Hemant Surana, New Delhi vs Department Of Income Tax on 25 March, 2011
5. We have heard both the parties and gone through the facts of the
case as also the aforesaid decisions. Indisputably, the assessee, a chartered
accountant, incurred loss of ``3,11,85,809/- in the business of trading in shares.
The AO disallowed the claim of set off of loss, having recourse to the explanation
to section 37(1) of the Act while ld. CIT(A) allowed the claim on the ground that
the said explanation was attracted only in the case of any expenditure and not in
the event of loss. The issue before us is as to whether or not explanation below
section 37(1) of the Act, inserted by the Finance Act, 1998 with retrospective
effect from 1-4-1962, is applicable in this case.. This Explanation lays down that
any expenditure incurred by an assessee for any purpose which is an offence or
6 ITA no.3245/Del./2011
& CO no. 237/Del./2011
which is prohibited by law shall not be deemed to have been incurred for the
purpose of business and no deduction or allowance shall be made. It is well
settled that this explanation is applicable only to an expenditure and not to a loss
[Dr. T. A. Quereshi (supra) & TN Vohra(supra).]. There is a distinction between
the expenditure and loss.