Case Law: Sumanlata Bansal vs. ACIT (ITAT Mumbai) (Third Member)

S. 153A: There is no requirement to issue a notice u/s 143(2) before making an assessment u/s 153A

There is no specific provision in the Act requiring the assessment made under section 153A to be after issue of notice under section 143(2) of the Act. Learned counsel for the assessee places heavy reliance on the judgment of the Hon‟ble Supreme Court in Hotel Blue Moon v. DCIT 321 ITR 362 (SC) wherein it was held that the where an assessment has to be completed under section 143(3) read with section 158BC, notice under section 143 (2) must be issued and omission to do so cannot be a procedural irregularity and the same is not curable. It is to be noted that the above said judgment was in the context of Section 158BC. Clause (b) of Section 158BC expressly provides that “the AO shall proceed to determine the undisclosed income of the block period in the manner laid down in section 158BB and the provisions of Section 142, sub sections (2) and (3) of Section 143, Section 144 and Section 145 shall, so far as may be, apply. This is not the position under section 153A. The law laid down in Hotel Blue Moon, is thus not applicable to the facts of the present case

Sumanlata Bansal vs. ACIT (ITAT Mumbai) (Third Member)