In this landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India clarified a critical distinction in tax jurisprudence: the non-service of notice under section 143(2) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, on all legal representatives of a deceased assessee does not render the assessment order null and void. The Court held that such an omission is a procedural irregularity, not a jurisdictional flaw, as the tax liability is created by the charging sections of the Act. The ruling reinforces that defects in procedural compliance can be remedied by remanding the matter for fresh assessment, protecting the Revenue’s right to tax where substantive liability exists. This decision provides significant precedent for cases involving technical procedural lapses in assessment proceedings against legal heirs.

Vikrant Tyres Ltd. v. ITO is a landmark Supreme Court ruling on the levy of interest under section 220(2) of the Income Tax Act. The Court decisively held that interest for delayed payment cannot be charged when an assessee has complied with all tax demands promptly, even if the tax amount was refunded temporarily due to appellate proceedings and later repaid. The judgment reinforces the strict interpretation of taxing statutes, rejecting the Revenue’s attempt to use the Validation Act to create a liability where the statutory conditions for default were not met. This precedent protects taxpayers from interest demands in scenarios involving successful interim appeals followed by unfavorable final outcomes, provided there was no delay in payment upon demand.

In a landmark ruling on penalty proceedings, the Supreme Court in CIT vs. Reliance Petroproducts (P) Ltd. has crystallized the legal distinction between a legally unsustainable claim and the act of furnishing inaccurate particulars of income. The Court held that for penalty under section 271(1)(c) to be levied, the Revenue must demonstrate that the details or facts submitted in the return are factually incorrect, erroneous, or false. The mere act of making a claim for deduction (like interest expenditure under section 36(1)(iii) which is later disallowed under section 14A) does not, per se, amount to furnishing inaccurate particulars. The decision reinforces the principle of strict interpretation of penalty provisions and protects assessees from penalty where the dispute is purely on the legal admissibility of a claim based on fully disclosed facts. This judgment is a critical shield for taxpayers against penal consequences arising from bona fide legal interpretations.

In a landmark reassessment jurisdiction ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the revenue’s notice to reassess New Delhi Television Ltd. for AY 2008-09 concerning US$100 million bonds issued by its UK subsidiary. The Court ruled that subsequent findings from a later assessment year (AY 2009-10), where the Dispute Resolution Panel held transactions with Netherlands subsidiaries as sham, coupled with minority shareholder complaints alleging round-tripping of funds, constituted fresh ‘tangible material’ sufficient to form ‘reason to believe’ income escaped assessment. Critically, the Court held that even if all facts were originally disclosed, reassessment is permissible if post-assessment information exposes the transaction as potentially bogus, distinguishing it from a mere change of opinion. The decision reinforces the revenue’s authority to reopen assessments based on credible subsequent information, setting a significant precedent for cases involving complex corporate structures and cross-border transactions.

In a landmark judgment on the interplay between company law amalgamation schemes and income tax procedural requirements, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Dalmia Power Limited and Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited. The Court held that when the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) sanctions an amalgamation scheme containing explicit provisions allowing the filing of revised income tax returns beyond statutory deadlines, and the Income Tax Department fails to object to such provisions within the prescribed notice period under Section 230(5) of the Companies Act, 2013, the Department must accept such belated returns. The judgment establishes that NCLT-sanctioned schemes with specific tax provisions create binding obligations that override procedural requirements under the Income Tax Act, particularly when the statutory authorities had opportunity to object but remained silent.

In this landmark capital gains tax case, the Supreme Court resolved a conflict among High Courts regarding the computation of capital gains on sale of depreciable assets owned before 1st January 1954. The Court upheld the Revenue’s position that section 50(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961—a special provision for depreciable assets—mandates the use of written down value as the cost of acquisition, overriding the general option under section 55(2)(i) to adopt fair market value as on 1st January 1954. This decision reinforces the principle that special provisions prevail over general ones, ensuring consistent tax treatment for depreciable assets and preventing assessees from artificially reducing capital gains by revaluing assets.

In a landmark interpretation of fiscal statutes, the Supreme Court ruled that cotton yarn manufacturing qualifies as ‘textiles’ under Entry 21 of the Ninth Schedule to the Income Tax Act 1961, entitling the assessee to a higher rate of initial depreciation. The Court rejected the Revenue’s narrow construction, holding that the inclusive language of the entry (‘including cotton yarn, hosiery and rope’) demonstrates legislative intent to extend benefits to upstream production stages. This decision reinforces the principle that tax incentives for specified industries must be interpreted purposively to achieve economic objectives, ensuring that yarn producers receive parity with downstream textile manufacturers.

In a landmark reassessment jurisdiction ruling, the Supreme Court reinforced strict procedural safeguards under Section 34(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act, 1922. The Court held that the tax authorities cannot arbitrarily reopen long-finalized assessments—here, spanning 1942-43 to 1953-54—without demonstrable, relevant material forming the basis for the ITO’s belief that income escaped assessment due to assessee non-disclosure. Critically, the Department’s failure to produce the mandatory ITO report and Central Board satisfaction order, despite court directives, warranted an adverse inference, effectively vitiating the reassessment notices. This decision underscores that settled assessments, especially those involving previously investigated issues like cash credits, enjoy protection against jurisdictional overreach, placing the burden squarely on the Revenue to substantiate reopening with concrete evidence and procedural compliance.