School to apply sec. 194C and not sec. 194I on transport contract if transporter incurs running cost and keeps possession of vehicle

Contract awarded by assessee-school to transporter for carrying students would be covered by sec. 194C and by not sec. 194I if bus remained in possession of transporter and all running and maintenance costs were incurred by him

In the instant case the assessee-school awarded contracts to various transporters for carrying its students from their homes to school and from school back to homes. It had deducted tax under section 194C for making payments to bus owners. The AO held that the assessee should have deducted tax under section 194I on such payments. On appeal, the CIT(A) reversed the order of AO. Aggrieved revenue filed the instant appeal.

The Tribunal held in favour of assessee as under:

1) The object of the assessee to enter into such agreement was a simple activity of carrying its students from their homes to the school and similarly from school back to their homes;

2) The assessee had no responsibility whatsoever regarding the buses to be utilized for that purpose which was the sole responsibility of the transport contractor;

3) The transport contractor only was liable to keep and maintain the required number of buses for such activity at its own expenses with the specified standards;

4) Therefore, the said contract was purely in the nature of services rendered by the transport contractor to the assessee. The assessee was not having any responsibility whatsoever regarding the transport vehicles used in such activity;

5) The assessee itself had not utilized the buses but they were used by the transport contractor for fulfilling the obligations set out in the contract. Thus, the aforesaid payments were not covered in the definition of 'rent' which was defined in Explanation to section 194-I,;

6) Therefore, the provisions of section 194-I could not be applied in the instant case. The assessee had rightly deducted tax at source under the section 194C on the aforesaid payments – ACIT (TDS) V. DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL (2013) 37 taxmann 211 (Delhi - Trib.)