GST | Allahabad High Court Grants Stay On Composite Show Cause Notice For Multiple Assessment Years

Recently, the Allahabad High Court has granted stay on composite show cause notice issued by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence where multiple assessment years have been clubbed in one show cause notice. Petitioner approached the High Court against a single show cause notice issued by the Additional Director, Directorate General of GST Intelligence, Ghaziabad for tax period starting from August 2019 to September 2023. It was pleaded that the same could not be done as each tax...

Evasion Of Tax Cannot Be Attributed To Transporter When Consignor Accepts Error In Loading Goods: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that evasion of tax cannot be attributed to the transporter when consignor accepts error in loading goods. Certain goods were intercepted in transit from Dehradun to Delhi. After notices were issued to the cosigner/ consignee, the goods were released in their favour. Subsequently, an order alleging intention to evade tax under Section 129 of the GST Act was passed against the petitioner who was merely a transporter of the goods. Appeal against the...

GST Authorities Cannot Act Against Transporter Of Goods When Genuine E-Way Bill Present: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that under GST Act, the department cannot proceed against an assessee for transport of goods, if a genuine e-way bill is present along with the consignment. Justice Piyush Agarwal held that this would be especially impermissible if the validity of the e-way bill was not disputed by the authorities. “Once the goods in question is duly accompanying by e-way bill, which clearly demonstrates the genuineness of the documents and during validity of the...

HC Cannot Issue Writ To Compel Arbitrator To Decide Dispute After Expiration Of His Mandate: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has recently clarified that it cannot issue a writ of mandamus to compel an arbitrator to decide compensation disputes relating to land acquisition for making national highways, once his mandate has expired under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. A Division Bench of Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Kunal Ravi Singh observed that “The issuance of a mandamus directing the arbitrator to decide the case within a time-bound period, when his...

Cancellation Of GST Registration Announces Economic Death Of Business Entity; Reasoned Order Needed: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has observed that the cancellation of GST registration of a business entity leads to it economic death and it is sine qua non that a reasoned order is passed by the authority for cancelling the registration of an assesee. The bench of Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Indrajeet Shukla observed: “We are equally mindful that the order of cancellation of registration causes deep adverse impact on the conduct of business of any registered individual. Neither ...

GST Act | S.130 Cannot Be Invoked For Excess Stock Found During Survey; Action Must Proceed U/S 73/74: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court held that Section 130 of the Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 could not be invoked where excess stock was found at the time of survey While dealing with a case regarding a search conducted under the GST Act, where upon finding discrepancies, proceedings had been initiated against the petitioner under S. 130 of the Act, Justice Piyush Agarwal held “A specific provision has been contemplated that if the goods are not recorded in the books of account, then the...

No Authority Under GST Act To Reserve Judgement & Deliver It Later Without Issuing Notice To Assessee: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that nothing under the Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 the relevant rules, and notifications, allows the authorities to reserve judgements on the fixed date and pass them later, especially without informing the assessee. The petitioner was issued a show cause notice on 17.02.2022. The petitioner submitted a reply but the respondent passed an order levying tax and penalty, without providing the relevant materials or an opportunity of hearing. ...

Cannot Cancel GST Registration Without Passing Reasoned Speaking Order: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that while cancelling GST registrations, authorities must pass reasoned and speaking orders. It held that doing otherwise would render the order unsustainable in the eyes of the law. “Once the impugned cancellation order has been passed without putting any proper notice or affording any opportunity of hearing to the petitioner, the same itself is in violation of principles of natural justice,” held Justice Piyush Agarwal. The petitioner, a real...

UPGST Act | Confiscation Notice U/S 130 Cannot Be Issued For Mere Violation Of Record-Maintenance Requirements U/S 35: Allahabad HC

Recently, the Allahabad High Court reiterated that notices under Section 130 of the Uttar Pradesh Goods and Service Tax Act 2017 for confiscation and levy of penalty, could not be issued for alleged violation of maintenance of accounts and records as required under Section 35 of the Act. It was held that such notices under Section 130 could only be issued once the department had determined the liability of tax under Sections 73 or 74 of the Act. The Court relied on the judgement of...

Suspension Of State Tax Officer For Delayed Report Unjustified When Authority Failed To Act In GST Fraud Case: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that where loss is caused to the State, a State Tax Officer may not be suspended for mere delay in submitting a report. Justice Vikas Budhwar held that this would be especially impermissible in a case where the authority to act on the report in time chooses not to do so.He held that, despite the fact that the petitioner submitted the report with delay, the authority to take action was the Assistant Commissioner. It was held that the petitioner could not be...

GST Authorities Cannot Assume Jurisdiction For Passing Adverse Orders For Work Concluded Under VAT Regime: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that GST Authorities cannot claim jurisdiction for levying tax, penalty, and interest on work that was concluded prior to the implementation of the GST Act. Notices were issued to the petitioner, a work contractor, for the Financial Year 2018-19 under the GST Act. The petitioner was unable to reply to the notices in time. Consequently, an ex-parte order was passed, levying tax, penalty and interest on him. Aggrieved, he sought relief before the High...

Predominant Purpose Of Industry Is Essential For Determining Bracket Of Cess Taxation: Allahabad High Court

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has held that in determining cess for an industry, the assessing authority must consider the predominant purpose of the industry. “In this case where the question is whether a particular industry is an industry as covered in Schedule I of the Act, it has to be judged normally by what that industry produces mainly. Every industry carries out multifarious activities to reach its goal through various multifarious methods. Whether a particular...