The Supreme Court of India has granted relief to M/s AD2PRO Media Solutions PVT Ltd by dismissing the special leave petition (SLP) filed by the Income Tax Department. The SLP was filed against the impugned final judgment and order of the High Court of Karnataka, which held that the payments made by the assessee cannot be considered as royalty or fees, and therefore, no TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) was required to be deducted. The Supreme Court, in its order, observed that there was no need to interfere in the matter and dismissed the SLP.
Case Name:
Relief to M/s AD2PRO Media Solutions PVT Ltd: Supreme Court dismisses SLP by Income Tax Dept
Key Takeaways:
Case Synopsis:
The Supreme Court of India has granted relief to M/s AD2PRO Media Solutions PVT Ltd by dismissing the special leave petition (SLP) filed by the Income Tax Department. The SLP was filed against the final judgment and order dated 24-02-2023 in ITA No. 238/2020 passed by the High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru.
The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) had allowed the appeal of the assessee, M/s AD2PRO Media Solutions PVT Ltd, by holding that the payments made by them cannot be considered as royalty or fees. Therefore, no Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) was required to be deducted. However, the Income Tax Department felt aggrieved by this decision and filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court.
The Karnataka High Court, in its impugned judgment, observed that the services in question were rendered in the USA. It also noted that in the case of GVK Industries Limited, a company called NRC was consulted for financial structure advice, and based on that advice, GVK Industries approached Indian Financial Institutions with IDB1 Bank as the lead financier for its loan requirements. The High Court further opined that since the services were utilized in the USA, the findings of the ITAT did not require any interference.
A Two-Judge Bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Supreme Court observed that the delay in filing the special leave petitions was condoned. They further stated that they were not inclined to interfere in the matter. The dismissal of the special leave petition was in line with the order dated 10.11.2023 in SLP (C) Diary No.43014/2023.
This dismissal of the special leave petition by the Supreme Court grants relief to M/s AD2PRO Media Solutions PVT Ltd, as the decision of the High Court of Karnataka stands.
FAQ:
Q1: What is the significance of the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the special leave petition?
A1: The dismissal of the special leave petition by the Supreme Court grants relief to M/s AD2PRO Media Solutions PVT Ltd, as the decision of the High Court of Karnataka stands. This means that the payments made by AD2PRO Media Solutions PVT Ltd cannot be considered as royalty or fees, and hence, no Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) is required to be deducted.
Q2: What was the basis for the ITAT’s decision to allow the assessee’s appeal?
A2: The ITAT held that the payments made by AD2PRO Media Solutions PVT Ltd cannot be considered as royalty or fees. Therefore, they concluded that no TDS was required to be deducted.
Q3: Why did the Income Tax Department file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court?
A3: The Income Tax Department felt aggrieved by the decision of the ITAT and filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the ITAT’s decision.
Q4: What were the observations made by the Karnataka High Court?
A4: The Karnataka High Court observed that the services in question were rendered in the USA. They also noted that in a similar case involving GVK Industries Limited, a company called NRC was consulted for financial structure advice, and based on that advice, GVK Industries approached Indian Financial Institutions with IDB1 Bank as the lead financier. The High Court opined that since the services were utilized in the USA, the findings of the ITAT did not require any interference.