Holding

The compensation received for giving up the right to purchase or operate the hotel is a capital receipt.

Summary

Oberoi Hotel Pvt. Ltd. managed several hotels for owners and, under its principal agreement, held an option to purchase the hotel if the owner chose to transfer it. A supplemental agreement in 1975 waived this purchase/right, entitling Oberoi to a fixed compensation upon the hotel's sale. The company received Rs 29,47,500 after the hotel was sold and the tax authorities disputed whether this amount was a capital receipt or revenue receipt under Section 28(ii) of the Income‑Tax Act, 1961. The Assessing Officer treated it as revenue, the Commissioner (Appeals) and the Income‑Tax Appellate Tribunal held it to be capital, while the Calcutta High Court reverted to revenue. The Supreme Court examined the nature of the compensation, applying the test that compensation for loss of a source of income or a capital asset is a capital receipt, whereas compensation for termination of a normal business agency is revenue. It concluded that giving up the purchase/right impaired Oberoi’s source of income and thus the receipt was capital. The appeal was allowed, setting aside the High Court’s decision.

Issues considered

Whether the compensation received by Oberoi Hotel Pvt. Ltd. for relinquishing its purchase/operational right over the hotel constitutes a capital receipt or a revenue receipt under Section 28(ii) of the Income‑Tax Act, 1961.

Legislation cited

Income Tax Act, 1961s. 28(ii)

Subjects

capital receiptrevenue receiptcompensationtermination of agreementincome taxSection 28(ii)hotel managementright of purchasetaxabilitycapital asset

Judgment

~

OBEROI HOTEL PVT. LTD. A
v.
COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX

MARCH 10, 1999

[S.P. BHARUCHA, M.B. SHAH AND
B
N. SANTOSH HEGDE, JJ.)

Income Tax Act, 1961 : Section 28(ii).

Compensation-For tem1inatio11 of agreement-Capital or revenue c
receipt--Detemiination of-AY 1979-8()-Assessee operated a hotel belonging
to others for a manageme11t fee calculated on the basis of gross profits-Agree-
ment between the assessee a11d the ow11er of the hotel provided for con-
ti11uance of arra11gement for a certain period--Assessee also had the right to
-"
opt for its purchase in case the owner desired to tran sfer the same during the
said period-Subsequently by a supplemental agreement assessee gave up its D
....
...0 right to purchase the hotel, thus entitling it to receive a certain amount of
compensation in the event of the hotel being sold by its owner during the
currency of earlier agreement-Held, giving up the right to purchase the hotel
resulted in loss of assessee's source of income--Hence, amount of compen-
satio11 received by assessee pursuant to supplemental agreement is a capital E
receipt and not a revenue receipt.

The appellant-assessee was operating, managing and administering
many hotels belonging to others for a management fee which was calculated
-..;
on the basis of gross operating profits. The agreement between the appel-
lant-assessee and the owner of the hotel provided for continuance of such F
an arrangement for a certain period. The appellant-assessee also had the
right to opt for purchase of the hotel in case the own~rs desired to transfer
the same during the currency of the agreement. Subsequently, a Sup-
plemental Agreement was executed whereby appellant-assessee gave up its
right to purchase the hotel, thus entitling it to receive a certain amount of
compensation in the event of the. hotel being sold by its owner during the
G
currency of the earlier agreement. On the basis of the said Supplemental
Agreement the Appellant-assessee received a certain amount of compensa-
tion after the sale of the hotel.

The Income Tax Officer held that the said amount of compensation H
955
956 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1999] 1 S.C.R.
I
•
A was a revenue receipt. But the Commissioner oflncome Tax (Appeals) held
that it was a capital receipt. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal confirmed
the said finding. However, the High Court held that it was a revenue receipt.
Hence, this appeal.

Allowing the appeal, this Court
B
HELD : 1.1. The question whether the receipt is capital or revenue
is to be determined by drawing the conclusion of law ultimately from the
facts of the particular case and it is not possible to lay down any single
test as infallible or any single criterion as decisive. Ordinarily, the com-
C pensation for loss of an office or agency is regarded as capital receipt, but
this rule is subject to an exception that payment received even for termina-
tion of agency agreement would be revenue and not capital in the case
where the agency was one of many which the assessee held and its termina-
tion did not impair the profit making structure of the assessee, but was
within the framework of the business, it being a necessary incident of the
D business that existing agencies may be terminated and fresh agencies may
be taken. [959-F -HJ

Karam Chand Thapar&Bros. P. Ltd. v. CIT (Central), Calcutta 80 ITR
167 (SC) and CITv. Chari and Chari Ltd., 57 ITR 400 (SC), relied on.

E 1.2. Applying the aforesaid test in the present case, the Income Tax
Appellate Tribunal was right in arriving at the conclusion that the amount
of compensation received by the appellant-assessee was a capital receipt.
The amount was received by the assessee for giving up its right to purchase
and /or to operate the property or for getting it on lease before it is
F transferred or let out to other persons. It is not for settlement of rights
under trading contract, but the injury is inflicted on the capital asset of the
assessee and giving up the contractual right on the basis of the Principal
Agreement has resulted in loss of source of assessee's income. Therefore,
it is capital receipt and not a revenue receipt. [960-D-E]

G Kettlewell Bullen & Co. Ltd. v. CIT, Calcutta, (1964) 53 ITR 261, relied
on.

CIT v. Roi Bahadur Jairam Valji, 35 ITR 148, held inapplicable.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 7418 of
H 1994.
OBEROI HOTEL PVT. LTD. v. C.I.T. [SHAH,J.] 957

. From the Judgment and Order dated 8.9.93 of the Calcutta High
Court in I.T.R. No. 91/88 in R.A. No. 260 (CAL)/88 .
A

Ravinder Nath for M/s. Rajinder Narain & Co. for the Appellant.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
B
SHAH, J. This appeal is filed against the judgment and order dated
8th September 1993 passed by the High Court of Calcutta in Income Tax
Reference No. 91 of 1988. The Court allowed reference application and
answered the following question referred to it in the negative and in favour
of the Revenue :
c
"Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case,
the Tribunal is correct in law in confirming the decision of the
C.l.T. (Appeals) that the receipt of Rs. 29,47,500 by the assessee
from the Receiver or the hotel in the course of assessee's hotel
operation business, is a capital receipt." D
-«
The said question arose in the Income-tax assessment of the asses-
see-company for the year ending on 30th June, 1978 corresponding to the
Assessment Year 1979-80 in the background of the fact that the assessee-
company was operating managing and administering many hotels belonging
to others for a fee at several places e.g. Cairo, Colombo, Kathmandu, E
Singapore, etc. As per the Memorandum of Association of the Company,
it was authorised to run hotels on its own account and also to operate,
manage and administer hotels belonging to others for a fee. In terms of an
Agreement dated 2nd November, 1970, the Company agreed to operate
the hotel known as Hotel Oberoi Imperial, Singapore for which the asses- F
·sc see-Company was to receive certain fee called Management Fee which was
calculated on the basis of gross operating profits as provided under Article
X of the. Agreement; the Agreement was to run for an initial period of ten
years; the assessee had option to ask for renewal of the &aid Agreement
for two further periods of 10 years each by mutual agreement. Article
XVIII of the said Agreement gave the assessee a right to exercise the G
option of purchasing the hotel in case his owners desire to transfer the
same during the currency of the Agreement. Thereafter on 14th S eptem-
her, 1975 a Supplementary Agreement was executed between the appellant
;. and the Receiver of the Undertaking and the property of Imperial
Securities International Limited which, inter alia, provided that on 6th day H
958 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1999] 1 S.C.R.

A of September 1975 Receiver was appointed of the Undertaking and
property of ISi pursuant to the terms of the Debenture dated 7th day of
January, 1974 made between ISi on one part and Common Wealth
Development Finance Company Limited on the other part. On basis of the
said appointment of Receiver, the Receiver executed the Supplemental
B Agreement in favour of the appellant which, inter alia, provides that :

"g. The Operator hereby undertakes and agrees with the
t
Receiver as follows :

' (a) that Article XVIII of the Principal Agreement shall hence-
forth cease to have any force and effect;
c
. (b) that the Receiver shall, subject to the provisions of clause
8 hereof, be at liberty at any time hereafter to sell or otherwise
dispose of the said property at such period and on such terms as
he may deem fit and shall not be under any obligation of procuring
or requiring the purchaser thereof to enter into any agreement
D
with the Operator for the purpose of operating and managing the
Hotel or otherwise;

(c) that should the Receiver succeed in selling or disposing of
the said property to any party, the Principal Agreement and this
E Agreement shall, upon completion of such sale as may then he
made by the Receiver, terminate and cease to have any force and
effect;

(d) that the Operator shall do execute and deliver all such acts,
deeds, documents and instruments as may be necessary or
F reasonably required by the Receiver for the purpose of giving
effect to the provisions of this clause.

10. For ~he consideration aforesaid the Receiver hereby agrees to
pay to the Operator.

G (a) ......... .

(b) simultaneously termination of the Principle Agreement and
this Agreement -

(i) a sum of $250,000 if the said property is sold for a sum of
H less than S$ 30,000,000 or
OBEROI HOTEL PVT. LID. v. C.I.T. [SHAH, J.) 959

... (ii) a sum of 5$375,000 if the said property is sold for a sum of A
• 5$3,300,000 or more than but less than 5$33,500,000 or

(iii) a sum of 5 $750,000 if the said property is sold for a sum
of 5$33,500,000 or more."

The right of the assessee, which was given up for a consideration B
mentioned above, arising from Article XVIII of the Principal Agreement
is as under:

"During the terms of this Agreement in the event where the
owner desired to transfer the Hotel or lease all or part of the Hotel
to any other person, firm or corporation, the same shall be first
c
offered to Operator or any of its nominee or affiliates."

On the basis of the said agreement the assessee has received a sum
of Rs. 29,47,500 from the Receiver after the sale of the hotel. The question
which was considered by the Income Tax Authorities was whether the D
. receipt of the said amount is capital receipt or revenue, receipt. The
Income-Tax Officer arrived at a conclusion that it was a revenue receipt,
Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) held that it was a capital receipt,
the Tribunal confirmed the said finding, on reference to the High Court,
the High Court arrived at a conclusion that it was a revenue receipt
assessable to income-tax as business income for the Assessment Year E
1979-80. Hence, this appeal by special leave by the assessee.

The question whether the receipt is capital or revenue is to be
determined by drawing the conclusion of law ultimately from the facts of
the particular case and it is not possible to lay down any single test as F
. infallible or any single criterion as decisive. This Court in the case of Karam
Chand T7iapar & Bros. P. Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax (Central,
Calcutta, 80 ITR 167 discussed and held that in commissioner of Income
Tax v. Chari and Chari Ltd., 57 ITR 400, it was held that ordinarily
compensation for loss of an office or agency is regarded as capital receipt,
but this rule is subject to an exception that payment received even for G
termination of agency agreement would be revenue and not capital in the
., case where the agency was one of many which the assessee held and its
,)
termination did not impair the profit making structure of the assessee, but
was within the framework of the business, it being a necessary incident of
the business that existing agencies may be terminated and fresh agencies H
,-

960 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1999) l S.C.R.

A may be taken. Thereafter the 5=9urt held that it was difficult to lay down a.
precise principle of universal application but various workable rules have
been evolved for guidance.

Applying the aforesaid test laid down by this Court in the present
case, in our view the Tribunal was right in arriving at a conclusion that it
B was a capital receipt. Reason is that as provided in Article xvm of the
First Agreement assessee was having an option or right or lien, if owner
desired to transfer the hotel or lease or part of the hotel to any other
person, the same was required to be offered first to the assesscc (operator)
or its nominee. This right to exercise its option was given up by a Sup-
C plementary Agreement which was extcuted in September, 1975 between
the. Receiver and assessee. It was agreed that Receiver would be at liberty
to sell OJ otherwise dispose of the said property at such price and on such
terms as he may deem fit and was not under any obligation requiring the
purchaser thereof to enter into any agreement with the operator (assessee)
D for the purpose of operating and managing the hotel or otherwise and in
its return, agreed consideration was as stated above in clause X. On the
basis of the said agreement the assessee has received the amount in
question. The amount was received because the assessee had given up its
right to purchase and or to operate the property. Further it is loss of source
of income to the assessee and that right is determined for consideration.
E Obviously therefore, it is a capital receipt and not a revenue receipt.

Learned counsel for the Revenue relied upon the decision in the case
of Commissioner of Income Tax v. Rai Bahadur Jairam Valji and Others, 35
ITR 148 and submitted that assessee had the business of running the hotels
F in various countries and the amount which is received by him is for the
termination of first contract which was executed in 1970 and, therefore, it
should be considered his revenue receipt. In that case Lhe Court was
dealing with a trading contract and held that compensation paid in respect
of the rights arising under the trading contract would be a revenue receipt
and must be referred to the profits which would be made in carrying out
G of contract. The Court has also observed :

"Whether a payment of compensation or termination of an
agency is a capital or revenue receipt, it would have to be con-
sidered whether the agency was in the nature of capital asset in
H the hands of the assessee, or whether it was cnly part of his
OBEROI HOTEL PVT.LTD. v. C.I.T. [SHAH, J .] 961

stock'in-trade." A
The aforesaid judgment was considered in the case of Kettlewell
Bullen & Co. Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax, Calcutta, (1964) 53 ITR
261, wherein the Court has held as under :

"Whether a particular receipt is capital or income from busi- B
ness, has frequently engaged the attention of the courts. It may
be broadly stated that what is received for loss of capital is a capital
receipt; what is received as profit in a trading transaction is taxable
income. But the difficulty arises in ascertaining whether what is
received in a given case is compensation for loss of a source of c
income, or profit in a trading transaction."

After considering various decisions it was further held as under :

"These cases illustrate the principle that compensation for
injury to trading operations, arising from breach of contract or in D
consequence of exercise of sovereign rights, is revenue. These cases
must, however, be distinguished from another class of cases where
compensation is paid as a solatium for loss of office. Such com-
pensation may be regarded as capital or revenue; it would be
regarded as capital, if it is for loss of an asset of enduring value E
to the assessee, but not where payment is received in settlement
of loss in a trading transaction."

After analysing number of cases, the Court observed that following
satisfactory measure of consistency in the principle is disclosed :
F
"Where on a consideration of the circumstances, payment is made
to compensate a person for cancellation of a contract which does
not affect the trading structure of his business, nor deprive him of
what in substance is his source of income, termination of the
contract being a normal incident of the business, and such cancel-
lation leave him free to carry on his trade (freed from the contract G
terminated) the receipt is revenue : Where by the cancellation of
an agency the trading structure of the assessee is impaired, or such
cancellation results in loss of what may be regarded as the source
of the assessee's income, the payment made to compensate for
cancellation of the agency agreement is normally a capital receipt." H
962 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1999] 1 S.C.R.

A The aforesaid principle is relied upon in the case of Karam Chand
Thapar and Eros's case (supra). Considering the aforesaid principles laid
down as per Article XVIII of the Principal Agreement, the amount
received by the assessee is for the consideration for giving up his right to
purchase and or to operate the property or for getting it on lease before
B it is transferred or let out to other persons. It is not for settlement of rights
under trading contract, but the injury is inflicted on the capital asset of the
assessee and giving up the contractual right on the basis of Principal
Agreement has resulted in loss of source of assessee's income.

In this view of the matter, the order passed by the High Court is set
C aside and the appeal is allowed. The question is answered in favour of
the assessee and against the Revenue by holding that receipt in the hands
of the assessee was capital receipt.

v.s.s. Appeal allowed.