By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, AUG 08, 2013: THE issues before the Bench are - Whether incentive bonus received from employer prior to 01.04.1989 is a taxable receipt and Whether any expenses incurred towards performance of duty as Development Officer for generating business on behalf of the employer is a permissible deduction. And the verdict goes against the assessee.

Facts of the case

The assessee, T.K. Ginarajan, Development Officer in the LIC, claimed deduction of 40% of the incentive bonus paid to him in the Return of Income-Tax for the various years prior to 01.04.1989 on the ground that he had incurred expenditure to the extent of 40% of the incentive bonus for canvassing business. LIC of India had requested the Central Board of Direct Taxes for a clarification on deduction explaining that the Development Officers had actually incurred some expenditure in the performance of their duty, to the tune of at least 40% of the incentive bonus paid to them. However, the CBDT affirmed that the incentive bonus paid by the LIC to the Development Officers formed part of their income towards salary. However, with effect from 01.04.1989, the LIC itself issued a clarification to the effect that the Development Officers would be entitled to claim reimbursement to the extent of 30% of the incentive bonus granted to them. Thus, the dispute was confined only to the period prior to 01.04.1989 and, thereafter, the Development Officers were entitled to the reimbursement of actual expenses incurred by them, to the extent of 30%. In other words, after 01.04.1989, only that part of the incentive bonus after reimbursing the expenses to the extent of 30% will appear in the salary certificate. What was the fate of the incentive bonus to the Development Officers in LIC prior to 01.04.1989 for the purpose of income-tax was the question to be considered in this case.

The claim for exclusion of 40% of the incentive bonus towards the expenditure was declined by the Assistant Income-Tax Officer. The Commissioner of Income-Tax (Appeals) dismissed the appeal. However, the Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal held in favour of the assessee. But the High Court was in favour of the Revenue and, thus, the Civil Appeal.

Having heard the parties, the Bench held that,

++ income towards salary is explained under Section 15 of the Income- Tax Act, 1961. Permissible deductions are provided under Section 16. The inclusive definition of 'salary', 'perquisite' and 'profits' in lieu of salary is given under Section 17 of the Act. It is now trite law that the Income-Tax Act, 1961 is a complete code as far as tax on income is concerned. 'Income' is defined under Section 2(24) of the Act and the computation of income is provided under Chapter-III of the Act (starting with Section 10). In the case of salaried persons, the only permissible deduction is under Section 16 of the Act. Section 17 has clearly provided for the details of income by way of salary. There is no serious dispute in this case that the incentive bonus paid to the employee by the employer is nothing but salary and there cannot be any dispute either since such payments are covered by the exhaustive definition of 'salary' under Section 17(1);

++ the Full Bench of the High Court of Karnataka in Commissioner of Income-Tax vs. M.D. Patil took the view that incentive bonus earned by the Development Officers of the LIC of India is nothing but salary and no deduction over and above the standard deduction provided under Section 16 is permissible under the Act. Accordingly, the claim of expenditure or net income theory put forward by the Development Officers was rejected by the High Court of Karnataka. Similar is the view taken by the High Court of Andhra Pradesh in K. A. Choudary vs. Commissioner of Income-Tax and Others, the Madras High Court in Commissioner of Income-Tax vs. E. A. Rajendran and in Commissioner of Income-Tax vs. P. Arangasamy and Others, the Orissa High Court in the decision in Commissioner of Income-Tax vs. Sri Anil Singh, the High Court of Bombay in Commissioner of Income-Tax vs. Gopal Krishna Suri and the Calcutta High Court in Commissioner of Income-Tax vs. Ramlal Agarwala, all in favour of the Revenue. However, the High Court of Gujarat in Commissioner of Income-Tax vs. Kiranbhai H. Shelat and Another has taken a contrary view placing heavy reliance on Section 10(14) of the Act as it stood prior to 01.04.1989;

++ "Perquisite" is excluded from the purview of Section 10(14). 'Perquisite' is defined under Section 17(2) of the Act. That apart, what is excluded under Section 10(14) as it stood prior to 01.04.1989 is the expenses incurred in the performance of the duty. It is for the employer to certify the actual expenses incurred in the performance of duty and in which case, as clarified by the CBDT, to that extent, the same shall not be shown as part of salary. On facts, as clearly noted in the Judgment of the High Court of Kerala, there is no claim by the employee either for reimbursement or exclusion of the actual expenditure incurred in performance of the duty. These two distinctions unfortunately missed the notice of the High Court of Gujarat. The Court in fact was swayed by the letter written by the LIC of India to the CBDT for clarification that, to the extent of 40% of the incentive bonus could be exempted as expenditure incurred for the development of business which made them eligible for the incentive bonus. The High Court of Gujarat failed to take note of the reply by the CBDT that it was for the LIC of India to reimburse the actual expenditure involved in the performance of the duty by the Development Officers and to that extent the same was not to be shown as salary;

++ compartmentalization of income under various heads and computation of the taxable portion strictly in accordance with the formula of deductions, rebates and allowances are to be done only as per the scheme provided under the Act. As held by this Court in Karamchari Union, Agra vs. Union of India and Others, the Income-Tax Act, 1961 is a self contained code and taxability of the receipt of any amount or allowance has to be determined on the basis of the meaning given to the words or phrases given in the Act. Thus, we do not agree with the view taken by the High Court of Gujarat in Kiranbhai's case. The same does not lay down the correct principle of law;

++ though the counsel for the appellant made a persuasive attempt to place reliance on the decision of this Court in State of West Bengal and Others vs. Texmaco Limited, we are afraid the same is of no assistance to the assessee. The incentive bonus referred to in the said decision is the special scheme of the company. The question considered in the said decision was as to whether the said bonus would form part of salary as defined under the West Bengal State Tax on Professions, Trades, Callings and Employments Act, 1979. This Court held, placing reliance on the definition of 'salary' in the said Act that only in case there was remuneration on a regular basis, the same was exigible to tax under the said Act. On facts, it was found that there was no regular payment of incentive bonus. That is not the factual or legal position in the case of the appellant under the Act and, therefore, the said decision is not relevant at all for the purpose of this case;

++ the assessee being a salaried person, the incentive bonus received by him prior to 01.04.1989 has to be treated as salary and he is entitled only for the permissible deductions under Section 16 of the Act. The expenses incurred in the performance of duty as Development Officer for generating the business so as to make him eligible for the incentive bonus is not a permissible deduction and, hence, the same is exigible to tax. There is no merit in the appeal.

(See 2013-TIOL-37-SC-IT)