Income tax reassessment reopening for alleged non-disclosure u/s147 upheld; de novo assessment remand sustained citing illness and s.251(1)(a).

Income tax reassessment reopening for alleged non-disclosure u/s147 upheld; de novo assessment remand sustained citing illness and s.251(1)(a).

21.   Case-Laws – AT : Reopening under s.147 was upheld as the AO recorded that the assessee had failed to fully and truly disclose material facts necessary for assessment, and the matters forming the basis of reassessment had not been examined in the earlier s.143(3) proceedings; hence, the reassessment was not a mere change of opinion and the jurisdictional condition of “reasons to believe” was satisfied, resulting in rejection of the challenge to reopening. The CIT(A)’s remand for de novo assessment was sustained because the assessment had been framed without reasons due to alleged non-compliance with notices, and the assessee demonstrated illness as cause; the CIT(A) validly exercised powers under s.251(1)(a), leading to dismissal of the appeal ground. – ITAT