SC allows IT dept to reopen case against Amitabh Bachchan over his KBC earnings

The Supreme Court allowed the Income Tax (IT) department to reopen the 2001 tax case against actor Amitabh Bachchan over his earnings during the quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). The apex court set aside the Bombay High Court's order that gave relief to the actor in a tax dispute arising from his income from the show KBC. The Income Tax department had challenged the Bombay High Court's order in the apex court.

The Bombay High Court had dismissed the IT department's plea on February 29 last year and allowed Bachchan a tax exemption for being an artist on the show. The Supreme Court had earlier on January 8 sought the superstar's response on a petition by the Income Tax Department, which claimed that the actor owes to it Rs 1.66 crore as taxes on his income he earned through the quiz show during 2001-02.

Earlier in 2008, the High Court had allowed IT exemption on 30 percent of Bachchan's total income of Rs 50.92 crore from the show. The High Court had accepted the actor's plea that being an artiste, he should be given tax relief under Section 80 RR of the Income Tax Act. The Income Tax department had in its appeal challenged the order on the ground that the relief is for those artists, who either earn by performing outside the country or receive payment from foreign agencies. It was submitted by the Income Tax department that Bachchan was acting as an anchor in the television programme show for Star India Ltd and cannot be termed artiste for his role in the show.