Tax Insights
from India Tax & Regulatory Services
www.pwc.in
Tribunal holds section 79 not
applicable where the shareholder continues to hold 100%, although partly indirectly, post-
amalgamation of the company having brought forward losses
October 14, 2019
In brief
The Mumbai bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal1 (Tribunal) in the case of the taxpayer held that the condition under section 79 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (Act) for carry forward and set-off of loss, is said to be satisfied if the beneficial shareholders of the company during the year when the loss was incurred, directly or indirectly holds at least 51% shares in the said company during the year of set- off.
In detail
Facts
• The taxpayer company (taxpayer) had set-off brought forward loss during assessment year 2012-13. The taxpayer had entered into a scheme of amalgamation with a fellow subsidiary which then subsequently merged with the taxpayer.
Pursuant to the scheme, the taxpayer issued shares to the shareholders of the transferor’s fellow
subsidiary, which also was a fellow subsidiary of the taxpayer. Consequently, the immediate holding company of the taxpayer, who was holding 100%
1 ITA No. 2366/ Mum/ 2019
shares in the taxpayer, continued to directly hold 42.19% shares in the taxpayer and indirectly continued to hold balance 57.81% shares through it’s subsidiaries.
• The Tax Officer (TO) completed the assessment without allowing set-off of the brought forward losses.
However, on a rectification application, the TO
allowed the set-off of the brought forward losses to the taxpayer.
• Subsequently, the
Commissioner of Income- tax invoked his revisionary jurisdiction under section 263 of the Act directing the TO to disallow the losses of
earlier years on the ground that the taxpayer had violated the provisions of section 79 of the Act and cancelled the order under section 154 of the Act.
Issue before the Tribunal Whether the provisions of section 79 of the Act were violated, when the immediate holding company continued to directly hold 42.19% shares and indirectly hold 57.81%
shares?
Taxpayer’s contentions The provisions of section 79 of the Act were not violated, as even after the scheme of amalgamation, the original shareholder, directly and indirectly, continued to
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exercise 100% voting rights over the taxpayer.
Revenue’s contention
The immediate shareholding and not the ultimate ownership of shares that needs to be
considered for section 79 of the Act as held by the Mumbai bench of the Tribunal2, and the Delhi High Court3 in their respective judgements.
Tribunal’s ruling
The case of the taxpayer was fully covered by the Ahmedabad bench of the Tribunal’s ruling4 and the
2 M/s Tainwala Trading and Investments Company Limited v. ACIT [ITA
No.5120/Mum/2009]
Karnataka High Court’s decision5, wherein it was held that beneficial ownership and not legal
ownership is relevant for the purposes of satisfying the conditions prescribed in section 79 of the Act. Section 79 of the Act only mandates that the existing shareholders should beneficially hold the shares.
Since, the beneficial owner pre- amalgamation continued to remain the beneficial owner of 100% shares, partially directly and indirectly through its subsidiary, even after the amalgamation, the taxpayer
3 Yum Restaurants (India) Private Limited v. ITO [2016] 237 Taxman 652 (Delhi)
4 CLP Power India Private Limited v. DCIT [2018] 170 ITD 744 (Ahd)
complied with the provisions of section 79 of the Act.
The takeaways
This judgement reaffirms that the continuity of the ultimate
beneficial ownership, and not immediate direct ownership, is required to satisfy the conditions of carry forward and set-off of losses under section 79 of the Act.
Let’s talk
For a deeper discussion of how this issue might affect your business, please contact your local PwC advisor
5 CIT v. AMCO Power Systems Limited [2015] 379 ITR 375 (Karnataka)
Tax Insights
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