Holding

The assessing authority must first determine, under the Indian Partnership Act, whether the same partners form one or two distinct partnership firms, and only thereafter apply the tax law; where the partners' intention is uncertain, the question is for the tax authority, and the High Court’s dismissal of the revision petitions is affirmed.

Summary

Messrs K. Kelukutty, a timber partnership, and Messrs K.K.K. Sons Saw Mills, a saw‑dust partnership, had identical partners. The Sales Tax Officer included the saw‑dust turnover in the timber firm’s assessment, but the Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal allowed the firm’s appeal and remanded for fresh consideration. The Kerala High Court dismissed the revenue’s revision petitions, holding the saw‑mill partnership to be a distinct firm for sales‑tax purposes. On special leave, the Supreme Court held that the assessing authority must first determine, under the Indian Partnership Act, whether the same partners constitute one or two separate partnership firms, and that where the partners’ intention is unclear the question must be decided by the tax authority. Consequently, the High Court’s dismissal was upheld and the Tribunal’s remand confirmed, with the case to be reconsidered by the Appellate Assistant Commissioner.

Issues considered

The validity of the Appellate Tribunal’s reliance on earlier case law to order a fresh investigation.
Whether identical partners can constitute two distinct partnership firms for sales‑tax assessment without violating the Partnership Act.
Whether the identity of a partnership firm for tax purposes should be determined by partnership law or by the tax statute.

Legislation cited

Indian Partnership Act, 1932s. 4
Kerala General Sales Tax Act, 1963s. 2(viii), s. 2(xvi-A)

Subjects

partnership lawsales taxidentity of assesseeKerala General Sales Tax Actassessment of turnovermultiple partnership firmstax jurisdictionIndian Partnership Act

Judgment

i3s
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF SALES-TAX,
(LAW) BOARD OF REVENUE (TAXES), A
ERNAKULAM
v.

MESSRS K. KELUKUTTY
B
May 3, 1985

(R.S. PATHAK AND E.S. VENKATARAMIAH, JJ.]
Kera/a General Sales Tax Act 1963 :

Partnership Firms-Two-One de<J!ing in timber-Another selling saw
c
dust-Partners comn:on in both firms-Assessment of sales tax-Whether to be
treated as two firms.

Taxation :
Partnership firrn-Assessment of partnership income-Duty of assessing D
officer-First decide legaf identity of assessee and then apply relevant tax law.

Indian Partnership Act 1932:
Partners-Who are-Partnership agreement-What is-Intention of
partners-Determination of
E
The respondent in the appeal was a partnership firm dealing in timber
and consisted of six partners. It filed returns of its taxable turnover for the
assessment years 1968-69 and 1969-70 under the Kerala General Sales Tax
Act, 1963 and the assessments were completed by the Sales Tax Officer.
Subsequently, the Sales Tax Officer discovered that the respondent-firm owned
a Saw Mill and that the Saw Mill was run by another partnership firm which
consisted of the same partners as the respondent-firm. It was further noticed F
that during the relevant assessment years the Saw Mill firm had sold saw dust
but had not been assessed to sales tax on that turnover. The Sales Tax
Officer took the view that both she respondents- timber firm and the Saw
Mill firm consisted of identical partners. the two businesses carried on respe-
ctively, by them bad to be treated as the business of a single partnership firm
and, therefore, the turnover of the sale of saw dust had to be included in the
earlier assessments made on the respondent-Timber firm. The assessment
G
orders were upheld by the Appellate Assistant Commissioner.

The appeals filed by the respondent-Timber firm before the Sales Tax
Appellate Tribunal were allowed and the cases were remanded for fresh
consideration. H
The Revenue applied to the High Court, but the revision petitions were
dismissed. The High Court relying on the decision of this Court in State. of

;~.
136 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (198SI SUPPL. s.c.ll.
\
Punjab v. M/s. Jullundur Vegetables Syndicate, [1966] 17 STC 326 held that the
A Saw Mill partnership firm was a partnership firm distinct from thC respondent
Timber firm for the purposes of sa1es tax assessment and the turnover of the
one could not be included in the turnover of the other.

Dismissing the Appeals to this Court,

B HELD: I. The approach adopted by the High Court is not sound:
The true solution has to be found _not in the tax Jaw but in the partnership
law. The orders of the High Court dismissing the Tax Revision Cases are
maintained. The orders of the Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal remanding the
case are confirmed. Instead of the cases going back to thC ·assessing officer
they shall stand remanded to the Appellate Assistant Commissioner. [144 D-EJ

c .. . State of Punjab v. M/s. Jullundur Vegetables Syndicate [1966) 17 S.T.C.
326, distinguished. ' ·

· 2. Jn every case when the assessee professes that it is a partnership
firm and claims to be taxed in that status, the first duty of the assessing
officer is to determine whether it is, in law and in fact, a partnership firm.
D For determining whether there is a firm. the assessing officer will appiy th"e
partnership law, subject of course, to any specific provision in that regard in
the tax la\v modifying the partnership law. If the tax Jaw is silent, it is the
·partnership law only to which he will refer. Having decided the legal. identity
ofthC assessee, that it is a partnership firm, he will then .turn to the tax law
and apply its· relevant pfovisions for assessing the -partnership income •
. [142 D-FJ
E
Commisslorwr of Income· Tax, iveSt Benral v. A. W. Figg/es and Company
and Others, (1953) 24 I.T.R. 405, Jes/ngbhai Ujamshi v. Commissioner· of Incon1e
Tax, Bombay Mofussil, [1950] 181.T.R. 23, Jeshingbha/ Ujamshl v. Commissioner
of Income Tax; Bombay, [1955) 28 I.T.R. 454, R.N. Oswal Hosiery and Mahabir
Woollen Mills v. Commissioner. of lncon1e·Tax, Punjab, [1968) 70 l.T.R. 843~
Commissioner of Income-Tax, A.P.-111 v. G. Parlhasaralhy Naidu & Sons.,
F (1930) 121l.T.R.97, Income Tax Commissioner for City of London v. Gibb,,
10 I.T.R. Suppl. 12t, referred to.

'"·-........ In the instant case, there ~e two businesses, a business in timbCr and a
bu:;iness in saw duSt. DOth businesses were carried on by· the same partners,
·one as a partnership firm called K. Kelukutty, and the other under the name
Mis. K.K.K. Sons Saw Mills. said to be a separate partnCrship firm. On the
·material before the Court~ it is not possible to. s<iy, whether. there is one firm
or two. That is ·a question which appropriatCty falls for examination by the
authorities constituted under the Kerala General Sales Tax Act, 1963.
. . '. [144 B-CJ
•
' .
. u.___ 3. Having regard to tho definitions of ''dealer" and '"persOn'' in
, sections 2 (viii) cind 2 (xvi-A) of the Kerala General SJles Tax Act, 1963 a
partnership firm must be regarded under that Act aS an assessable entity · •
separate and distinct from its individual partners. However,· the Act contains
e.s:i'. v. K. KBLUKUTTY 137
no provision which bears on the identity of a partnership firm. Therefore,
recourse must be had for that purpose to the partnership law alone. Where A
it is claimed that there are not one but two partnership firms conslituted by
the same persons and carrying on different businesses, the assessing authority
must test the claim in the light of the partnership law. It is only after that
question has been determined namely, whether in law there is only one partner-
ship firm or two partnership firms, that the next question arises : whether .the
turnover is assessable in the hands of the partners' ip finn as a taxable entity
separate and distinct from the partner? There is first a decision under the B
law of-partnership, thereafter the second question arises, the question as to
assessment under the tax law. [139 C-D; 142 G-H; 143 AJ

4. Persons who ha\l'e entered into partnership with one another are
called individually "Partnersu, and collectively "a firm''. The relationship
between those persons constitutes the partnership, and is founded in the C
agreement between them, the partnership agreement. , A partnership agreement
is the source of a partnership, it also gives expression to the other ingredients
defining the partnership, viz. specifying the business agreed to be carried on.
the persons who will actually carry on the business, the shares in which the
profits will be divided etc. Each partnership agreement may constitute a
distinct and separate partnership, and therefore distinct and separate firms.
The firm, name is only a collective name for the individual partners but each D
partnership is a distinct relationship. The partners may be different and yet
the nature of the business may be the san1e. An agreement between the part-
ners to carry on a business and share its profits nlay be followed by a ~eparate
agreement between the same partners to carry on another business and share
the profits therein. The intention may be to constitute two separate partner·
ships and therefore two distinct firms. Or to extend merely a partnership E
originally constituted to carry on one business to the carrying on of another
business. It will aU depend on the intention of the partners. The intention
of the partners will have to be decided with reference to the terms of the
agreement and all the surrounding circumstances. including evidence as to the
interlacin& or interlocking of management, finance and other incidents of the
respective businesses. [144 C-HJ
F
CIVIL APPEUATB JURISDICTION: Civil Appeals Nos. 2585 and
2586 of 1978.

From the Judgment and Order dated 14.2.1978 of the Kerala
High Court in T.R. C. No. 6 and 9 of 1977. G

V.J. Francis for the Appellant.

S.T. Desai (A.C.) for the Respondent. H

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
138 SUPRl!MI! COURT REPORTS (1~85) SUPPL. $.i.ll.

PATHAK, J. These appeals by special leave are directed against
A the judgment and order dated February 14, 1978 of the High Court
of Kerala dismissing two tax revision petitions arising out of
assessments made under the Kerala General Sales Tax Act, 1963.

The respondent, Messrs. K. Kelukutty is a partnership firm
B dealing in timber. It consists of six partners. It filed returns of its
taxable turnover for the assessment years 1968-t9 and 1969-70 under
the Kerala General Sales Tax Act, 1963, and the assessments were
completed by the Sales Tax Officer. Subsequently, .the Sales Tax
Officer discovered that the partners of the respondent firm owned a
Saw Mill, and the Saw Mill was run by a partnership firm Messrs.
c K.K.K. Sons Saw Mills which consisted of the same partners as the
respondent firm. He found that during the assessment years 1968-69
and 1969-70 they had sold saw dust from the mill, but had not been
assessed to sales tax on that turnover. The Sales Tax Officer took the
view that as both Messrs. K. Kelukutty and Messrs. K.K.K. Sons
D Saw Mills consisted of identical partners, the two businesses carried
on respectively by them had to be treated as the business of a single
partnership firm and, therefore, the turnover of the sale of saw dust
had to be included in the earlier assessments made on the respondent
firm. The assessment orders were upheld by the Appellate Assist~nt
Commissioner, Sales Tax. Thereafter, the appeals filed by the respon-
E dent firm before the Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal were allowed by its
order dated March 30, 1976 and the cases were remanded for fresh
consideration. The Revenue applied to the High Court in revision,
Tax Revision Cases Nos. 6 and 9 of 1977, on the following two
questions :-
F
(a) Was the Appellate Tribunal justified in law in
holding that the reasoning in the decision reported in
70 lTR 843 is applicable to the instant case and
directing a further investigation and denovo disposal
of the matter, in the light of the observations
G contained in paragraph 15 of the order ?

(b) In the light of admitted or proved fact that the
partners of the assessee's firm and that of the firm
H K.K.K. Saw Mills are the same, was the Appellate
Tribunal justified in its view that there is no bar in
there being two firms with the same partners, carry-
ing on business independently ? Is not the said
C.S.T. v. K. KELUKiUTTY (Pathak, J.) !39

approach and view against the principles of Partner-
ship Act, and the ratio of the decision reported in 21 A
STC 72 and 14 ITR 272 ?

On February 14, 1978, the High Court of Kerala dismissed the
two revision petitions in the view that Messrs. K.K.K. Sons Saw
Mills was a partnership firm distinct from the respondent firm for the B
purposes of sales tax assessment and the turnover of one could not
be included in the turnover of the other. Reliance was placed by the
High Court on the decision of this Court in State of Punjab v.
M/s Jul/under Vegetables Syndicare.( 1)

The word "dealer" has been defined by cl. (viii) of s. 2 of the c
Kerala General Sales Tax Act to mean "any person who carries on
the business of buying, selling, supplying or distributing goods... "
and the word "person" has been defined by cl. (vvi-A) of s 2 of the
Act as including a firm. Therefore, a partnership firm must be
regarded under that Act as an assessable entity separate and distinct D
from its individul partners. That would be in line with the view
taken by this Court respecting a partnership firm as an assessable
entity under the Income Tax Act. See Commissioner of Income-Tax,
West Bengal v. A. W. Figgies and Company and Others('). The question
remains, however, whether when the partners constituting a partner-
ship firm carrying on one business constitute thereafter another E
partnership firm carrying on a separate and distinct business are there
two distinct partnership firms in whose hand the turnover of the two
businesses falls to be respectively assessed or is there in law only a
single partnership firm liable to assessment on the turnover of both
businesses ? F
Before we proceed to examine this question, reference may be
made to some relevant decisions of the Courts. In Vissonji Sons &
Company v. Commissioner of Income Tax, Central,(") a case under the
Indian Income Tax Act, 1922, Beaumont CJ., speaking for the Bom-
G
bay High Court, expressed the view that in Jaw a firm had no exis-
tence independently of its partners, and that if there are two firms
consisting of exactly the same partners and they carry on separate
businesses, the real position in law is that there is only one firm.
H
(ll [1966] 17 s.r.c. 326.
(2) [1953] 24 I.T.R. 405.
(3) [1946] 14 I.T.R. 272.
140 sUi>RllMil cot!Rt RIPORTS (198~J SUPPL. S.E:.i.

Subesequently, however, in Jesingbhai Ujmashi v. Commissioner of In-
A come Tax, Bombay Mofussi/,( 1) the same High Court speaking through
Chagla C.J., observed that the observations of Beaumont C.J. were
obiter merely, and that it was perfectly permissible in law that the
same partners should constitute two different firms for the purpose of
the Income-tax law leaving the question open as one of fact whether
B there are two separate firms or only one firm or whether one of the
businesses carried on by one firm was in fact a business carried on by
the other firm. That view was reaffirmed by the Bombay High Court
in Jeshingbhai Ujamshi v. Commissioner of Income-Tax, Bombay(')
where it was explained that there can be two separate firms in the
eyes of the Income-tax Act even if the partners are the same in both
c the firms provided the businesses carried on by the firms are different.
It was further observed that the correct test to determine whether the
businesses are the same or different businesses is whether there is any
interlocking or interlacing between the two businesses. The point
was considered by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in R.N.
D Oswa/ Hosiery and Mahabir Woollen Mills v. Commissior.er of lnconu-
Tax, Punjab,(') which after considering the earlier authorities on the
point concurred with the opinion of the Bombay High Court in
Jeshingbhai Ujamshi (supra). A contrary view was taken by a
Division Bench of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh in Addi.
Commissioner of Income Tax, A.P. v. M. Venkata Narasimha Rao &
E Co.(') but that decision was over-ruled by a Full Bench of the same
High Court in Commissioner of Income-Tax, A.P.-lll v. G.
Parthasarathy Naidu & Sons.(') where the learned Judges agreed with
the view expressed by the High Court of Bombay in Jeshingbhai
Ujamshi (supra) and by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in
R.N. Oswal Hosiery and Mahabir Woollen Mills (supra). This Court
F in The State of Pnnjab v. Jullunder Vegetables Syndicate (supra)
declared that although under the partnership law a firm is not a legal
entity and only consists of the individual partners for the time being,
it was a legal entity for the purposes of the Income-tax law as well as
the Sales-tax law. That was a case where this Court was called upon
G to consider whether an assessment. could be made on a firm under
the Punjab Sales-tax Act after its dissolution on the turnover of sales
affected during its existence. In our opinion, that question cannot

(l) (1950118 l.T.R. 23.
H (2) [19551281.T.R. 454.
(3) (1968) 70 l.T.R. 843.
(4) [1976) 104 J.T.R, 28.
(5) [1980] 121 1.T.R. 97.
c.s.r. v. K. KBLUKUTTY (Pathak, J.) 141

be identified with the one before us. The Revenue has invited our
attention to Mahendra Kumar lshwarlal & Company v. The State of A
.. Madras,(') but in that case the Madras High Court has assumed that
the same partners cannot constitute two different partnership firms,
and on that assumption has concluded that no sale transaction could
take place between the two firms.
B
Except for the observations of Beaumont C.J. in Vissonji Sons
& Company (supra) and the overruled decision of the High Court of
Andhra Pradesh in M. Venkata Narasimha Rao & Co. (supra) the
High Courts, in the cases mentioned earlier, have proceeded to hold
that in the eyes of the tax law you can have two partnership firm
composed of the same partners carrying on different businesses. The c
cornner stone of that view is that for the purposes of the income tax
law each partnership firm must be regarded as an assessable entity
separate and distinct from its partners. The approach proceeds upon
a conceptual perspective of the tax law and apparently assumes that
otherwise, under the partnership law, the conclusion would have D
been that there is only one partnenhip firm carryina on two different
businesses.

It seems to us that the approach adopted by the High Courts
is not sound, and that the true solution has to be found not in the
tax law but in the partnership law. We are concerned here with the E
Kerala General Sales-tax Act. There is no doubt that under that
Act a partnership firm must be regarded as an assessable entity.
What precisely is the significance of that concept ? Does the tax Jaw
clothe a partnership firm with juristic personality ? How far does the
tax law depart from the fundamental concept embodied in the F
partnership law that a business carried on by a partnership firm is, in
its material essence, a business carried on by individual members in
partnership, and that a name given to a partnership firm is nothing
more than a compendious decription of the partners carryina on the
business?
G
As long ago as Watson and Everitt v. Blundan,(') Romer L.J.
said that for taxing purposes "a partnership firm is treated as an
entity distinct from the persons who constituted the firm". This

H
(I) [1968] 21 S.T.C. 72,
(2) 18 Tax Cases 402,
142 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1985] SUPPL. s.c.R.

dictum was approved by the House of Lords iu Income Tax Commis-
A sioners for City of London v. Gibbs,( 1) and was accepted as good law
in India in respect of a partnership firm under the Indian Income-tax
Act, 1922 in A. W. Piggies and Co. (supra). What that implies is that
for the purposes of assessment to tax the income of the partnership
firm has to be assessed in the hands of the firm as a single unit, the
firm itself being treated as an asessable entity separate and distinct
B
from the partners constituting it. The firm is an assessable unit
separate and distinct from the individual partners, who as individuals
constitute assessable units separate and distinct from the firm. It is
on that basis that the provisions of the tax law are structured into a
scheme providing for the assessment of partnership income. We do
c not think the principle goes beyond the purposes of that scheme.
It does not confer a corporate personality on the firm. Beyond the
area within which that principle operates, the general law, that is to
say, the partnership law holds undisputed domain.
Now in every case when the assessee professes that it is a
D partnership firm and claims to be taxed in that status, the first duty
of the assessing officer is to determine whether it is, in Jaw and in
fact, a partnership firm. The definition in the tax law defines an
"asscssee" or a "dealer" as including a firm. But for determining
whether there is a firm, the assessing officer will apply the partner-
E ship Jaw, subject of course, to any specific provision in that regard
in the tax law modifying the partnership law. If the tax law is silent
it is the partnership law only to which he will refer. Having decided
the legal identity of the assessee, that it is a partnership firm, he will
then turn to the tax law and apply its relevant provisions for assess-
ing the partnership income.
F
The Kerala General Sales-tax Act contains no provision which
bears on the identity of a partnership firm. Therefore, recourse
must be had for that purpose to the partnership law alone. Where
it is claimed that they are not one but two partnership firms consti-
tuted by the same persons and carrying on different businesses, the
G assessing authority must test the claim in the light of the partnership
law. It is only after that question bas been first determined namely,
whether in law there is only one partnership firm or two partnership
firms, that the next question arises : whether the turnover is assessa-
ble in the hands of the partnership firm as a taxable entity separate
H
(I) 10 I.T.R. Suppl. 121.
C,S.T. V. K. liELUKUTTY (Pathak, J.) 143

and distinct from the partners ? There is first a decision under the
Jaw of partnership; thereafter, the second question arises, the A
question as to assessment under the tax Jaw. It is clear, therefore,
that reference must be made first to the partnership Jaw.

The Indian Partnership Act, 1932 has, by s.4, defined a
"partnership" as "the relation between persons who have agreed to
share the profits of a business carried on by all or any of them acting B
for all". The section declares further that the persons who have
entered into partnership with one another are called individually
"partners" and collectively "a firm". The components of the defini-
tion of "partnership", and therefore of "a firm" consist of (a)
persons, (b) a business carried on by all of them or any of them
acting for all and (c) an agreement between those persons to carry
c
on such business and to share its profits. It is the relationship
between those persons which constitutes the partnership. The rela-
tion is founded in the agreement between them. The foundation of
a partnership and, therefore, of a firm is a partnership agreement.
A partnership agreement is the source of a partnership; it also gives D
expression to the other ingredients defining the partnership, specify-
ing the business agreed to be carried on, the persons who will actually
carry on the business, the shares in which the profits will be divided,
and the several other considerations which constitute such an organic
relationship. It is permissible to say that a partnership agreement E
creates and defines the relation of partnership and therefore identi-
fies the firm. If that conclusion be right, it is only a further step to
hold that each partnership agreement may constitute a distinct and
separate partnership and therefore distinct and separate firms. That
is not to say that a firm is a corporate entity or enjoys a juristic
personality in that sence. The firm name is only a collective name F
for the individual partners. But each partnership is a distinct
relationship. The partners may be different and yet the nature of the
business may be the same, the business may be different and yet the
partners may be same. An agreement between the partners to carry on
a business and share its profits may be followed by a separate agree·
men! between the same partners to carry on another business and
G
share the profits therein. The intention may be to constitute two
separate partnerships and therefore two distinct firms. Or to extend
merely a partnership, originally constituted to carry on one business,
to the carrying on of another business. It will all depend on the
H
intention of the partners. The intention of the partners will have to
be decided with reference to the terms of the agreement and all the
surrounding circumstances, including evidence as to the interlacing or
144 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1985] SUPPL. S;C.R.

interlocking of management, finance and other incidents of the
A respective businesses.

In the present case, there are two businesses, a business in
timber and a business in saw dust. Both businesses are carried on
by the same partners, one as a partnership firm called K. Kelukutty,
B and the other under the name Messrs. K.K.K. Sons Saw Mills, said
to be a separate partnership firm. On the material before us it is
not possible to say, in the light of the considerations to which we
have adverted, whether there is one firm or two. That is a question
which appropriately falls for examination by the authorities
constituted under the Kerala General Sales Tax Act.
c
While, therefore, we maintain the orders of the High Court
dismissing the Tax Revision Cases 6 and 9 of 1977 and confirm the
orders of the Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal remanding the cases, we
do so for the considerations and upon the reasons set forth in this
D our judgment. In order to abridge the time which inevitably
will be further taken in disposing of this already protracted
litigation, we direct that instead of the cases going back to the
assessing officer they shall stand remanded to the Appellate Assistant
Commissioner, Sales Tax for taking up the appeals before him again,
permitting the parties to lead evidence in the light of the conside·
E rations mentioned by us and disposing of those appeals in accordance
with law. These appeals are disposed of accordidgly. There is no
order as to costs.
N.V.K. Appeals dismissed.