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Cairn faces Rs 102.47 billion fine on top of Rs 290 billion tax demand
British oil explorer Cairn Energy Plc faces up to Rs 102.47 billion penalty over and above the Rs 290 billion in tax and interest demand slapped on it by the I-T Department using a retrospective legislation. In a circular to shareholders, the company said it had on February 4 received “a final assessment order from the Indian Income Tax Department in amount of Rs 102.47 billion plus interest back dated to 2007 totalling Rs 188 billion.
“The aggregate amount of Rs 290 billion excludes any applicable penalties which may also be applied to the final assessment (potentially up to 100 per cent of the final assessment order, excluding interest).” The I-T Department had on January 22, 2014 issued a draft assessment order of Rs 102.47 billion on alleged capital gains Cairn made in a 2006 reorganisation of its India business. The final assessment order was issued on February 4, 2016.
The notice was, however, issued before Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget for 2016-17 made a one-time offer to waive interest and penalty if the companies paid the principal amount to settle the retrospective tax disputes. “Cairn strongly contests the final assessment proceedings in India and is pursuing its rights under Indian law to appeal the assessment, both in respect of the basis of taxation and the quantum assessed and to protect from enforcement against the assets of CUHL,” the company said in the circular.
CUHL is a Cairn subsidiary. Enforcement of any tax liability deemed due by the Indian Income Tax Department “will be limited to the assets of CUHL which have a current value of approximately USD 477 million, and comprise principally Cairn’s residual 10 per cent shareholding in Cairn India, which has already been provisionally attached by the Indian Income Tax Department,” it said. IT Department alleges that Cairn Energy made a capital gain of Rs 245.035 billion in 2006 when it transferred shares of Indian assets that were held in a subsidiary set up in the tax haven of Jersey, to newly incorporated Cairn India.
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