Shri Deepak Pal Singh, Hoshiarpur vs Income Tax Officer,Ward-1, Hoshiarpur on 31 December, 2018
3.3 With this background, I may now proceed to discuss the various issues
arising in this appeal. The ld. CIT(A) has restricted the addition u/s. 56(2)(vii)(b)
toward acquisition of immovable property (plot of land) without consideration,
from Rs.5.05 lacs to Rs.3.95 lacs. I do not consider it as proper for two reasons.
Firstly, the Revenue authorities are not correct in regarding it to be a case of
9 ITA No. 75/Asr/2018 (AY 2011-12)
Deepak Pal Singh v. ITO
acquisition (of immovable property) without consideration when the assessee
himself states of having paid Rs.3.95 lacs, stating the said amount separately in his
cash flow statement. Two, the AO has not, as the ld. CIT(A) states, made any
estimation in this regard, but applied the stamp duty value, i.e., Rs.5.50 lacs, with
reference to which the addition is to be reckoned as per the provision of law,
deducting the lower consideration, if any, stated to have been paid by the assessee,
and which both the Revenue authorities have, based on the assessee's earlier
version as well as the absence of evidence as to payment, regarded as nil. The
rationale behind the provision is as to why would one transfer his immovable
property to a non-relative without proper consideration, i.e., the fair market value
(fmv) thereof. Now, when the assessee himself claims of having paid Rs.3.95 lacs
for the same, specifying the dates (17.11, 25.11 & 29.11.2010) on which the said
amount was withdrawn, he states precisely what the provision presumes the state
of affairs to be as. That is, why, pray, would one transfer his property to another
without proper consideration. The Revenue's disbelief thereof is therefore not
understood. It is, rather, the seller who should be disbelieved and questioned in the
matter. The deeming provision of sec. 56(2)(vii)(b) can, thus, neither be for
Rs.5.055 lacs nor for Rs.3.95 lacs, i.e., as by the Revenue authorities, but only for
the said shortfall of Rs.1,10,515 (Rs. 5,05,515 - Rs. 3,95,000).