Modi Industries Ltd. vs. Commissioner of Income Tax

Abstract

Modi Industries Ltd. V. Commissioner of Income Tax (2012) is a landmark case in Indian corporate law. The case involved a dispute between Modi Industries Ltd. and the Commissioner of Income Tax over the taxability of the company’s income from the sale of carbon credits. The company Modi Industries Ltd. is engaged in the manufacture and sale of steel products. The company had invested in projects to reduce carbon emissions and had obtained carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Modi Industries Ltd. argued that the income was not taxable because it was a capital receipt and not a revenue receipt. On the other hand, the Commissioner of Income Tax argued that the income was taxable as revenue income. The case was filed to resolve this dispute and determine whether income from the sale of carbon credits is subject to taxation.