# INDIA CEMENTS LTD., MADRAS v. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME-TAX, MADRAS

- **Citation:** [1966] 2 S.C.R. 944
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1965-12-08
- **Bench:** K. Subba Rao, J. C. Shah, S. M. Sikri
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/india-cements-ltd-madras-v-commissioner-of-income-tax-madras-3769
- **Pages:** 15

## Headnote

Indian Income-tax Act, 1922, s. 10(2) (xv)--cLoan obtained by com·
pany-Stamp duty
and other
exp.enditure
incurred in
obtaining
the
Joan-Whether· capital or revenue
expenditure-Whether laid
out for
purpose of business.
During the accounting period relevant for the assessment yea'f 1950-51
the appellant company obtained a loan of 40 Jakhs of rupees from the
Industrial Finance Corporation
of India.
The loan
was secured by a
charge on the fixed assets of the company. A sum of Rs. 84,633 was
shown in the Balance Sheet for
the said accounting
year as mortgage
loan expenses; the sum was not cha-rged as expenditure in the pro.fit and
loss account.
In the accounts for the accounting year ending March 31,
1953, this sum was written off by appropriation against profits of that
year. The Income-tax Officer disallowed the deduction; he held that the
expenditure was incurred in obtaining capital and should be distinguished from interest on borrowed capital which
alone
was admissible as a
deduction under s. 10(2) (iii). Jn his
view the expenditure was of a
capital nature and therefore not admissible under s. 10(2) (xv)
either.
After intermediate proceedings the High Court in reference gave a finding
upholding the view of the Income-tax Officer.
The appellant by special
leave, came to this Court.
It was contended on behalf of the. appellant that : (I) the expenditure
in question was not incurred to acquire any asset or advantage of an enduring nature; (2) it was applied wholly and exclusively for the purposes
of the business; and (3) was admissible as a deduction under S. 10(2)(xv).
HELD : In the circumstances of the case the expenditure in question
was revenue expenditure within s. 10 (2) (xv).
(i) When there is no express prohibition, an outgoing, by means of
which an assessee procures the use of a thing by which it makes a profit,
is deductible from the ·receipts of the business to ascertain
taxable income.
On the facts of the instant case, the money secured by the loan
was the thing for the use of which this expenditure was made.
In principle, apart from any :stat.utory provisions,
there is no distinction,
as
drawn by the Income-tax Officer, between interest in respect of a loan and
an expenditure incurred for obtaining the loan. [950 G-H]
(ii) A loan obtained cannot be treated as an asset or advantage for
the enduring benefit of the business of the assessee.
A loan is a liability
.and has to be repaid and it is erroneous to consider a liability as an asset
or an advantage. [955 CJ
(iii) The nature of the expenditure incurred in raising a loan cannot
be made to depend on the nature and purpose of the loan. A loan may
be intended to be used for the purchase of raw material when it is negotiated but the company may after raising the loan change its mind and
spend it on securing capital assets. [955-H-956 BJ
A
B
J
c
D
~.
E
...
;,;~;
'!'
F
,,
j
G
H
I
INDIA CEMENTS V. c. 1. r. (Sikri, ]. )
945
A
(iv) The loan was voluntarily entered into in order to facilitate the
running of the business of the company and it could not be said that it
was not laid out wholly and exclusively for the purpose of the business.
[958 BJ
Case la\V considered.

## Text

944
INDIA CEMENTS LTD., MADRAS
v.
COMMISSIONER OF INCOME-TAX, MADRAS
December 8, 1965
(K. SUBBA RAO, J. C. SHAH AND S. M. SIKRI, JJ.J
Indian Income-tax Act, 1922, s. 10(2) (xv)--cLoan obtained by com·
pany-Stamp duty
and other
exp.enditure
incurred in
obtaining
the
Joan-Whether· capital or revenue
expenditure-Whether laid
out for
purpose of business.
During the accounting period relevant for the assessment yea'f 1950-51
the appellant company obtained a loan of 40 Jakhs of rupees from the
Industrial Finance Corporation
of India.
The loan
was secured by a
charge on the fixed assets of the company. A sum of Rs. 84,633 was
shown in the Balance Sheet for
the said accounting
year as mortgage
loan expenses; the sum was not cha-rged as expenditure in the pro.fit and
loss account.
In the accounts for the accounting year ending March 31,
1953, this sum was written off by appropriation against profits of that
year. The Income-tax Officer disallowed the deduction; he held that the
expenditure was incurred in obtaining capital and should be distinguished from interest on borrowed capital which
alone
was admissible as a
deduction under s. 10(2) (iii). Jn his
view the expenditure was of a
capital nature and therefore not admissible under s. 10(2) (xv)
either.
After intermediate proceedings the High Court in reference gave a finding
upholding the view of the Income-tax Officer.
The appellant by special
leave, came to this Court.
It was contended on behalf of the. appellant that : (I) the expenditure
in question was not incurred to acquire any asset or advantage of an enduring nature; (2) it was applied wholly and exclusively for the purposes
of the business; and (3) was admissible as a deduction under S. 10(2)(xv).
HELD : In the circumstances of the case the expenditure in question
was revenue expenditure within s. 10 (2) (xv).
(i) When there is no express prohibition, an outgoing, by means of
which an assessee procures the use of a thing by which it makes a profit,
is deductible from the ·receipts of the business to ascertain
taxable income.
On the facts of the instant case, the money secured by the loan
was the thing for the use of which this expenditure was made.
In principle, apart from any :stat.utory provisions,
there is no distinction,
as
drawn by the Income-tax Officer, between interest in respect of a loan and
an expenditure incurred for obtaining the loan. [950 G-H]
(ii) A loan obtained cannot be treated as an asset or advantage for
the enduring benefit of the business of the assessee.
A loan is a liability
.and has to be repaid and it is erroneous to consider a liability as an asset
or an advantage. [955 CJ
(iii) The nature of the expenditure incurred in raising a loan cannot
be made to depend on the nature and purpose of the loan. A loan may
be intended to be used for the purchase of raw material when it is negotiated but the company may after raising the loan change its mind and
spend it on securing capital assets. [955-H-956 BJ
A
B
J
c
D
~.
E
...
;,;~;
'!'
F
,,
j
G
H
I
INDIA CEMENTS V. c. 1. r. (Sikri, ]. )
945
A
(iv) The loan was voluntarily entered into in order to facilitate the
running of the business of the company and it could not be said that it
was not laid out wholly and exclusively for the purpose of the business.
[958 BJ
Case la\V considered.
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 1106 of
B
1964.
Appeal by special leave from the judgment and order dated
the October 31, 1961 of the Madras High Court in Tax Case
No. 67 of 1958.
C
A. V. Viswanatha Sastri, R. Ve11kataraman and R. Gopa/akrishnan, for the appellant.
D
E
S. T. Desai, Gopal Singh, B. R. G. K. Achar and R. N.
Sachthey, for the respondent.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
Sikri, J.
This appeal by special leave is directed against the
judgment of the High Court of Judicature at Madras answering
the following question of law in favour of the respondent :
"Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of
the case, the Tribunal was right in law in holding that
the sum of rupees 84,633/- expended by the assessee
in obtaining the loan or· any part thereof is an allowable expenditure ?"
The facts and circumstances of the case as stated by the
Tribunal in the statement of the case are as follows : The appelF
!ant, India Cements Limited, Madras, hereinafter referred to as
,·
the assessee, is a public limited company.
The question arises
in respect of the assessment year 1950-51, accounting period
April 1, 1949 to March 31, 1950. During the accounting year
it obtained a loan of 40 lakhs of rupees from the Industrial Finance Corporation of India.
This loan was secured by a charge
G
on the fixed assets of the company.
Since Mr. S. T. Desai, the
learned counsel for the respondent, has disputed some facts as
stated by the Appellant Tribunal, it would be convenient to give ·
these facts in the words of the Appellate Tribunal. It is stated
in the statement of the case that "the proceeds of this loan was
utilised to pay off a prior debt of 25 lakhs due to Messrs A. F.
H
Harvey Limited and Madurai Mills,
Limited. It cannot be
stated definitely how the balance of 15 lakhs v; as used but the
directors, while reporting on the accounts for the year ended
"
946
SUPREME
COURT
REPORTS
(1966] 2 S.C.R.
31-3-1949 on 4-10-1949 stated that that was utilised towards
A
working funds."
The expenditure of Rs. 84,633/- in connection
with this loan was made up of the following items :
•
Stamps
60,023 0 0
Registration Fee
16,067 0 0
Charges for certified copy of
B
the mortgage deed
28 0 0
Indemnity deed by Essen and
Company, Limited
15 0 0
Vakil's fee for drafting deed
7 ,500 0 0
Legal fees·
1,000 0 0
c
Total Rs. 84,633 0 0
The assessee did not charge this expenditure in the profits and
loss account for that year.
It was shown in the Balance Sheet
as mortgage loan expenses.
It continued to be so shown till
March 31, 1952. In the accounts for March 31, 1953 this was
D
written off by appropriation against the profits of that year.
The Income Tax Officer refused to allow the deduction of
Rs. 84,633/-.
He observed:
"As per the information furnished by the auditors,
Rs. 25 lakhs of the loan was to be paid to Messrs A.
F. Harvey, Limited, and Mathurai Mills, Limited in,
discharge of the amount borrowed from · them and
utilised on the capital assets of the company.
Though
in the Company's books the amount of
Rs. 84,633 was not charged to revenue but capitalised
and carried forward in the Balance Sheet, for purposes
of income tax, the Company's auditors claim the same
as an admissible item of revenue expenditure."
He held that the expenditure was incurred in obtaining capital
and should be distinguished from interest on borrowed capital
which was alone admissible as a deduction under s. 10(2){iii).
According to him, s. 10(2)(xi) specifically excludes from consi-
. deration any item of capital expenditure.
He further held that
the case was not distinguishable from the decision in The Nagpur
Electric Light and Power Co. v. Commissioner of Income-tax,
Central Provinces(').
The Appellate Assistant Commissioner
agreed with the Income Tax Officer.
The Appellate Tribunal
distinguished the case of Nagpur Electric Light an'd Power Co.
(1) 6 l.T.C. 28.
...
E
F
G
H
f;
•
..
•
INDIA CEMENTS v. C. I. T. (Sikri, J.)
947
A
v. Commissioner of Income Tax(') on the ground that in the
Nagpur Electric Light(') case money was expended for obtaining
capital. It observed as follows :
"Here we find the position to be different. A study
of the balance-sheets of the company as at 31-3-1949
B
discloses the fact that the paid-up capital was sufficient
to cover the entire capital outlay of the company and
that the further borrvwal of Rs. 25 lakhs was for augmenting the working funds of the company. It appears
to us that even at that early stage the money was
borrowed and used not for capital purposes but for
C
augmenting the working funds of the company.
We,
therefore, consider that the whole of the mortgage loan
was used firstly to discharge the loan of Rs. 25 lakhs
and the balance for working funds and, as such, the
whole of the amount was purely for the purposes of
augmenting the working capital of the company and
D
that it could not be stated that it was used for capital
purposes.
In this view of the matter, we hold that the
money expended in obtaining the loan is an allowable
expenditure."
The High Court, after noticing the findings of the Income Tax
E Officer and the Tribunal preferred the findings of fact made by
the Income Tax Officer.
It observed :
F
G
H
"At this stage, we may point out that the conclusion reached by the Tribunal that the money was borrowed ooly for workiJ1g expenses and not for c1lpital
investment proceeded on an inference based upon the
balance-sheet.
The Tribunal did not investigate how
the sum of Rs. 25 lakhs earlier borrowed from A. H.
Harvey and Madurai Mills Ltd. was actually utilised.
Though in the order of the Income-tax Officer it is
found stated that that amount was utilised on the
capital assets of the company and that statement was
ba11ed on the authority of the information furnished by
the auditors of the assessee, the Tribunal either overlooked or ignored this circumstance. In the face of the
statement so recorded by the Income-tax Officer, the
Tribunal does not appear to have been
justified in
relying upon inferencss
in ascertaining whether the
earlier borrowal was on capital or revenue account."
(l) 6 I.T.C. 28.
948
SUPREME
COURT
REPORTS
(1966] 2 S.C.R.
The High Court after reviewing various cases, observed :
"If we ask for what purpose the expenditure in the
present case was incurred, the only answer must be that
it was incurred for the purpose of bringing into existence an asset in the shape of borrowing these Rs. 40
lakhs.
The further question would then be whether
this asset or advantage was not for the enduring benefit of the business
and whether the expenditure incurred was one which was incurred once and for all.
The answer to both questions would again be in the
affirmative.
It is true that the borrowed money has to
be repaid and it cannot be an enduring advantage in
the sense that the money becomes part of the assets of
the company for all time to come. But, it certainly is
an advantage which the company derives
from
the
duration of the Joan and undoubtedly it could not have
been for any purpose other than an advantage to the
business that the borrowing
was
made.
That it is
not enduring in the sense that the borrowing has to be
repaid after a short or long period, as it were, cannot
affect the conclusion that it was nevertheless an asset
or an advantage that was secured. Viewed in the light
of the tests adumbrated in the above decision Assam
Bengal Cement Co. Ltd. v.
Commissioner of Income
Tax(') it seems to us chat the expenditure must be regarded as capital expenditure.
As the facts of the case
whicb we have set out earlier indicate, there can be
no doubt that at least to the extent of Rs. 25 lakhs
that amount was expended for purposes of a capital
nature, clearly in order to bring into existence capital
assets.
We have also pointed out that though it was
vaguely stated by the Tribunal that the other sum of
Rs. 15 lakhs was utilised as working funds, there seems
to be no material whatsoever before the Tribunal to
justify its coming to that conclusion."
The learned counsel for the assessee company, Mr. A. V.
Viswanatha Sastri, urges that the expenditure is admissible as a
deduction under s. 10(2) (xv) of the Act. He says that the High
Court erred in holding that the expenditure was made to acquire
any asset or advantage of an enduring nature within the test laid
down by Viscount Cave and approved by this Court in Assam.
Bengal Cement Co. Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income-Tax('). He
(1) 27 LT.R. 34.
A
B
c
I>
E
J!
G
H
•
INDIA CEMENTS V. C. I. T. (Sikri, J.)
949
A further says that what was secured by the
expenditure
wa.~
a loan and in India money expended in raising a loan, whether
by means of a debenture or a mortgage and whether you call it
a loan capital or not, is not an expenditure in the nature of capital
expenditure.
He further submits that the expenditure was expended wholly and exclusively for the purpose of the business of
B the company.
The learned counsel for the revenue, Mr. S. T. Desai, supports
the reasoning of the High Court.
He says that the High Court
was right in preferring the findings of the Income Tax Officer on
the ground that there was no material for the finding made by·
C
the Appellate Tribunal and the finding was based on surmises and
material evidence was ignored.
He says that the High Court in a
reference is entitled to ignore any findings of fact made by the
Appellate Tribunal if those findings are vitiated. In the alternative, he says that the question referred is wide enough to include
the question whether there was any material for the finding of the
D Appellate Tribunal.
On the merits he contends that expenditure
takes the colour from the thing on which the expenditure is made.
If the money is spent to obtain capital then the
expenditure
assumes the nature of capital expenditure, but if the money is
spent to obtain raw-materials then the expenditure takes the colour
of revenue expenditure.
He further says that the borroweii money
E
is an enduring asset and any expenditure made· to obtain this
money falls within the test laid down by Viscount Cave and
approved by this Court.
A number of cases have been referred to during the hearing
of the case by both the coumel but we do not propose to refer
F
to all of them.
We must start first with the cases decided by this
Court and see what
principles have been laid down for distinguishing revenue expenditure from expenditure in the nature of
capital expenditure, and especially those cases which dealt with
similar problems.
We will first consider State of Madras v.
G. J. Ceo/ho (1).
This was not a case arising under the Indian
G Income Tax Act but under the Madras Plantations Agricultural
Income Tax Act. 1955, in which a section exactly similar to
s. 10 ( 2) (xv) existed.
T n brief, the facts in that case were that
the assesse~ had borrowed. money for the purpose of purchasing
~he plantat10ns and he cla~med that in computing his agricultural
rncome from these plantat10ns the entire interest paid by him on
H
moneys borrowed for the purpose of purchasing the plantation
should be deducted as expenditure, under s. 5 ( e) of the AcJ.
In
(I) [1964] 8 S.C.R. 60 , S3 J.T.R. 186.
'950
SUPREME COURT
REPORTS
[1966] 2 S.C.R.
the Madras Act there was no provision similar to s. 10(2)(iii)
-0f the Act and thus interest was not expressly deductible as an
allowance.
This Court applied the test fonnulated by Viscount
.Cave, L. C., in Atherton v. British Insulated and Helsby Cable<
Ltd.t 1 ) and approved by the Court in Assam Bengal Cement Co.
Ltd. v. Commissioner of Income Tax( 2 ), and held that the payment of interest was a revenue expenditure.
It observed that "no
new asset is acquired with it; no enduring benefit is obtained.
Expenditure incurred was part of circulating or floating capital of
the assessee.
In ordinary commercial practice payment of interest would not be termed as capital expenditure." This Court
further held that the expenditure was for the purpose of business.
Mr. Desai tried to distinguish that case on the ground that what
was at issue was interest on loan and not expenditure incurred for
·obtaining the loan. In our opinion, there is no justification for
drawing this distinction in India.
As observed by Lord Atkinson
in Scottish North American Trust v. Farmer(') "the interest is,
A
B
c
in truth, money paid for the use or hire of an instrument of their
D
trade as much as is the rent paid for their office or the hire paid
for a typewriting machine.
It is an outgoing by means of which
the Company procured the use of the thing by which it makes a
profit, and like any similar outgoing should be deducted from the
receipts, to ascertain the taxable profits and gains which the Company earns.
Were it otherwise they might be taxed on assumed
profits when, in fact, they made a loss."
E
It will be remembered that there was no section likes. 10(2)
(iii) of the Act in the English Income Tax Act.
On the other
hand, there were certain rules prohibiting the deduction in respect of "any capital withdrawn from,
or any sum employed or
intended to be employed as capital in such trade .. " or "any inteF
rest which might have been made if any such sums as aforesaid
had been laid out at interest." Lord Atkinson first held in that
.case that the express prohibitions did not apply to the facts of the
case and then proceeded to discuss general principles. These
observations show that where there is •o express prohibition, an
outgoing, by means of which an assessee procures the use of a
G
thing by which it makes a profit, is deductible from the receipts
of the business to ascertain taxable income.
On the facts of this'
case, the money secured by the loan was the thing for the use of
which this expenditure was made. In principle, apart from any
sta~utory provisions, we see no distinction between interest in respect of a loan and an expenditure incurred for obtaining the loan.
{l) 10 T.C. 155.
(2)[!!55] 1 S.C.R. 972; 27 I.TK 34.
(3) 5 T.C. 693 at 707.
H
•
INDIA CEMENTS V. C. I. T. (Sikri, J.)
951
A Mr. De6ai urges that these observations of Lord Atkinson should
be limited to a case whe:e temporary borrowings are made. It is
true that the House of Lords was dealing with the case of a company and the moneys that were borrowed were of a temporary
character.
But this fact was only relied on to hold that "the
moneys secured were not 'capital'. within rule 3 of First Case, secB tion 100 ( 5 and 6 Vic. Ch. 35) of the Income Tax Act, 1842,
for Lord A~kinson observed at p. 706;
" .... it appears to me, simply, amounts to this that
the word "capital" must, in this rule, be held to bear a
wholly artificial meaning differing altogether from the
c
ordinary signification, though there be no context in the
clause requiring that there should be given to it a meaning different from that which it bears in ordinary commercial transactions."
He then referred to the decision in Bryon v. The Metropolitan
Saloon Omnibus Company(') to show that the borrowing by a
D joint-stock company of money by the issue of debentures does not
amount to an increasing of the capital of the company.
E
F
G
H
In Bombay Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. v. Commissioner of
Income Tax( 2 ), this Court again examined the question of distinguishing between capital expenditure and revenue expenditure.
This Court first held that on the facts of the case, cl. (iii) of
s. 10(2) did not apply, because the assessee in that case had
agreed to pay the balance of consideration due by the purchaser
and this did not, in truth, give rise to a loan.
Then Shah, J .,
observed:
"Whether a particular expenditure is revenue expenditure incurred for the purpose of business must be
determined on a consideration of all the facts and circumstances, and by the application of principles of
commercial trading.
The question must be viewed in
the larger context of business necessity or expediency.
If the outgoing or expenditure is so related to the carrying on or conduct of the business, that it may be regarded
as an integral part of the profit-earning process and not
for acquisition of an asset or a right of a permanent
character, the possession of which is a condition of the
carrying on of the business, the expenditure may be
regarded as revenue expenditure."
(1) 3 D.G. and 1. 123.
L8Sup. CJj63-' 1
(2) [1965] 1 S.C.R. 770 : 56 l.T.R. 52
952
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1966] 2 S.C.R.
· We will now briefly deal with relevant decisions of the High
A
Courts.
The first case referred is In re Tata Iron and Steel Company Ltd.(')
In that case, the Tata Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. had
incurred an expenditure of Rs. 28 lakhs as underwriting commis·
sion paid to underwriters on an issue of 7 lakhs preference shares
of Rs. 100/- each and the company claimed to deduct this amount
as expenses under s. 9(2)(ix) of the Indian Income Tax Act
•
(VII of 1918). Macleod, C.J., observed:
"If it is admitted that tlle cost of raising the original
capital cannot be deducted from profit after the first
year, it is difficult to see how the cost of raisini: addi-.
tional capital can be treated in a different way. Expen~es
C
incurred in raising capital are expenses of exactly the
same character whether the capital is raised at the flotation of the company or thereafter : The Texas Land and
Mortgage Company v. William Holtham(')".
He further observed that "as long as the law allows preliminary
D
expenses and goodwill to be treated as assets, although of an intangible nature, the money so spent is in the nature of capital
expenditure just as much as money spent in the purchase of land
and machinery." The Chief Justice accordingly held that Rs. 28
lakhs could not be treated as expenditure (not in the nature of
capital expenditure) solely incurred for the purpose of earning the
E
profits of the company's business.
Shah, J., also came to the same
conclusion, and he thought that the ratio decidendi in Texas Land
and Mortgage Company v. William Holtham(') and the principles underlying the decision in Royal Insurance Company v.
Watson(") lent support to this conclusion.
11
At this stage it would be convenient to consider the case of
Texas Land and Mortgage Compan.v v. William Holtham(') relied
on· in this decision.
We have already mentioned that the statute
law in England is different from the law in India and the observations of the learned Judges in the English cases must be appreciated in the light of the background of the English Income Tax G
Act. In this case a mortgage company had raised money by
the issue of debentures and debenture stock and incurred expenses
for the issue of mortgage and placing of such debentures and
debenture-stock.
The Company claimed to deduct these expenses
but the High Court held that the expenses could not be deducted
under Schedule D of the English Income Tax Act as trading· exH
(!) 1 I.T.C. 125.
(2) 3 T.C. 255.
(3) [1897] A.C. 1
INDIA CEMENTS V. C. I. T. (Sikri, J.)
95 3
A penses.
Mathew, J., gave the following reasons for disallo.wing
the claim:
"The amount paid in order to raise the money on
debentures, comes off the amount advanced upon the
debentures, and, therefore, is so much paid for the cost
B
of getting it, but there cannot be one law for a company
having sufficient money to carry on all its operations
and another which is content to pay for the accommodation.
This appears to me to be entirely concluded
by the decision of yesterday. (Anglo-Continental Guano
Works v. Bell(')".
C·
In the course of arguments, Cave J., had remarked :
"It is only so much capital.
A man wants to raise
£ 100,000 of capital, and in order to do that he has to
pay £4,000. That makes the capital £96,000: That
D
is all."
·E
In reply to the argument of Finlay, Q.C., that "the capital of the
company, properly so-called, is the share capital'', Cave, J. remarked:
"To the extent that you borrow you increase the
capital of the company."
In our opinion, if one keeps in mind the background of the
English Income Tax Act, the observations reproduced above have
no relevance to cases arising under the Indian Income Tax Act.
F In face of rule 3, Case l, s. 100 (5 & 6 Viet. Ch. 35) prohibiting
the deduction of any expenditure in respect of any sum employed
or intended to be employed as capital, Mathew and Cave, JJ. were
only concerned with the question whether the amount secured by
debentures and the amount obtained by the issue of debentures
and debenture stock could be called capital employed or intended
G
to be employed within the meaning of this rule. Rightly or
wrongly, the English Courts have held fuat the amount obtained
by the issue of debentures is capital employed wifuin the meaning
of the rule, but this does not give us any guidance in interpreting
fue words 'capital expenditure' occurring in s. 10(2) (xv) of the
~ct. In our opinion, the Bombay High Court was wrong in relyH mg on Texas Land and Mortgage Company
v.
William Holtham(').
But we do not say that the Tata Iron and Steel
(I) 3 T.C. 239.
(2) 3 T.C. 255.
954
. SUPREME COURT REPORTS
(1966] 2 S.C.R .
Co.(1) case was wrongly decided. Obtaining capital by issue of
A 1
shares is different from obtaining loan by debenture5.
In Nagpur Electric & Light Co. v. Commissioner of Income
Tax('), the Court of the Judicial Commissioner, Nagpur, held
that expenses for raising debenture loan 'required for changing the
system of supplying current from D.C. to A.C. and for dis~hargB
ing a prior loan was not allowable as deduction of the company's
assessable income. The Judicial Commissioner followed the case
of Texas Land and Mortgage Compan.v v, William Holtham(")
and In 1•e Tata Iron and Steel Company Ltd.(').
After referring
to these two cases, the only additional reason given was that "apart
from authority it seems to us to stand to reason that money exC
pended in obtaining capital must be treated as capital expendiure."
With great respect we must hold that this case was
wrongly decided.
The Kerala High Court in Western India Plywood Ltd. v.
Commissioner of Income Tax, Madras(') held that the expendiD
ture incurred by the company to raise a loan by debenture was
a capital expenditure and was therefore not deductible under s.
10(2)(xv). The High Court relying on European Investmenf
Trust Company v. Jackson(•) and Ascot Gas Water Heaters v.
Duff(6 ) and some other cases drew a distinction between the
borrowing of capital and securing merely temporary or day-to-day
•
accommodation or banking or trading facilities. According to the
High Court, the expenses for borrowing capital could not be
treated as revenue expenditure. This distinction may be valid in
English Law but we are unable to appreciate how the distinction
is valid under the Indian Income Tax Act.
As the decision is
mainly based on this distinction and relies inter alia on In re Tata
Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. (1) and Nagpur Electric and Light Co. v.
Commissioner of Income Tax.(•), we must with respect hold that
the case was wrongly decided.
In Vizagapatnam Sugars and Refinery Ltd. v. Commissioner
of Income Tax(1) the Andhra Pradesh High Court relying on
G
Texas Land and Mortgage Company v. William Holtham( 8 ) and
the decision in Western India Plywood Ltd. v. C.l.T., Madras(')
held that on the facts and circumstances of that case, brokerage
and commission of four annas on every maund of sugar paid by
(2) 6 I.T.C. 28.
(I) 1LT.C.125.
(S) 18 T.C. I.
(1} 47 I.T.R. 139.
C3) 3 T.C. 255.
. (4) 38 l.T.R. 533.
. (6) 24 T.C. 171.
H
•
[
•
INDIA CEMENTS v. C. I. T. (Sikri, J.)
955
A the assessee company was not revenue expenditure but capital expenditure.
In our opinion, the decision, as far as the brokerage
was concerned, was wrong, but we do not say anything in this case
with respect to the decision as far as the commission on sale of
goods was concerned.
B
The Calcutta High Court examined the question in great detail
in Sri Annapurna Cotton Mills Ltd. v. Comm:'ssioner of Income
Tax('), Bachawat, J., held that the loan of Rs. 10 lakhs obtained
by the company was an asset or advantage for the enduring benefit of the business of the assessee.
He placed reliance on a number of cases; some of which we have already considered. But we
C
are unable to agree that a loan obtained can be treated as an
asset or advantage for the enduring benefit of the business of
the assessee.
A loan is a liability and has to be repaid and, in
our opinion, it is erroneous to consider a liability as an asset or
an advantage within the test laid down by Viscount Cave and
approved and applied by this Court in many cases.
Sinha, J.,
D
after referring to a number of cases, felt that the raising of capital
by issue of debentures was a recognised mode of raising capital
and he felt that the decided cases had laid down the proposition
that borrowing money by the issue of debentures was an acquisition of capital asset and that any commission or expenditure
incurred in respect thereof was of a capital nature and not to be
It considered as in the nature of revenue.
He was impressed by the
fact that not a single case to the contrary was brought to his
notice.
But we have to decide the case on principle, and with
respect it seems to us that he erred in treating the loan as equivalent to capital for the purpose of s. 10(2) (xv) of the Act.
ll
In S. ~· Engineer v. Commissioner of Income Tax( 2 ), the
Bombay High Cou.rt held that the ~xpenditurcz incurred for raising
loan for the carrymg on of a busmess cannot in all cases be rega-ded as an expenditure of a capital nature.
On the facts of
the case they. held that as construction and sale of the building was
the sole busmess of the firm and the building was its stock-inG trade; ~nd ~e loan ".'as rahed and used wholly for the purpose of
acqui~1?g this st_o~~-m-tra~e and not for obtaining any fixed assets
or ra1smg any rn!tial capital or for expansion of the assessee's
business, the expenditure incurred for the raising of loan was not
an expenditure of capital nature but revenue expenditure. Although
the conclusion of the High Court was correct, we are not able to
H
~gree. ':'ith the principle that the nature of the expenditure incurred
m ra1smg a loan would depend upon the nature and purpose of
(1) 541.T.R. 592.
(2) 571.T.R. 4SS.
956
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1966] 2 S.C.R ..
the loan: · A loan may be intended to be used for the purchase
A
of raw-material when it is negotiated, but the company may after
raising the loan change its mind and spend it on securing capital
assets.
Is the purpose at the time the loan is negotiated to be
taken in to consideration or the purpose for which it is actually
used ? Further suppose that in the accounting year the purpose
is to borrow and buy raw-material but in the assessment year the
B
company finds it unnecessary to buy raw-material and spends it
on capital assets.
Will the income tax officer decide the case with
reference to what happened in the accounting year or what hap•
pened in the assessment year ? In our opinion, it was rightly held
by the Nagpur Judicial Commissioner in Nagpur Electric Light
and Power Co. v. Commissioner of Income Tax( 1 ) that the purpose for which the new loan was required was irrelevant to the
consideration of the question whether the expenditure for obtaining
the loan was revenue expenditure or capital expenditure.
To summarise this part of the case, we are of the opinion that
c
(a) the loan obtained is not an asset or advantage of an enduring
D
nature; (b) that the expenditure was made for securing the use
of money for a certain period; and ( c) that it is irrelevant to
consider the object with which the loan was obtained.
Consequently, in the circumstances of the case, the expenditure was
revenue expenditure withins. 10(2)(xv).
The last contention of Mr. Desai is that even if it is revenue
expenditure, it was not laid out wholly and exclusively for the
purpose of business.
Subba Rao, J., reviewed the case law in
Commissioner of Income Tax v. Malayalam Plantation(') and
observed as follows :
"The expression "for the purpose of tl!e business" is
wider in scope.than the expression "for the purpose of
earning profits." Its range is wide : it may take in not
only the day to day running of a business but also the
rationalisation of its administration and modernization
of its machinery; it may include measures for the preservation of the business and for the protection of it~
assets and property from expropriation, coercive process
or assertion of hostile title; it may also comprehend payment of statutory dues and taxes imposed as a precondition to commence or for carrying on of a business;
. it may comprehend many other acts incidental to the
carrying on of a business."
(1) 6 I.T.C. 28.
(2) [1964] 7 S.C.R. 693 : 53 I.T.R. 14-0.
Jil
G
H
[
INDIA CEMENTS V. C. I. T. (Sikri, J.)
957
A Mr. Desai says that the act of borrowing money in this case was
not incidental to the carrying on of a business.
We are unable
to accept this contention. In Eastern
Investments
Ltd. v.
Commissioner of Income Tax( 1 ) this Court held that the Eastem
Investments Ltd., an investment company, when
it borrowed
money on debentures, the interest paid by it was incurred solely
B for the purpose of making or earning such income, profits or gains
within the purview of s. 12(2) of the Indian Income Tax Act. It
held on a review of the facts that the transaction was voluntarily
entered into in order indirectly to facilitate the running of the
business of the company and was made on the ground of commer-
·c cial expediency.
This case, in our opinion, directly covers the
present case, although Mr. Desai
suggests that the case of an
investment company stands on a different footing from the case
of a manufacturing company.
In some respects, their position
may be different but in determining the question whether raising
money is incidental to a business or not, we cannot discern any
D difference between an investment company and a manufacturing
company.
We may mention that in that case this Court was not
considering whether the expenditure was in. the nature of a capital
expenditure or not, because it was agreed all through that the
expenditure was not in the nature of capital expenditure, and the
only question which this Court dealt with was whether the expenE diture was incurred solely for the purpose of making or earning
income, profits or gains.
The case of Dharamvir Dhir v. Commissioner of Income
Tax( 2 ) also supports the conclusion we have arrived at on this
part of the case.
It was held in that case that the payment of
F
interest and a sum equivalent to 11/16th of the profits of the
business of the assessee in pursuance of an agreement for obtaining
loan from the lender were in a commercial sense expenditure
wholly and exclusively laid out for the purpose of the·assessee's
business and they were, therefore, deductible revenue expenditure.
Before we conclude we must deal with the point raised by Mr.
G
Sastri that the High Court erred in law in preferring the findings
of the Income Tax Officer to that of the Appellate Tribunal. It is
not necessary to decide this question but it seems to us that in
a reference the High Court must accept the findings of fact made
by the Appellate Tribunal and it is for the person who has applied
H
for a reference to chal'enge those findings first by an application
under s. 66 ( 1). If he has failed to file an application under
(I) 2l I.T.R. I.
(2) [1961] 3 S.C.R. 359: 42 I.T.R. 7.
958
SUPREME COURT IW!PORTS
[1966] 2 S.c.R.
s. 66 ( 1) expressly raising the question about the validity of the
A
findings of fact, he is not entitled to urge before the High Court
that the findings are vitiated for one reason or the other.
To conclude we hold that the expenditure of Rs. 84,633/- was
not in the nature of capital expenditure and was laid out or expended wholly and exclmively for the purpose of the assessee's
B
business.
The answer to the question referred, therefore, must be
in the affirmative.
The appeal is allowed, the judgment of the
High Court set aside and the question referred answered in the
affirmative.
The appel!ant will have its costs incurred here and
in the High Court.
Appeal allowed.
'