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"4. At the outset, the Ld. Counsel for the assessee challenged the validity of order
passed by DRP on the ground that the TPO had passed order on a non-existent
entity. The Ld. Counsel for the assessee submitted that Allscripts India Private
Limited (AIPL) was a Private Limited company incorporated in 1988. During
Financial Year 2016-17 relevant to assessment year 2017-18, AIPL was converted
into Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) on 21 March 2017. The assessee had
brought this fact to the notice of the Ld. Assessing Officer (ACIT Circle-1(1)(1),
Vadodara) vide letter dated 12 August 2019 in response to notice issued u/s
142(1) of the Act. Further to the above, again in submission filed by the assessee
before the DCITTransfer Pricing-1, Vadodara, the assessee intimated the fact that
AIPL had been converted into a LLP. However, despite the aforesaid intimations
to the Ld. Assessing Officer and the TPO, the Transfer Pricing Order was passed
u/s 92CA(3) of the Act by the TPO in the name of AIPL- which was a nonexistent
entity. Further, the assessee filed submission dated 31 March 2021 before the
NEAC, Delhi i.e. the Assessing Officer intimating the fact of conversion of AIPL
into LLP. However, the Ld. Assessing Officer passed draft assessment order in the
name of AIPL, which is a non-existent entity. The Ld. Counsel for the assessee
placed reliance on several judicial in support of the contention that once the order
passed by TPO and draft assessment order passed by the Ld. Assessing Officer
have been passed in the name of a non-existent entity, then the subsequent orders
passed by DRP and final assessment order are also bad in law. Accordingly, the
issue may be adjudicated in favour of the assessee on this ground of jurisdiction
alone.
13
ITA No.1947/PUN/2024
6. Now in the instant facts, we observe that the assessee had filed a formal
intimation before the DCIT, Transfer Pricing on 11 September 2019 intimating
that AIPL has been converted into LLP w.e.f. 21 March 2017 (copy of the same
has been placed on record for our perusal). Further, the assessee had also filed
letter dated 12 August 2019 before the ACIT, Circle 1(1)(1), Vadodara intimating
him about the conversion of AIPL into LLP (copy of the letter has been placed on
record for our perusal). Therefore, we observe that the fact of conversion of AIPL
into LLP was intimated to both the Ld. Assessing Officer and the TPO much
before passing of their respective orders, yet both the TPO and the Ld. Assessing
Officer passed the Transfer Pricing Order and the draft assessment order in the
name of a nonexistent entity. In our view, the view of the Courts and Tribunals on
this issue is unanimous that once the draft assessment order and Transfer pricing
order itself are bad in law, having been passed in the name of a non-existent
entity, then the final assessment order based on the above orders is void ab initio
as well. In view of the above settled position of law, we are of the view that the
final assessment order sought to be appeal against is void and hence liable to be
set aside.