ITAT Deletes Income Tax Demand due to typographical mistake in Form 3CD

Brief facts of the case are that assessee filed its return of income on 25.09.2018 which was processed by Centralized Processing Centre (CPC) Bangalore u/s. 143(1) of the Act by issuing intimation dated 14.11.2019. In the said intimation, disallowance of expenditure indicated in the audited report but not taken into account in computing the total income in the return were noted in respect of two items (i) payment on account of gratuity disallowed u/s. 43B of the Act of Rs.6,75,000/- and (ii) employees’ contribution under ESI Act after due date u/s. 36(1)(va) of the Act of Rs.69,427/-. Aggrieved by the said disallowances assessee went in appeal before the Ld. CIT(A) who confirmed the addition. Aggrieved, the assessee is in appeal before the Tribunal.

Ld. Counsel has placed on record a synopsis and paper book containing 41 pages. On the addition in respect of gratuity contribution, Ld. Counsel submitted that amount of Rs.6,75,000/- remained due as on 31.03.2018 which was reported as not paid on or before due date for furnishing the return of income u/s. 139(1) of the Act in Form 3CD dated 22.09.2018 for which he referred to the tax audit report placed in the paper book page 24. Ld. Counsel submitted that after the filing of Form 3CD, assessee deposited Rs. 1 lakh to LIC Gratuity Fund on 10.10.2018 which is before the due date for filing of return u/s. 139(1) of the Act, for AY 2018-19 due date being 31.10.2018. To corroborate the submission, he referred to the deposit memorandum issued by LIC Pension & Gratuity Scheme Department, Kolkata which is dated 01.10.2018 placed at page 14 of the paper book. Ld. Counsel thus contended that assessee has admitted the disallowance of Rs.5,75,000/- out of Rs.6,75,000/- u/s. 43B of the Act and paid self assessment tax of Rs.2,02,370/- on 04.12.2019. He thus, submitted that deduction of Rs. 1 lakh ought to be allowed in respect of gratuity contribution which has been deposited before the due date for furnishing of return u/s. 139(1) of the Act.

In respect of employees’ contribution to ESI, he submitted that there is a typographical mistake in Form 3CD wherein the actual dates of payment of ESI contribution reported in clause 20(b) have been written as containing year “2018” instead of year to be written as “2017”. To corroborate the correct and actual date of payment, Ld. Counsel referred to the monetary contribution challan for the three dates, of 19.05.20217 placed at page 32, of 20.06.2017 placed at page 34 and of 14.07.2017 placed at page 36 of the paper book. He thus submitted that all the three payments totalling to Rs.69,424/- were made on or before the respective due dates of 21.05.2017, 21.06.2017 and 15.07.2017 respectively.

Per contra, Ld. Sr. DR placed reliance on the orders of the authorities below.

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