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Widow faces tax notice for Rs 60 lakh cash deposits; why ITAT gave ‘gift’ relief

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Tax authorities originally targeted a housewife for failing to file a return covering over Rs 60 lakh in cash deposited during the 2015-16 financial year. The Assessing Officer classified the amount as unexplained money alongside other cheque credits after scrutinizing Rs 75 lakh in total account deposits. However, the tribunal found her explanation credible after she submitted her late husband's financial records, an affidavit, and family confirmations. Because the department could not prove these records were fraudulent, the tribunal ordered the full addition to be erased.

Key points

  • Tax authorities cannot automatically penalize a surviving spouse under Section 69A simply…: Tax authorities cannot automatically penalize a surviving spouse under Section 69A simply because a deceased partner cannot personally verify a gift.
  • Providing corroborated secondary records such as affidavits and Form 26AS satisfies the p…: Providing corroborated secondary records such as affidavits and Form 26AS satisfies the primary burden of proof regarding the donor's identity.
  • Revenue officials must demonstrate that submitted financial records are false before dism…: Revenue officials must demonstrate that submitted financial records are false before dismissing a taxpayer's explanation of domestic gifts.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Your husband deposits money in your account as a gift for you and your daughters but then passes away. Are you liable to pay tax on the deposit?

In one such case the

Income Tax Department sent a notice to a widow treating a cash deposit of Rs 60 lakh as unexplained income. However, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Pune ruled in her favour.

The case underlines why taxpayers should retain relevant documents to substantiate the source of money in their bank accounts.

What the case is about

The Income Tax Department discovered that a woman's bank account had seen a cash deposit of Rs 60,07,500 during the financial year 2015-16. However, she had not filed an income tax return (ITR) for the corresponding assessment year.

The Assessing Officer (AO) subsequently issued a show-cause notice under Section 148A(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. As the woman did not respond, the AO passed an order.

The department then sent further notices asking her to furnish details about the cash deposits. Since no documentary evidence had been provided, the AO…

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