How we can get away with ZERO liability even when your employer defaults on TDS deposits

&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph">Byjuโ€™s deducted รขย‚ยน1&period;49 crore TDS from Krishnaโ€™s salary But never deposited it with the Tax Dept&period; It happened with 23&comma;621 employees Tax Dept sent Krishna a demand notice to pay the tax<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph"> But hereโ€™s how you can get away with ZERO liability even when your employer defaults on TDS<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading"><strong>&lbrack;1&rsqb; Fact of the case&colon;<&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Salary slips showed full TDS deduction<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Form 26AS showed zero deposit<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ CPC denied credit and generated a demand<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Krishna argued that he had already paid the taxes&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">&lbrack;2&rsqb; What Income tax says about it<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Section 205 provides&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ When tax is deducted at source&comma;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ The assessee &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;shall not be called upon to pay it againโ€<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Once deduction happens&comma; liability shifts entirely to the employer&comma; not the employee&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading"><strong>&lbrack;3&rsqb; CBDT Instruction No&period; 275&sol;29&sol;2014 &lpar;1 June 2015&rpar; says&colon;<&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Credit mismatch demands must not be enforced<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Employee cannot be penalised for employerโ€™s failure<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Deduction &equals; tax deemed paid<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">This instruction directly supported Krishna&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading"><strong>&lbrack;4&rsqb; CBDTโ€™s 2016 Office Memorandum reiterated the same&colon;<&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ No recovery can be made from an employee<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Non-deposit by employer cannot create enforceable tax liability<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">ITAT noted both circulars as binding on the department&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">&lbrack;5&rsqb; ย <strong>Income Tax Appellate Tribunal<&sol;strong> &lbrack; ITAT&rsqb; findings&colon;<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Deducted TDS is treated as paid by the employee<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Revenue must proceed against the Byjuโ€™s &lpar;employer&rpar;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Krishna cannot be revisited for tax already deducted from his salary<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Employer default doesnโ€™t mean employee liability&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">&lbrack;6&rsqb; ITAT also addressed judicial discipline&colon;<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Coordinate Bench rulings must be followed<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ High Court rulings like Om Prakash Gattani bind the department<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Denying credit contradicted established jurisprudence&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">&lbrack;7&rsqb; Final ruling&colon;<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Full TDS credit granted<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">รฐยŸย”ยธ Entire demand deleted<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Case closed<&sol;strong> in favour of Krishna&period; <strong>The employerโ€™s failure could not legally be transferred to him&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph"><&sol;p>&NewLine;

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