Mr. Jaiprakash A. Mishra, Mumbai vs Ito 22 (1)(4), Mumbai on 30 March, 2021
2.9. Apart from the above, s. 55(1)(b)(2)(ii) of the Act provides that where the capital
asset became the property of the assessee by any of the modes specified under s.
49(1) of the Act, not only the cost of improvement incurred by the assessee but also
the cost of improvement incurred by the previous owner shall be deducted from the
total consideration received by the assessee while computing the capital gains under
s. 48 of the Act. The question of deducting the cost of improvement incurred by the
previous owner in the case of an assessee covered under s. 49(1) of the Act would
arise only if the period for which the asset was held by the previous owner is
included in determining the period for which the asset was held by the assessee.
Therefore, it is reasonable to hold that in the case of an assessee covered under s.
49(1) of the Act, the capital gains liability has to be computed by considering that the
assessee held the said asset from the date it was held by the previous owner and the
same analogy has also to be applied in determining the indexed cost of acquisition.
For determining the capital gain, the cost of acquisition of capital asset is crucial.
Thus, keeping in view, the totality of facts, we hold that the long terms capital gains
has to be from the date from which the capital asset in question was held by the
previous owner and the indexed cost of acquisition also has to be determined on the
very same basis, consequently, the indexed cost of acquisition has to be computed
with reference to the year in which the previous owner first held the asset and not
the year in which the assessee became the owner of such asset. The ratio laid down in
B.N. Vyas vs CIT (1986) 159 ITR 141 (Guj.