No penalty on ‘Aishwarya Rai’ for TDS default if she relied on her CA’s advice [2016] 68taxmann.com 324 (Mumbai - Trib.)

Facts

a) Assessee (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) made payment of US $ 77,500 to a non-resident for development of website without deducting TDS under Section 195.

b) The Assessing Officer (AO) observed that payment made for development of website would fall within the meaning of 'fees for technical services' as per Explanation 2 to Section 9(1)(vii). Therefore, payment so made was taxable in India in hands of non-resident and, hence, assessee had made default for not deducting TDS while making such payment. Consequently, the AO imposed penalty under section 271C for not deducting the TDS.

c) Assessee submitted that she had not deducted TDS by relying upon advice of her CA. Therefore, penalty shouldn’t be imposed as there was no mala fide intension on her part.

d) CIT(A) confirmed the order of AO. Aggrieved by the order of CIT(A), assessee filed the instant appeal before the tribunal.

The tribunal held in favour of assessee as under-
1) Section 273B provides that no penalty under section 271C should be imposed if assessee proves that there was a reasonable cause for failure to deduct TDS.

 2) It is a well-accepted fact that every citizen of the country is neither fully aware of nor is expected to know the technicalities of the Income Tax Act. Therefore, for discharging their statutory duties and obligations, they take assistance and advice of professionals who are well acquainted with the statutory provisions.

 3) In the instant case, assessee's CA had issued a certificate opining that tax was not required to be deducted at source on said remittance. Therefore, assessee under a bonafide belief didn’t deduct TDS while making such remittance.

 4) Therefore, failure on the part of the assessee to deduct tax at source was due to a reasonable cause. Hence, no penalty under Section 271C should be imposed-

 [2016] 68taxmann.com 324 (Mumbai - Trib.)