Benefit of vacancy allowance would be available even when house is under renovation: Bangalore ITAT

Facts:

a) The Assessing Officer proposed to assess the annual letting value of the flat. The assessee has submitted that flats were vacant and therefore even if Annual Letting Value (ALV) has to be assessed, the vacancy allowance should be allowed. The Assessing Officer before the CIT (Appeals). The CIT (Appeals) confirmed the addition made by the Assessing Officer The aggrieved-assessee filed the instant appeal.

The Tribunal held in favour of assessee as under:

1. The assessee has explained that the house was under renovation and therefore, it could not be let out during the year under consideration. Further it was not intentionally kept vacant by the assessee. Thus, vacancy of the house was beyond the control of the assessee and, therefore, the benefit of vacancy is available to the assessee as per the provisions of section 23(1)(c).

2. The process of letting out may take some time in searching the suitable tenant and for settling the terms and conditions of the letting out. Therefore, even if it is presumed that the house is ready for occupation if it is not intentionally kept vacant by the assessee then it cannot be presumed that the assessee has deliberately not let out the house during the year under consideration.

3. Thus, the addition made by the Assessing Officer was to be deleted. - [2016] 76 taxmann.com 278 (Bangalore - Trib.)