Penalty U/s. 271AAA cannot be levies if No search has taken place at assessee’s premises

Facts of the case, in brief, are that the assessee is a company and filed its return of income on 26th March, 2013 declaring total income of Rs.2,12,72,940/-. A search and seizure action u/s 132 of the I.T. Act was carried out at the business premises of M/s. Aggarwal Associates and Jainco Group of cases and their relatives on 19.10.2011.

DCIT Vs Jainco Developers (P) Ltd. (ITAT Delhi)

A perusal of the assessment order shows that no search had taken place in the case of the assessee on 19th October, 2011 and the assessment was completed by issuing notice u/s 153C of the I.T Act. We, therefore, find merit in the arguments of the ld. counsel for the assessee that the provision of section 271AAA are not applicable to the assessee since the said provision as applicable to cases where search has been conducted u/s 132 of the I.T. Act, 1961. We find the Assessing Officer in the instant case has recorded his satisfaction for initiation of penalty u/s 271AAA and thereafter levied penalty u/s 271AAA. We find in the assessment order, the A.O has categorically mentioned in Para 3 of the order that the assessee company has declared the amounts surrendered as miscellaneous income under the head income from other sources. A perusal of the assessment order shows that the assessee has surrendered the income, explained the manner in which it was earned and has paid the taxes due thereon. Therefore, the assessee has fulfilled all the conditions laid down in Section 271AAA for non-levy of penalty under the said provisions. Even otherwise also, it is an admitted fact that no search has taken place in the premises of the assessee and, therefore, provisions of Section 271AAA are not at all applicable