Holding

Section 46(2) is a standalone charging provision; the word 'assets' therein is not confined to the definition of 'capital assets' in Section 2(14), so agricultural land received on liquidation is taxable as a capital gain.

Summary

The appellants, two sisters who were shareholders of a company in liquidation, received agricultural land as part of the distribution of the company's assets. The Assessing Officer treated the market value of the land as a capital gain under Section 46(2) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, and levied tax. While the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) had allowed the assessee, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal upheld the revenue, and the High Court reversed in favour of the revenue, holding that "assets" in Section 46(2) must be read with the definition of "capital assets" in Section 2(14), thereby excluding agricultural land. The Supreme Court held that Section 46(2) is an independent charging provision and the term "assets" is not limited to the definition of "capital assets"; consequently, the agricultural land received on liquidation is taxable as a capital gain on its market value. The Court dismissed the appeals, affirming tax liability on the land.

Issues considered

Whether the term 'assets' in Section 46(2) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 must be construed in accordance with the definition of 'capital assets' in Section 2(14).
Whether agricultural land received by shareholders on liquidation of a company is chargeable to tax as a capital gain under Section 46(2).

Legislation cited

Income Tax Act, 1922s. 12-B
Income Tax Act, 1961s. 2(14), s. 256(1), s. 45, s. 46(2), s. 47, s. 48

Subjects

Income TaxCapital GainsSection 46(2)Agricultural LandLiquidationAsset DefinitionTaxabilityDistribution of AssetsShareholder

Judgment

A N. BAGA VA THY AMMAL
v. , ~

COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX, MADURAI AND ANR.

JANUARY 27, 2003

B
[RUMA PAL AND B.N. SRIKRISHNA, JJ.]
~...

Income Tax Act, 1961; Sections 2 (14), 45, 46(2), 47, 48 and 256(1):
Agricultural land received by assesseelshareholder on distribution ofassets of
c a company in liquidation-Exclusion of value of such agricultural lands in
computing capital gains from levying ofIncome tax-Held, object ofintroducing
Section 46(2) was to broaden the base of incidence of capital gains and
expressly providing for receipts ofassets on distribution ofshare by a company
in liquidation as taxable event-Hence, assessee is liable to pay tax on the
market value of such agricultural lands-Income Tax Act, 1922 s.12-B.
D
Transfer and distribution of assets of the company in liquidation-
Distinction between-Discussed
,~
The Appellant-assessees were sisters. They received their share
including agricultural lands by distribution of the assets of a company in t"
E liquidation during the assessment year 1970-71. The Assessing officer
included value of such agricultural lands, in the income of assessees subject
to capital gains and accordingly levied income tax thereon. The
Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) allowed the appeals. The Income
Tax Appellate Tribunal negatived the appeal of the Revenue. At the
F instance of the Revenue, the Tribunal referred two questions of law on
the issue of inclusion of the value of agricultural lands received as share
.--.....
by distribution of assets of a company in liquidation, whether such income
be included in the income of assessees subject to capital gains and levying
of tax thereon. However, only one of the questions was pressed which was
decided by the High Court in favour of Revenue. Hence the present appeal.
G
The question which arises in these appeals is whether the term
'assets' in Section 46(2) of the Act must be understood and construed >---..
according to the definition of the term capital assets in Section 2(14) of
the Income· Tax Act.
H
614
N. BAGAVATHY AMMALv.C.l.T. 615

Dismissing the appeals, the Court A
HELD: I.I. Section 12-B of the lacome Tax Act, 1922 pro\'ided for
payment of tax under capital gains 'in respect of any profits or gains
whatsoe\'er from the sale, exchange, relinquishment or transfer of a ca vital
assets, and such profits and. gains shall be deemed to be income of the
previous year in \'Vhich the sale, exchange, relinquishment or transfer took B
place. Section 45(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 continues to pro\'ide the
same. 1618-D-FI

1.2. The object in introducing Section 46(2) in the Income Tax Act,
1961 was to broaden the base of the incidence of capital gains and to
expressly provide for receipt of assets of a company in liquidation by a C
shareholder as a taxable event. Section 46(2) is an independent charging
Section. 1620-DI

Commissioner of Income Tax v. Madurai Mills Co. ltd, (1973) 89 ITR
45 and Commissioner of Income Tax v. R.M Amin, 119771 I SCC 691, 696, D
relied on.

1.3. A distinction is drawn between a transfer of assets and a
distribution of assets of the company on liquidation. Where there is
•transfer' of assets and not a 'distribution' on liquidation then having
regard to Section 47(viii), a transfer of agricultural land by the company E
may arguably be exempt from capital gains. However, such exemptions
are not available to shareholders who receive assets from the company
on distribution consequent upon liquidation because of provisions of
Section 46(2) of the Act which was introduced to make the receipts of assets
from a company in liquidation by its share holders a taxable event for
the first time. 1619-D-F-G-HI F
1.4. Having referred to the use of the phrase •capital asset' in
Sections 45(1), 47 and 48 of the Act, Parliament appears to have
deliberately chosen to use the word 'asset' in Section 46(1) and (2) of the
Act, the ostensible intention being to bring assets of all kinds within the G
scope of the charge. The High Court rightly held that agricultural land
would have been a 'capital asset' but for the exclusion from the definition
of 'capital asset' and what is not a capital asset may yet be an asset for
the purposes of Section 46(2) of the Act. Therefore, to the extent that a
shareholder assessee receives assets whether capital or any other from the
company in liquidation, thr assessee is liable to pay tax on the market value H
616 SUPRI~ME COURT REPORTS [2003] I S.C.R.

A of the assets as on the date of the distribution as provided under Section
46(2). The invocation of Section 2(14) of the Act which defines "capital
asset" is as such unnecessary for the purpose of construing Section 46(2)
of the Act. f6:ZO-G-H; 621-A-B-CI

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 2606-7 of
B 2001.

From the Judgment and Order dated 25.3.1999 of the High Court of
Majras in T.C. 292 and 293 of 1988.

T.L.V. Iyer, Subramonium Prasad, Abhay Kumar and R. Gopalakrishnan,
C for the Appellants.

Rajiv Tyagi and B.V. Balramdas, for the Respondents.

The Judgment of the Cou11 was delivered by

D RUMA PAL, J. The question to be decided in these appeals is whether
the word 'assets' in Section 46(2) of the income Tax Act, 1961 (referred to
hereafter as the 'Act') must be understood and construed according to the
definition of the word 'capital assets' in Section 2(14) of the Act.

The issue arises in respect of the assessment year 1970-71. The appellants
E in the two appeals which are disposed of by this judgment are sisters. They
were share holders in M/s Palkulam Estate (Private) Ltd., Nagercoil (referred
to hereafter as the 'Company'). The Company went into liquidation in 1964.
Pursuant to a compromise decree dated 22nd December 1969 in litigation
between the assessees and their brother (who was also a share holder in the
F company), and the company represented by the liquidator, the assets of the
company which included agricultural lands were distributed to the appellants
and eight others. The compromise decree stated.

"This Court doth further order and decree that as far as Iiabilit1es
of Plkulam Estate Private Limited is concerned. the immovable
G properties be and hereby are distributed as indicated in Schedule 'A'
of the Compromise. The respondents I to 5 and respondents 9 to 11
do get leased portion as shown in the plans. signed by liquidator
Mr. K.M. Boothalingam Pillai and handed over to the appellant this day".

The appellants thereby received 4 79 .89 acres of the agricultural lands
H prior to the end of the relevant accounting year that was 3 1.3. 70. the assessment
N. 13AGAV ATHY AMMAL v. C.l.T. [RUMA PAL. L] 617

in respect of the year 1970-71 had been completed on 27.2.71. The Income A
Tax Officer reopened the assessments under Section I 48 of the Act. The
appellants filed their returns in respect of the two notices under Section 148.
The contention of the appellants that in terms of the definition of 'assets' in
Section 2( 14), agricultural lands were entitled to be excluded while computing
capital gains on assets received by the shareholder fro1n a co1npany in
liquidation under Section 46(2) was not accepted. According to the assessing B
officer, Section (46)2 refers only to money received on liquidation or the
market value of the assets on the date of distribution and it was immaterial
whether the asset was agricultural lands or other\vise. The value of the share
of agricultural lands transferred to each appellant was, therefore, included as
income subject to capital gains and subjected to tax. The assessees' appeals C
before the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) were allowed by holding
that the scope of Section 46(2) would have to be read in the light of the
definition of the word 'capital asset' in Section 2(14) and that "having
exempted agricultural lands from capital gains under the general provision,
it was difficult to interpret Section 46(2) as including agricultural land". The
action of the Income Tax Officer in charging the income of the distribution D
of agricultural lands as capital gains under Section 46(2) of the Act was
according set aside.

The Revenue appealed before the Tribunal. The Tribunal dismissing
the Revenue's appeal h•ld :
E
"On a combined reading of Section 45, 46(2) and 48 it will be clear,
according to our opinion, that assets mentioned in Section 46(2) would
mean capital assets. In as much as Section 47 (viii) exempts transfer
of agricultural lands from capital gain tax under Section 45, we agree
with the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) in coming to the F
conclusion that it is difficult to interpret Section 46(2) as including
agricultural lands which is outside the scope of the income Tax."'

Of the two questions referred to the High Court by the Tribunal under
Section 256(1) at the instance of the Revenue only one survives for our
decision. The second question was not pressed before the High Court. The G
first question \.\ hich was:
1

"Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the
Appellate Tribunal is right in law in holding that the assets mentioned
in section 46(2) would mean 'capital asset' as defined in section
2( 14) and that consequently, the value of agricultural lands received H
618 SUPREME COURT REPORTS f2003]" I S.C.R.

A by the assessee on the liquidation of Palkulam Estate (P) Ltd. cannot
be charged to tax under section 46(2) of the income Tax Act. 1961 ?"

was answered by the High Court against the assessees and in favour of the
Revenue. The High Cou11 construed the provisions of Section 46(2) and held.
reversing the decision of the CIT(A) and the Tribunal, that the definition of
B 'capital assets' under Section 2(14) of the Act is not of any relevance for the
purpose of construing Section 46(2) of the Act, and the fact that agricultural
lands to the extent provided in Section 2( 14 )(c) of the Act are excluded from
the definition did not have any impact on the taxability of the market value
of the agricultural lands received by the assessee on the distribution of the
C assets of a company in liquidation.

Before considering the correctness of the decision of the High Court
the context in which Section 46(2) came to be part of the Act needs to be
considered.

D Section 12-B of the Income Tax Act, 1922 provided for payment of tax
under capital gains 'in respect of any profits or gains whatsoever from the
sale, exchange, relinquishment or transfer of a capital asset effected after 31st
day of March 1956, and such profits and gains shall be deemed to be income
of the previous year in which the sal~. exchange, relinquishment or transfer
took place". Construing Section ·12-B of the Income Tax Act, 1922 this Court
E in Commissioner of Income Tax, Madras v. Madurai Mills Co. Ltd., ( 1973)
89 ITR 45 had held that when a shareholder receives money representing his
share on distribution of the net assets of the company in liquidation, he
receives that money in satisfaction of the right which belonged to him by
virtue of his holding the shares and not by operation of any transaction which
F amounts to sale, exchange, relinquishment or transfer within the meaning of
Section 12-B of the Act.

Section 45( I) 0f the 1961 Act which substantially corresponds with
Section 12-B of the 1922 Act continues to provide that:

G "Any profits or gains arising from the transfer of a capital asset
effected in the previous year shall, save as the otherwise provided in
Sections 54, 548, 540, 54E, 54EA, 54EB, 54F, 54G and 54H be
chargeable to income tax under hea.d 'Capital gains', and shall be
deemed to be the income of the previous year in which the transfer
took place:·
H
N. BAGAVATHY AMMAL v. C.l.T. [RUMA PAL, J.] 619

The words 'capital assets' has been defined in Section 2(14) of the Act A
which as it stood at the relevant time, that is prior to its amendment in 1972,
provided.

"2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires

B
(14) 'Capital assets' means property of any kind held by an assessee,
whether or not connected with his business or profession, but does
not include
(i)
c
(iii) agricultural land in India

It has been held by this Court that the principle of Madurai Mills that
a distribution of assets of a company in liquidation does not amount to a
transfer continues to apply to the 1961 Act. See Commissioner of Income Tax
v. R.M Amin, (1977) I sec 691, 696. D
The view in Madurai Mills Co. ltd., (supra) has also been statutorily
affirmed in Section 46( I) which provides:

~ 46. (I) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 45, where the
I assets of a company are distributed to its shareholders on its liquidation, E
such distribution shall not be regarded as a transfer by the company
for the purposes of section 45.

In other words a distinction is drawn between a "transfer" of assets and
a distribution of assets of the company on liquidation. Whether there is
'transfer' of assets and not a 'distribution' on liquidation then having regard F
to Section 47(viii) which provides that "Nothing contained in Section 45
shall apply to the following transfers :

(viii) any transfer of agricultural land in India effected before the I st
day of March 1970."
G
it may have been argued at ieast on behalf of the Company that the 'transfer'
having been concluded in 1969 wzs exempt from capital gains. This argument,
however, is not available to the shareholders who receive assets from the
company on distribution consequent upon liquidation because of Section
46(2) which was introduced to make the receipts of assets from a company
liquidation by its share holders a taxable event for the first time. Section H
620 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2003] I S.C.R.

A 46(2) provides :

"46(2) where a shareholder on the liquidation of a company receives
any money or other assets from the company, he shall be chargeable
to income tax under the head 'Capital gains' in respect of the money
so received or the market value of the other assets on the date of
B distribution, as reduced by the amount assessed as dividend within
the meaning of sub-clause (c) of clause (22) of section 2 and the sum
so arrived at shall be deemed to be the full value of the consideration
. for the nurposes of section 48."

The question is does the words 'assets' in Section 46(2) mean 'capital
C assets' as defined in Section 2(14) of the Act? If it does then, it is conceded
by the Revenue, there is no question of subjecting the agricultural lands
received by the assessees from the company in liquidation to capital gains.

Indisputably, the object in introducing Section 46(2) was to overcome
D the reasoning in Madurai Mills by broadening the base of thf incidence of
capital and expressly providing for receipt of assets ofa company in liquidation
by a shareholder as a taxable event.

Section 46(2) is in terms an independent charging Section. It also
provides for a distinct method of calculation of capital gains. As said in
E C./. T. v. R.M. Amin, (supra) :

"The aforesaid section, in our view, was enacted both with a view to
make shareholders liable for payment of tax on capital gains as well
as to prescribe the mode of calculating the capital gains to the
shareholders on the distribution of assets by a company in liquidati Jn.
F But for that sub-section as already mentioned, it would have been
difficult to levy on capital gains to the shareholders on distribution of
assets by a company in liquidation."·

The Section does not make any reference to capital assets either in
connection with the imposition of capital gains tax for its computation.
"
G
Having referred to 'capital assets' in Section 45(1), 47 and 48, Parliament
appears to have deliberately chosen to use the word asset' in Section 46( I) ~I
and (2), the ostensible intention being to bring assets of all kinds within the
scope of the charge. It is not necessary to refer to a dictionary to hold that
capital assets are a species of the genus 'assets'. If the words 'capital assets'
H and 'assets' the used in Section 45( I) and 46 respectively did not overlap
N. BAGAVATHY AMMALv. C.l.T. [RUMA PAL,!.] 621

then there was no need to provide for a non obstante clause in Section 46( I) A
-...-+ with reference to Section 45. As correctly held by the High Court agricultural
land would have been a 'capital asset' but for the exclusion from the definition
of 'capital asset' and what is not a capital asset may yet be an asset for the
purposes of S.46(2).

Therefore, to the extent that a shareholder assessee receive assets whether B
capital or any other from the company in liquidation, the assessee is liable
to pay tax on the market value of the assets as on the date of the distribution
as provided under Sectlon 46(2). The appears to be the plain meaning of the
section and we see no reason to construe it in any other fashion. The invocation
of Section 2(14) of the Act which defines "Capital asset" is as such unnecessary C
for the purpose of construing Section 46(2).

We accordingly dismiss the appeals without any order as to costs.

S.K.S. Appeals dismissed.

,