on requisite verification of accompanied proofs. Thus, this CMRE is appropriately not held to be a part of the salary. Moreover, after the introduction of regime of FBT, an another potent angle is added. When the company had already paid Rs.3 crore of tax under the FBT and thereby also there is no loss to the Revenue at all. Without entering into the larger question as to whether such payment of FBT would absolve the respondent-assessee from deducting the tax at source. When the provision of TDS itself is held not to have been attracted, from the discussion held hereinabove, this Tax Appeal deserve no entertainment.