COMMISSIONER OF INCOME-TAX, MADRAS versus THE AMRUTANJAN LTD., MADRAS

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8 S.<.;.R.

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9

lord must possess in order to enable him to demolish and erect a new building."

1961 Rmltnikal PIW

Demolition of the existing building and subsequent erec- ~ lion of a new building are only intermediate steps in order lndr~ to make Jhe building fit for occupation by the landlord;

Amratlal

In Krishan/al I swarlal Desai' s case ( 1) this Court said in R.aghubar Dayal

oonnection with the provisions of s. 17 ( 1) of the Act:

"What is, hoyiever, clear beyond any doubt is that when the possession is obtained in execution it must be followed by an act of occupation which must inevitably consist of some overt act in that behalf .•••.• ,,

'Occupation' of the premises in cl. ( g) does not necessarily refer to occupation as residence. The owner can occupy a In a case like the place by making use of it in any manner. present, if the plaintiffs on getting possession start their work of demolition within the prescribed period, they would have occupied the premises in order to erect a building fit for their . occupation.

We therefore hold that the respondent's case came within cl. (g) of sub-s. (1) of s. 13 of the Act and therefore dismiss the appeal with costs. Three months allowed for vac.atmg · the premises on the defendant tenant undertaking to vacate the premises himself during this period.

Appeal dismissed.

1961

April, 2/t..

COMMISSIONER OF INCOME-TAX, MADRAS v. THE AMRUTANJAN LTD., MADRAS , (K. SUBBA RAO, J.C. SHAH ANDS. M. SU;RI, JJ.) Income Tax-Object and scope of s. 23-A-"Company in which

tht!

pu1,lic are substantially interested''-Mt:aning of-Indian Income T~ Ac1, 1922 (11 of 1922), 1. 23-A.

The Income-tax Officer found that the respondent company had declare.I during the three years ending March 31, 1947, March 31, 1948·

(I) (1964] r S.C.R. 553.

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1964

.I.T., Madra1 v. orulanjan Ud.

IO

SUPREME COURT REPORTS

and March 31, 1949, dividends which were considerably less than 60~ of the amount available for distribution as computed under s. 23-A of the Income-tax Act, 1922. He served a notice on respondent company to show cause why an order under a. 23-A be not passed against it. After hearing the respondent the Income-tax Officer passed an order that tho undistributed portion of the assessable income of the respondent as com puted for income-tax purposes and reduced by the amount of income-tax and super-tax payable by the company in respect shall bo tleemed to have been distributed as dividend among the share-holders. The order of the Income-tax Officer was upheld by the Appellate AU· tant Commissioner and the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal.

thereof,

A reference was made to High Court and the relevant question referred was whether the provisions of s. 23-A were correctly applied for the three relevant years. The High Court held respondent company was one in which the public were substantially ·interested and, therefore, the Income-tax Officer bad no jurisdiction to pass the order under s. 23-A for any of the three years. ·The appellant came to this Court with certificate of fitness from tl\e High Court. Dismissing the appeal.

that

HBLD:-The respondent company was one in which the public wero ha.Cl no

substantially interested and therefore, the Income-tax Officer jurisdiction to pass an order under s. 23-A.

The Indian Income-tax Act, 1922 does not define the cxpres!ion "com pany in which the public are substantially interested". Normally, a com pany would be deemed to be one in which the public are substantially interested where more than half the voting power is vested in the public. Where the controlling interest i.e. a minimum of 51 % of the voting right is held by a single individual or a group of intlividuals acting in concert, the company would be regarded as one in which the public arc not substantially interested.

The distinction between the controlling group and public is not alon1 the line which distinguishes directors from the remaining members of the company. If a director does not belong to a controlling group, he will be reg11rded as a member of the public for purposes of the third proviso and explanation to s. 23-A. even though such tlirector was directly cntru.sted with the management of the affairs of· the company.

Section 23-A was enacted with the object of preventing avoidance of super-tax by share-holders controlling the affairs of a company in which the public are not substantially interested, by the expedient of not distri rates of buting dividends out of the profits. For many years, super-tax applicable to companies were much lower than the higher rates applicable to other assessees. That gave inducement to persons controlling c:omnanies to avoid the higher incidence of super-tax by transferring to limit~d companies the businesses. The profits of business could be nccumulated till they were tlistributed in the fonn of capital and in the meanwhile accumulations of undistributed profits remained available to them for the purposes of their other businesses. Section 23-A was ~uactcd with a view to foil atlcmpll made by pel'IOns holdilli coDtrollinl

the

8 S.C.R

SUPREME COURT REPORTS

II

interests in companies to avoid payment of super-tax applicable to non- ~ corporate assessees by refusing to .agree to distribution of profits. Under 1. 23-A an Income-tax Officer was authorised to make an order by which a fictional or notional income which was not in fact received by the Amrutanjan J share-holders, was deemed to be distributell and was liable to tax as it had arisen or accnied to them. However, no such order could be passed in respect of a company in which the public were substantially interested and to a subsidiary company of such a company if the whole of the share capital of such subsidiary company was held by the parent company or by the nominee thereof.

CJ.T., MaJ/r, v.

1964

CIVIL APPELLATE JmusmcnoN: Civil Appeals Nos.

521-523' of 1963.

Appeals from the judgment dated April 5, 1960 of the

Madras High Court in Case referred No. 80 of 1955.

C. K. Daphtary, Attorney-General, K. N. Rajagopal Sastri and R. N. Sachthey, for the appellant (in all the appeals).

S. Narayanaswamy and R. Gopa/akrishnan, for the res

pondent (in all the appeals).

April 28, 1964. The Judgment of the Court was deli

vered by

SHAH, J.-One Nageswara Rao Panthulu set up a busi ness of m,anufacturing a "pain-balm" which was marketed in In September 1936 the the trade-name of "Amrutanjan". respondent company was floated as a public limited company under the Indian Companies Act, 1913, to acquire and carry on the business of manufacture and sale of "Amru tanjan". The authorised capital of the company was 7,000 ordinary shares and 3,000 preference shares of Rs. 100/ each, and the issued and paid-up capital was 2,500 ordinary and 3,000 preference shares. The preference shareholders were under the Articles of Association entitled to a fixed dividend of 7! per cent on the face value of the shares, with no right in the balance of the profits. The respondent com pany took over the business conducted by Nageswara Rao Panthulu for Rs. 5,50,000/- paid in the form of 2,500 ordi nary and 3,000 preference fully paid-up shares. This company was managed by a firm which after the death of

fhah J.

I2

SUPREME COURT REPORTS

[rg64J

"'"'-

1964

J.T~ Madra of Nageswara Rao, Kamakashamma,

~ageswara Rao Panthulu consisted of Ramayamma, widow his daughter, a!ia,. Lid. Ramayamma's brother Ramchandra Rao and Kamaksham- ma's husband Sambu Prasad. Between April 1, 1946 to March 31, 1949 Ramayamma, widow of Nageswara Rao was holding 2,185 ordinary shares and her daughter Kama kbamma was holding 250 ordinary shares. Out of the pre ference shares only 385 were held by the directors including Ramayamma and Kamakshamma.

Shah J.

Under the Articles of Association of the company, both preference and ordinary shareholders were entitled to vote at the meeting of the company-each shareholder being In the course entitled to exercise one vote for each share. the of assessment proceedings of the respondent company, Income-tax Officer found that for the three years ending March 31, 1947, March 31, 1948 and March 31, 1949 the company had declared each year a total dividend of Rs. 38,750/- at the rate of 7! per cent on the preference shares and 6! per cent on the ordinary shares-which was consider ably less than sixty per cent of the amount available for distribution as computed under s. 23-A of the Income-tax Act. as it stood at the material The Income-tax Officer served a notice, after obtaining the approval of the Inspecting Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax, requir ing the respondent company to show cause why an order under s. 23-A of the Income-tax Act, 1922. should not be passed against the company and after considering the objec tions raised by the company ordered on March 31, 195'.l, that the undistributed portion of the assessable income of the company as computed for income-tax purposes and reduced by the amount of income-tax and super-tax payable by the company in respect thereof, shall be deemed to have been distributed as dividend amongst the shareholders as at the date of the respective general meetings. This order was confirmed in appeal by the Appellate Assistant Commissioner and the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal.

time.

Several contentions were raised before

the Revenue authorities and the Tribunal challenging the competence of the Income-tax Officer to pass an order under s. 23-A includ-

g S.C.R.

SUPREME COURT REPORTS

13

"""""'

ing ·the contention that the said provision was unconstitu- tional or ultra vires. These have been negatived by Tribunal and also by the High Court and it is unnecessary , • to refer to those contentions m these appeals as they do not !>urvive for determination.

•

the CJ.r. Madrtu Lt "

n.1111'.

111

":· 1111f'1Jl - Shah /.

1164

Tn a reference made under s. 66 ( 1) of the Indian Income tax Act, the Tribunal referred three questions to the High Court of Judicature at Madras. The third question, which alone is material in these apeals, reads as follows:

"Whether the provisions of s. 23-A were correctly

applied for the three relevant years?"

The High Court held that the respondent company was one in which the public were substantially interested, and there fore the Income-tax Officer had no jurisdiction to pass the order under s. 23-A of the Income-tax Act for any of the three years and on that footing answered the question in the negative. Against the order passed by the High Court, with certificate of fitness the Commissioner of Income-tax has appealed to this Court.

Section 23-A of the Indian Income-tax Act, 1922 before it was amended by the Finance Act, 1955, stood as follows:

"( 1) Where the Income-tax Officer is satisfied that in respect of any previous year the profits and gains distributed as dividends by any company up to the end of the sixth month after its accounts for that previous year are laid before the company in general meeting are less than sixty per cent of the assessable income of the company of that previous year, as reduced by the amount of income-tax and super-tax payable by the company in respect thereof he shall, ... make with the previous approval of the Inspect ing Assistant Commissioner an order in writ ing that the undistributed portion of the assess able income of the company of that previous year .as computed for income-tax purposes and reduced by the amount of income-tax and super tax payable by the company in respect thereof

1964

...

CJ.T., Mur ..

~mrutanjan Liil.

SUPREME COURT REPORTS

[1g64]

shall be deemed to have been distributed as dividends amongst the shareholder~ as at the date of the general meeting aforesaid~. : . .... .

Shah J.

Provided ................................. .

,

Provided further . . . ........................ .

Provided further that this sub-section shall not apply to any company in which the public are subs· tantially interested or to a subsidiary company of such a company if the whole of the share capital of such subsidiary company is held by the parent company or by the nominees thereof.

Explanation.-For the purpose of this sub-section,

a company shall be deemed to be a company in which the public are substantially interested it shares of the company (not being shares entitl ed to a fixed rate of dividend, whether with or without a further right to participate in profits) carrying not less than twenty-five per cent of the voting power have been allotted uncondi tionally to, or acquired unconditionally by, and are at the end of the previous year beneficially held by the public (not including a company to which the provisions of this sub-section apply)

"

The section was enacted with the object of preventing avoidance of super-tax by sha,reholders controlling the affairs of a company in which' the public are not substan tially interested, by the expedient of not distributing dividend out of the profits. Under the annual Finance Acts for many years the rates of super-tax applicable to companies were much lower than the higher rates applicable to other assessees. That gave an inducement to persons controlling companies to avoid the higher incidence of super-tax by transferring businesses. Thereby the solll ce of earning was secured, the profits -Of the business coulA l be accumulated till they were distributed .accumula- in the form of capital, and in the meanwhile

limited companies

their

to

8 S.C.R.

SUPREME COURT REPORTS

15

.

'd

to

19"

them

l' bl

": Amr11t11n10n Ltd, · -

tions of undistributed profits remained available for purposes of their other businesses. With a view to foil c1.T., Madru· in attempts made by persons holding controlling interests f compames to avo1 payment o super-tax app 1ca e to non- corporate assessees by refusing to agree to distribution of profits, s. 23-A was enacted by the Legislature. The Income tax Officer was thereby authorised, if satisfied when less than sixty per cent of the assessable income of the company, subject to reductions pennitted thereby, was not distributed, to pass an order under which the income was deemed to be distributed among ihe shareholders entitled thereto. By the order so made a fictional or notional income which was not in fact received by the shareholders was deemed to be dis tributed, and in the hands of the shareholders such deemed income was liable to tax as if it .had arisen or accrued to them. But by the express provision contained in s. 23-A, as it stood at the material time, no order could be passed in res pect of any company in which the public were substantially interested and to a subsidiary company of such a company it the whole of the share capital of such subsidiary company was held by the parent company, or by the nominees there of. The Act, however, did not define the expression "com pany in which the public are substantially interested". Nor. mally a company would be deemed to be one in which the public are substantially interested, where more than half the Toting power fa vested in the public. Where the controlling intere&t i.e. a minimum of fifty-one per cent of the voting right is held by a single individual or a group of individuals acting in concert, the company would be regarded as one in which the public are not sub'stantially interested. But the Legislature by the Explanation has raised a conclusive presumption in those cases where shares of the company less than twenty-five per cent of the voting carrying not power are held by persons other than the controlling group. For the purpose of computing twenty-five per cent of the Toting power, however, rights of holders of shares entitled kl a fixed dividend have to be excluded .

It is now settled law that the distinction between the controlling group ·and the public is not along the line which· distinguishes directors from the remaining members of th~

'

..

16

SUPREME COURT REPORTS

(1g64J

19/U

<C.l.T., Madra1

... ,A.lnFllJaltian Ltd.

&Wt/.

If a director does not belong to the controlling company. group, he will be regarded as a member of the public for the purposes of tbe third proviso and the Explanation to s. 23-A the even though such director was directly entrusted with management of the affairs of the company.

The Commissioner contends that the Explanation to sub-s. (1) of s. 23-A is in reality a clause which definC' what a company, in which the public are substantially In terms, however, the Explanation raises a. interested, is. presumption and does not purport to define a company ii1. which the public are substantially interested. On an analysii> of the provisions of the third proviso to s. 23-A and its explanation, the following position emerges:

( 1 ) Where

there

is no individual member or

a. group of members acting in concert holding fifty-one per cent or more of the voting power, it which controls the working of a company, in which is from its very nature a company there is no controlling member or group and therefore the public are substantially interes ted;

(2) Where a shareholder holds or a group of share holders acting in concert hold fifty-one per cent or more of the voting power, the question is one of fact to be determined in each case, whe ther it is a company in which the public are substantially interested, having regard to the purpose for which the holding of fifty-one per cent or more is utilised;

( 3) Where not less than twenty-five per cent of the voting power is allotted unconditionally to, or is acquired unconditionally by or is beneficially held by the public, it shall be presumed that the company is one in which the public are substantially interested. But in considering whe- ther shares carrying not less than twenty-five the voting right are held by the per cent of public, shares entitled to a fixed rate of divi- dend have to be excluded.

I

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17

1964 c.1.T .. Madra• •:

mrutan1an - Shah /.

Ltd .

f

d'

.d~

1 .

'b d d' 'd d

The reason of the rule which excludes from the computa- tion of voting power holders of shares entitled to a fixec! rate of dividend is that s. 23-A is directed primarily against A h 1v1 en s to avo1 pay- t e accumu ahon o un 1stn ute ment of non-corporate rates of super-tax. But shareholders who are entitled to a fixed rate of dividend are not directly in such accumulation: it matters little to them interested whether the dividend is immediately distributed to the ordi- nary shareholders or is accumulated, and therefore in assess- ing whether the twenty-five per cent of the shares are vested in persons other than the controlling group, the shares yield- ing a fixed rate of dividend have to be ignored. But for the purpose of ascertaining the voting power, voting rights at- tached to all the shares must be taken into account.

the

No investigation has been made by

Income-tax Department whether there is any group of persons control ling the working of the company. It is true that -Rama yamma was holding 87 · 40 per cent of the ordinary shares issued by the company, and there is obviously no person who could hold twenty-five per cent or more of the ordinary shares. In the present case, as already observed, the pre ference shareholders were entitled to vote at the meeting, and the Articles of Assochtion of the Company made no distinction between the preference and the ordinary share holders in the matter of exercise of voting rights. The total voting power was 5,500--one vote for each share, ordinary and preference alik~-and twenty-five per cent of that voting power is 1,375, but to invite the presumption under the Explanation this power must be exercisable only by the or dinary shareholders, and not by shareholders entitled to a fixed rate of dividend. The presumption under the Ex planation could arise only, if twenty-five percent of the vot ing power was held by persons entitled to ordinary shares outside the controlling group.

It was suggested that the expression "twenty-five per cent of the voting power" would mean not twenty-five per cent of the total voting power, but power exercisable in respect of shares other than shares entitled to a fixed rate of dividend. Prima facie, such an interpretation is not war ranted if regard be had to the terms of the Explanation. _ 51 S. C.-2

1964

Cj.T., Madras v. Amrutan;an Ltd.

Shah J.

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18

SUPREME COURT REPORTS

But even that argument is of no value, for twenty-five per cent of the voting power attached to the ordinary shares is not exercisable by the public. Thi3, tlm·efore, is a case in which shares not entitled to a fixed dividend cauying not less than twenty-five per cent of the voting power are not shown to have been allotted unconditionally to, or acquired unconditionally by or beneficially held by the public. The Explanation, therefore, has no operation.

Whether in view of the third proviso the company may be regarded as one in which the public are substantially interested, is a question to which no attention was paid by the Tribunal. Whether in fact there exists such a control· ling interest in the hands of one shareholder or a group of shareholders as would render the company one in which the public are not substantially interested is a question which therefore cannot be decided by this Court.

The order of the High Court must therefore be con· tirmed, but on different grounds. The interpretation of the Explanation by the High Court, for reasons already set out, was incorrect. The Explanation had no application, because no presumption on the facts found could arise thereunder. The Revenue authorities have not made any investigation on the question whether there existed any controlling interest in a group of persons. so as to bring the c~se within the third proviso.

The appeals must be dismissed with costs. One hearing

fee.

Appeals dismissed.

1964

April, 29.

COMMISSIONER OF INCOME-TAX, MADRAS v. SJVAKASI MATCH EXPORT COMPANY

(K. SUBRA RAo. J. C. SHAH AND S. M. SIKRI. JJ.)

Income Tax-Partnership deed-Application for registratio11-Discretion of [11come-tax Officer in granting Registration-Jurisdiction of the Income Tax Officer-Jurisdiction of High Court on reference on