Punjab Steel Scrap Merchants ... vs Commissioner Of Income-Tax, Punjab. on 20 February, 1961
In the case of Punjab Steel Scrap Merchants'' Association
Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax, Punjab, (1961) 43 ITR
164, the assessee company was a dealer in scrap iron. It
received form its constituents a deposit in advance for the
supply of scrap. I the price of scrap iron delivered was
more that the amount deposited, the assessee recovered the
excess. Where the price of scrap iron delivered was less
that the amount deposited and a surplus remained with the
assessee and the constituents did not claim the excess
amount, the assessee retained the amounts to the credit of
the constituents. Unclaimed credit balances, after a period
of three years were transferred by the company to its profit
and loss account. The amounts so transferred to the profit
and loss account were held by the Punjab High Court to be
trading receipts and liable to be included in the
computation of the assesee's taxable income. It was held
that the amount in question were payments towards price of
the scrap iron which was to be supplied to the constituents.
They were essentially trading receipts.