Seshasayee Paper Boards Ltd. vs Commissioner Of Income- Tax on 28 November, 1997
20. It is now necessary to consider the decisions relied upon by the learned counsel for the assessee, Mr. S. A. Balasubramaniam. The learned counsel for the assessee placed strong reliance on a decision of the Gauhati High Court in the case of Indian Carbon Ltd. v. CIT [1989] 180 ITR 117/46 Taxman 206 wherein the Gauhati High Court held that the amount deposited in business in 'certain accounts' cannot be utilised by the assessee since the assessee is divested of the right to use the money or utilise the money in his business and the amount of bonus 'set on' deposited under the provisions of the Payment of Bonus Act amounted to business expenditure and was deductible in the computation of income. We are, however, unable to agree with the decision of the Gauhati High Court. The Gauhati High Court has proceeded on the basis that the amount set on by the assessee cannot be utilised and since the amount was deposited under the provisions of the statute, it would amount to expenditure. We are of the view that the amount set on cannot be regarded as expenditure incurred by the assessee. The title over the money is not lost to the assessee and correspondingly, the employees for whose benefit the amount was set apart have not gained any right, title or interest over the money set on. Under the provisions of the Payment of Bonus Act, the amount set on has to be utilised for the payment of bonus in case there is deficiency in the succeeding years in the quantum of allocable surplus. Therefore, it cannot be stated that the money has been expended by the assessee.