Gujarat High Court
S. 153C Income Tax Act | Public Info, Unrelated Data Seized From Searched Person Not Enough To Issue Show Cause Notice: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court has observed that information available in public domain or any unrelated information seized from the searched person without a connection to the assessee is not enough to be the basis of issuing a show cause notice under Section 153C of the Income Tax Act. The court was hearing a plea challenging notice dated 13.10.2021 by the Assessing Officer (AO) for the Assessment Years (AY) 2014-15 to 2020-21 issued to the petitioner.A search under Section 132 of the Act was...
Refund On Zero-Rated Supplies Cannot Be Denied Based On Deemed Export Circular: Gujarat High Court Sets Aside Recovery Orders
The Gujarat High Court has recently held that the Petitioners—100% EOUs exporting goods without payment of tax—were entitled to refund of unutilised ITC under Section 54(3) read with Rule 89(4), and that their exports did not fall within the category of “deemed exports.”The Court ruled that Circular No. 172/04/2022-GST and Rule 89(4A) were inapplicable, quashed the withdrawal and recovery of refunds issued under Section 73, rejected the retrospective reclassification of zero-rated supplies as...
Edible Crude Palm Kernel Oil Qualifies For Duty Exemption, End-Use Condition Inapplicable: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court in a writ petition has quashed a show cause notice creating duty demand of about Rs. 464 crores on import of Crude Palm Kernel Oil (Edible Grade). The Division Bench, comprising Justice Bhargav D. Karia and Justice Pranav Trivedi ruled on whether Oil even if of edible grade but required refining before human consumption qualified for customs duty exemption under Notification No. 12/2022-Customs r/w Notification No. 21/2002-Customs (Exemption Notification). The...
Two Days Delay In Paying Last Instalment Under VAT Amnesty Scheme Owing To Technical Glitch Is Condonable: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court has extended benefit of Amnesty Scheme under the Gujarat Value Added Tax (GVAT) Act, 2003 to dealer who was precluded from making full payment under the Scheme on account of 'automatic' re-adjustment of instalment amount. The Division Bench, comprising Justice Bhargav D. Karia and Justice Pranav Trivedi set aside rejection of application under the Scheme noting that non-payment of differential amount was only due to technical glitches of the online portal. The...
Private Hospitals Liable To Pay VAT On Supply Of Medicines & Implants To In-Patients: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court has held that the supply of medicines and implants by private hospitals to in-patients amounts to 'deemed sale' and is liable to VAT (Value Added Tax). The issue before the bench was whether the supply of medicines, stents, implants, consumables, etc., during the course of treatment of patients amounts to 'sale' as defined in section 2(23) of the VAT Act. The bench, consisting of Justices Bhargav D. Karia and D.N. Ray, observed that after the 46th Amendment...
Multiple Agreements Forming Part Of Same Commercial Project Can Be Referred To Single Arbitration: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court recently held that various agreements entered into between the parties forming part of the same commercial project can be referred to Arbitration, and one arbitrator can be appointed to adjudicate all the disputes arising from the various agreements. The Bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, while hearing a petition u/s 11 of the A&C Act, moved by Adani Enterprise Ltd. (“Petitioner”) held that the General Condition of Contracts (“GCC”) and the General...
Gujarat High Court Approves One-Time Ex-Gratia Payment For Company-Paid Staff Of Official Liquidator's Office
The Gujarat High Court has approved a one-time ex-gratia welfare payment to 12 company-paid staff employed under the office of the official liquidator. “The welfare measure of a one-time ex-gratia payment is justified in equity provided that it doesn't prejudice the entitlement of stakeholders in liquidation proceedings,” Hon'ble Mrs. Justice Mauna M. Bhatt. Background The official liquidator filed the report seeking the High Court's direction to invest ex-gratia amounts from...
Customs Commissioner Cannot Reassess Duty On Warehoused Imports Cleared From Refineries Beyond His Jurisdiction: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court stated that the customs commissioner cannot reassess duty on warehoused imports cleared from refineries beyond his jurisdiction. Justices Bhargav D. Karia and Justice Pranav Trivedi agreed with the Tribunal that a proper officer having the administrative jurisdiction over the respective refineries where the goods were removed under section 67 of the Customs Act, 1962, only could have assumed the jurisdiction for reassessment and not the Commissioner, ...
Revenue Cannot Treat Sale Price As 'Tax Inclusive' Without Proof: Gujarat High Court Quashes ₹25.53 Crore Penalty On Coca-Cola
The Gujarat High Court, while quashing the penalty of Rs. 25.53 Cr. on Hindustan Coca-Cola, stated that the amount of tax could not have been bifurcated by the revenue simply because the sales had been inclusive of tax. The bench found that there is no evidence on record to show that the assessee had collected any amount by way of tax from its distributors, retailers or customers, as the sales invoice shows the 'Nil' tax in the sales tax column along with the fact that there was an...
Filing Certified Copy Of Arbitration Agreement Not Mandatory When Undisputed Agreement Is Already On Record: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court held that an application under section 8 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (Arbitration Act) cannot be rejected merely on the ground that a certified copy of the agreement was not produced along with it when the same agreement containing the arbitration clause is already on the record and undisputed between the parties. Justice Maulik J. Shelat held that “Merely because a certified copy of the arbitration agreement was not filed would not render the...
Courts Not Expressly Barred From Dismissing Petitions Under Arbitration Act For Non-Prosecution: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court held that negligence or inaction on the part of counsel cannot justify condonation of unexplained and long delay. The court further held that the court is not prohibited from dismissing the petitions under section 34 for non prosecution. Justice Maulik J. Shelat held that “there is no express bar under the Act, 1996 not to dismiss such applications for non-prosecution. True, Section 19 of the Act, 1996 would suggests that Arbitration Tribunal not bound by the...
NCLT President Cannot Transfer Cases Beyond Territorial Jurisdiction Of Bench: Gujarat High Court In Essar Steel Insolvency Case
The Gujarat High Court has recently held that the President of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has no authority to transfer cases from one State to another through administrative orders.The ruling came in proceedings linked to the Essar Steel insolvency process, where the court also found that repeated recusals by NCLT Members in Ahmedabad were neither "legal" nor "justified."A single bench of Justice Niral R Mehta made the finding in a petition filed by Arcelormittal Nippon Steel India...