Commissioner Of Income-Tax, Bombay ... vs Murlidhar Jhawar And Purna Ginning & ... on 4 March, 1962
18. The principle is clear. The income is subject to tax in the hands of the same person only once. If an association or firm is taxed in respect of its income, the same income cannot be charged again in the hands of the members individually or vice versa. This position is made clear by the Supreme Court first in the case of CIT v. Murlidhar Jhawar & Purna Ginning & Pressing Factory [1966] 60ITR 95 which has been followed by the same court in the case of State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raza B uland Sugar Co. Ltd. [ 1979] 118 ITR 50. These decisions have been followed by the High Courts of Madras, Bombay and Calcutta to which case law we have already made a reference. The Income-tax Officer having assessed the respective share income of the individual members, it was not open for him to proceed against the association as a whole on the total income. Even from this standpoint of diagnosis the impugned assessment made by the Income-tax Officer is required to be annulled. For the foregoing, the assessment made in the status of AOP by the Income-tax Officer is annulled. We also hold that there cannot be an assessment either in the status of BOI and the order of the Commissioner (Appeals) in this behalf is set aside.