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Showing contexts for: computer software technical services in Infosys Ltd.,, Bangalore vs Addl.C.I.T., Bangalore on 10 November, 2017Matching Fragments
" 19. If the assessee is engaged in the business of providing technical services outside India in connection with the development or production of computer software then expenses if any incurred in foreign exchange in providing technical services outside India is liable to be deducted out of export turnover. The said provision has no application in the case of export out of India of computer software or its transmission from India to a place outside India by any means. The law makes a distinction between technical services rendered in connection with export of computer software and export of technical services for the purpose of development or production of computer software outside India. If the technical services rendered by the assessee's Engineers is in connection with the export of computer software for the purpose of testing, installation and monitoring of software such a turnover do not fall within clause (ii) of subsection (1) of section 80HHE of the Act. Such a turnover falls within sub-clause (i) of subsection (1) of Section 80HHE of the Act, that is export out of India of IT(TP)A Nos.799 & 942/Bang/2015 Infosys Limited computer software or its transmission from India to a place outside India by any means. The expenditure incurred in the form of foreign exchange for such services cannot be excluded in computing the export turnover as it forms part of the export turnover. In the instant case as is clear from the order of the Assessing Authority, he proceeds on the assumption that the assessee is a company engaged in rendering technical services outside India in connection with production of said software. Therefore the expenditure incurred in foreign exchange in providing such technical services outside India of Rs.62.7 lakhs was excluded in computing the export turnover and total turnover for arriving at deduction under Section 80HHE of the Act. The assessee is engaged in the business of export out of India of computer software and its transmission to places from India outside India. Before a computer software is exported, the Software Engineers of the assessee would have initial discussion with regard to the requirements, specifications etc. Thereafter computer software is manufactured and then it is transmitted from India to a place outside India. The software Engineers deputed abroad who among other things have to do testing, installation and monitoring of software supplied to the client. Though the said services are technical in nature it does not fall within clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 80HHE of the Act of providing technical services outside India in connection with the development or production of computer software. It falls under sub- clause (i) of sub-section (1) of Section 80HHE of the Act. Therefore, the said expenditure cannot be excluded in computing export turn over. In that view of the matter we do not see any merit in this appeal. Accordingly, the said question of law is answered in favour of the assessee and against the revenue. Ordered accordingly."
21.6 Subsequently, the Hon'ble Karnataka High Court in the case of CIT Vs. Kshema Technologies Ltd. (2016) 66 taxmann.com 165 (Kar) dt.8.1.2016 in the context of computation of deduction under Section 10A of the Act, following its decision in the case of Motor Industries Co. Ltd. (supra) has held that the expenditure incurred in foreign exchange IT(TP)A Nos.799 & 942/Bang/2015 Infosys Limited for rendering of technical services for development and export of computer software services outside India cannot be excluded from export turnover. At paras 12 to 14 thereof the Hon'ble High Court has held as under :
13. We have perused the relevant provisions of the Act i.e., 'export turnover' as defined under explanation (2)(iv) to section 10A of the Act. The said export turnover as per explanation (2)(iv) to section 10A of the Act means the consideration in respect of export by the undertaking of articles or things or computer software received in, or brought into, India by the assessee in convertible foreign exchange in accordance with sub-section (3), but does not include freight, telecommunication charges or insurance attributable to the delivery of the articles or things or computer software outside India or expenses, if any, incurred in foreign exchange in providing the technical services outside India. What is relevant to be noticed as per this provision is that the consideration in respect of export of computer software received in or brought into India by the assessee in convertible foreign exchange is an export turnover and what is excluded from this clause is [a] freight, [b] telecommunication charges or insurance attributable to the delivery of the articles or things or computer software outside India [c] expenses, if any, incurred in foreign exchange in providing the technical services outside India. Explanation (3) inserted by Finance Act, 2001 with effect from 1.4.2001 explains that the profits and gains derived from on site development of computer software including services for development of software, outside India shall be deemed to be the profits and gains derived from the export of computer software outside India. Thus, it is clarified by the legislature by inserting explanation (3) to section 10A that the profits and gains derived from on site development of computer software including services for the development of such software outside India is deemed to be the profits and gains derived from the export of computer software outside India. In other words, the services rendered by the assessee relating to the development of computer software is deemed to be part of export turnover of computer software outside India.
IT(TP)A Nos.799 & 942/Bang/2015 Infosys Limited
14. An identical issue relating to section 80HHE of the Act was considered by this court in the case of CIT v. Motor Industries Co. Ltd. [2015] 55 taxmann.com 377 (Kar.) and this court has held that though the services rendered in deputing the software engineers abroad who among other things have to do testing, installation and monitoring of software supplied to the client, appears to be technical in nature, it does not fall within the clause of providing technical service outside India in connection with the development or production of computer software and accordingly such expenditure cannot be excluded in computing export turnover. To decide the question on hand, the Tribunal has placed reliance on the Judgment passed by the Tribunal in the case of Mphasis Ltd. (supra). The very same Judgment was subjected to judicial scrutiny before this court in ITA No. 1075/2008 connected with ITA No. 196/2009, wherein this court, following the Judgment of Motor Industries Co. Ltd.(supra), answered the substantial question of law in favour of the assessee and against the revenue. This court has held that the expenditure incurred in the development or production of computer software though is in the nature of technical services, is not so, for the purposes of the Act and the said expenditure cannot be excluded in computing export turnover. Thus, we are of the view that the said Judgment is squarely applicable to the facts of the present case. Accordingly, we answer the first question in favour of the assessee and against the revenue."