Holding

Excise duty and sales tax cannot be included in the total turnover for computing the deduction under section 80HHC(3)(b).

Summary

The dispute concerned the assessment year 1997‑98 where the assessing officer had included excise duty and sales tax in the "total turnover" for computing the deduction under section 80HHC(3)(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Revenue appealed, arguing that the plain meaning of "turnover" required inclusion of these taxes. The Supreme Court examined the legislative intent of section 80HHC, which aims to grant export‑related profit incentives, and held that turnover refers to gross receipts from business, not indirect taxes collected on behalf of the government. It reasoned that excise duty and sales tax, like commission, interest and rent, do not emanate from turnover and would render the formula unworkable if included. Consequently, the Court dismissed the appeal, confirming that excise duty and sales tax cannot be counted in total turnover for the purpose of the deduction.

Issues considered

Whether sales tax and excise duty are includable in the "total turnover" for computing deduction under section 80HHC(3)(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Legislation cited

Income Tax Act, 1961s. 2(24), s. 28, s. 80HHC(3)(b)

Subjects

turnoverexcise dutysales taxSection 80HHCexport profit deductionIncome Tax Actinterpretation of statutesindirect taxes

Judgment

THE COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX A
v.
M/S. CATAPHARMA (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

JULY 23, 2007

[DR. ARIJIT PASAYAT AND D.K. JAIN,JJ.] B
J.

:...; Income Tax Act, 1961-s. 80 HHC-Turnover'-Computation of-For
computing deduction-Whether includes 'Sales tax ' and 'Excise duty '-Held·
'Sales tax' and 'Excise duty' cannot be included in the 'total turnover' for
computing the deduction-Interpretation of taxing statute.
c
Words and Phrases-' Turnover' -Meaning of. in the context of Income
Tax Act, 1961.

The question for'determination in the present appeal was whether 'sales
,... tax' and 'excise duty' are includible in the total turnover for computing
D
"' deduction u/s 80 HHC of Income Tax Act, 1961.

Dismissing the appeal, the Court

HELD: 'Excise duty' and 'sales tax' cannot be included in the "total
turnover". Tax under the Act is upon income, profits and gains. It is not a tax
E
on gross receipts. The object of the legislature in enacting Section 80HHC
of the Act was to confer a benefit on profits accruing with reference to export
turnover. Therefore, "turnover" was the requirement. Commission, rent,
interest etc. did not involve any turnover. Just as interest, commission etc.
did not emanate from the "turnover", so also excise duty and sales tax did not F
emanate from such turnover. Since excise duty and sales tax did not involve
any such turnover, such taxes had to be excluded.
(Para 4) (468-F, G, H; 469-Al

Commissioner of Income Tax, Coimbatore v. Mis. Lakshmi Machine
Works, JT (2007) 6 SC 236, relied on. G I

C/Tv. Sudarshan Chemical Industries Ltd, (2000) (245) ITR 769 (Born.),
.~ referred to.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 3204 of2007.
465 H
466 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2007) 8 S.C.R.

A From the Judgment & Order dated 17.07.2006 of the High Court of .....(
Judicature at Bombay_ in Tax Case (Appeal) No. 915 of 2004.

K.P. Pathak, A.S.G., Arijit Prasad and B.V. Balaram Das for the Appellant.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
B
DR. ARIJIT PASAYA T, J. I. Leave granted.

2. Challenge in this appeal is to the order passed by a Division Bench
of the Bombay High Court relating to the question whether sales tax and
excise duty form part of the totat"turnover. Dispute relates to the Assessment
C year 1997-98.

3. Background facts in a nutshell are as follows:

While making assessment under Section 143(3) of the Income Tax Act,
· 196 I (in short the 'Act'), assessing officer included excise duty and sales tax
D on the total turnover for computing the deduction under Section 80 HHC
(3)(b) of the Act. The Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), Special Range-
l, Nasik (in short the 'CIT' (A), he.Id that while calculating deduction under
Section 80HHC amounts of excise duty and sales tax collected by the assessee,
are not to be included in the total turnover for the purpose of computing
deductions under Section 80HHC. Revenue preferred an appeal before the
E Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Pune Bench, Pune, (in short the 'Tribunal").
The appeal was dismissed following a decision of the Bombay High Court in
C/Tv. Sudarshan Chemical Industries Ltd, (2000) 245 ITR 769 (Born.). Appeal
was preferred by the Revenue be ~ore the High Court which by the impugned_
order dismissed the appeal answering the question raised in the appeal in
F favour of the assessee and against the revenue.
4. In the present appeal the stand is that one has to give plain meaning
of the word "turnover" in the formula applied for computation. It was urged
that there was no need to call for any rule of interpretation or external aid to
interpret the said word. In essence, it was urged that having regard to the
G plain words of the Section 'excise duty' and 'sales tax' ought to have been
included in the "total turnover". It is to be noted that a similar plea was raised
in Commissioner of Income Tax, Coimbatore v. Mis. Lakshmi Machine Works,
JT (2007) 6 SC 236. In para 18 it was noted as follows:

"We do not find any merit in the above contentions ·advanced on
H behalf of the Department. It is important to note that tax under the Act
COMMNR.OFINCOMETAXv.CATAPHARMA(INDIA)PVT.LTD.[PASAYAT,J.J 467

is upon income, profits and gains. It is not a tax on gross receipts. A
Under Section 2(24) of the Act the word "income" includes profits and
gains. The charge is not on gross receipts but on profits and gains
properly so-called. Gross receipts or sale proceeds, however, include
profits. According to The Law and Practice of Income Tax by Kanga
and Palkhlvala, the word "profits" in Section 28 should be understood B
in normal and proper sense. However, subject to special requirements
of the income tax, profits have got to be assessed provided they are
real profits. Such profits have to be got to be ascertained on ordinary
principles of commercial trading and accounting. However, the income
tax has laid down certain rules to be applied in.deciding how the tax
should be assessed and even if the result is to tax as profits what C
cannot be construed as profits, still the requirements of the income
tax must be complied with. Where a deduction is necessary in order
to ascertain the profits and gains, such deductions should be allowed.
Profits should be computed after deducting the expenses incurred for
business though such expenses may not be admissible expressly
under the Act, unless such expenses are expressly disallowed by the D
Act {SEE page 455 of The Law and Practice oflncome Tax by Kanga
and Palkhivala]. Therefore, schematic interpretation for making the
formula in Section 80H HC workable cannot be ruled out. Similarly,
purposeful interpretation of Section 80HHC which has undergone so
many changes cannot be ruled out, particularly, when those legislative E
changes indicate that the legislature intended to exclude item,s like
commission and interest from deduction on the ground that they did
not pos~ess any element of "turnover" even though commission and
interest emanated from exports. We have to read the words "total
turnover" in Section 80HHC as part of the formula which sought to
segregate the "export profits" from the "business profits". Therefore, F
we have to read the formula in entirety. In that formula the entire
business profits is not given deduction. It is the business profit which
is proportionately reduced by the above fraction/ratio of export turnover
- total turnover which constitute SOHHC concession (deduction).
Income in the nature of "business profits" was, therefore, apportioned. G
The above formula fixed a ratio in which "business profits" under
Section 28 of the Act had to be apportioned. Therefore, one has to
give weightage not only to the words "total turnover" but also to the
words "export turnover", "total export turnover" and "business profits".
That is the reason why we have quoted hereinabove extensively the
illustration from the Direct Taxes (Income tax) Ready Reckoner of the H
468 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007) 8 S.C.R.

A relevant word . .In the circumstances, we cannot interpret the words
"total turnover" in the above formula with reference to the definition
of the word "turnover" in other laws like Central Sales Tax or as
defined in accounting principles. Goods for export do not incur excise
duty liability. As stated above, even commission and interest fonned
a part of the profit and loss account, however, they were not eligible
c for deduction under Section 80HHC. They were not eligible even
without the clarification introduced by the legislature by various
amendments because they did not involve any element of turnover.
Further, in all other provisions of the income tax, profits and gains
were required to be computed with reference to the books of accounts
D of the assessee. However, as can be seen from the Income Tax Rules
and from the above Fonn No. I OCCAC in the case of deduction under
Section 80HHC a report of the auditor certifying deduction based on
export turnover was sufficient. This is because the very basis for
computing Section 80HHC deduction was "business profits" as
computed under Section 28, a portion of which had to be appo1tioned
E in terms of the above ratio of export turnover to total turnover. Section
80HHC(3) was a beneficial section. It was intended to provide
incentives to promote exports. The incentive was to exempt profits
relatable to exports. In the case of combined business of an assessee
having export business and domestic business the legislature intended
E to have a fonnula to ascertain export profits by apportioning the total
business profits on the basis of turnovers. Apportionment of profits
on the basis of turnover was accepted as a method of arriving at
export profits. This method earlier existed under Excess Profits Tax
Act, it existed in the Business Profits Tax Act. Therefore, just as
commission received by an assessee is relatable to exports and yet it
F cannot fonn part of "turnover", excise duty and sales tax also cannot
form part of the "turnover". Similarly, "interest" emanates from exports
and yet "interest" does not involve an element of turnover. The object
of the legislature in enacting Section 80HHC of the Act was to confer
a benefit on profits accruing with reference to export turnover.
Therefore, "turnover" was the requirement. Commission, rent, interest
G
etc. did not involve any turnover. Therefore, 90% of such commission,
interest etc. was excluded from the profits derived from the export.
Therefore, even without the clarification such items did not fonn part
of the fonnula in Section 80HHC(3) for the simple reason that it did
not emanate from the "export turnover", much less any turnover. Even
H if the assessee was an exclusive dealer in exports. the said commission
COMMNR.OFINCOMETAXv.CATAPHARMA(INDIA)PVf.LTD.[PASAYAt,J.] 469

was not includible as it did not spring from the "turnover". Just as A
interest, commission etc. did not emanate from the "turnover", so also
excise duty and sales tax did not emanate from such turnover. Since
excise duty and sales tax did not involve any such turnover, such
taxes had to be excluded. Commission, interest, rent etc. do yield
profits, but they do not partake of the character of turnover and,
therefore, they were not includible in the "total turnover". The above B
discussion shows that income from rent, commission etc. cannot be
considered as part of business profits and, therefore, they cannot be
held as part of the turnover also. In fact, in Civil Appeal No. 4409 of
2005, the above proposition has been accepted by the A.O [ page No.
24 of the paper book], if so, then excise duty and sales tax also cannot C
form part of the "total turnover" under Section 80HHC(3), otherwise
the formula becomes unworkable. In our view, sales tax and excise
duty also do not have any element of "turnover" which is the position
even in the case of rent, commission, interest etc. It is important to
bear in mind that excise duty and sales tax are indirect taxes. They are
recovered by the assessee on behalf of the Government. Therefore, D
if they are made relatable to exports, the formula under Section SOHHC
would become unworkable. The view which we have taken is in the
light of amendments made to Section SOHHC from time to time."

5. We are in respectful agreement with the view expressed. Appeal is E
without merit and is dismissed. There will be no order as to costs.

K.K.T. Appeal dismissed.