Employees' Contribution To PF And ESI Should Be Remitted Before The Due Date To Allow Income Tax Deduction: ITAT
Live LawThe Banglore Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has held that the employees' contribution to PF and ESI should be remitted before the due date for it to be allowable under Section 43B of the Income Tax Act.The two-member bench of George George K and Laxmi Prasad Sahu relied on the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Checkmate. The Banglore Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has held that the employees' contribution to PF and ESI should be remitted before the due date for it to be allowable under Section 43B of the Income Tax Act. The two-member bench of George George K and Laxmi Prasad Sahu relied on the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Checkmate Services Ltd. v. CIT, in which it was held that Section 43B does not cover employees' contributions to PF, ESI, etc. The assessee submitted that the payment of employees' contributions to PF and ESI, though belated, was made before the due date of filing the return of income under section 139 of the Income Tax Act and was otherwise allowable under section 43B.