Procedural Lapse Cannot Be The Basis To Deny Service Tax Refund, Defeating The Object Of SEZ: CESTAT

The Delhi Bench of the Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has held that the beneficial object of establishing the SEZ tax-free, without any burden of duties, means that the procedural lapse, if any, cannot be the basis to deny the refund.The bench of Binu Tamta (Judicial Member) and P. V. Subba Rao (Technical Member) has observed that the general principles of interpretation of the exemption notification, that it has to be construed strictly, do not really apply to the...

Relevancy Of Assessment Year For Taxing Foreign Assets And Income Under The Black Money Act - A Legal Conundrum

While presenting the Union Budget in 2015, the then Finance Minister announced, that in order to evade taxes in India some people had stashed away their money outside India (which is commonly referred to as Black Money) and in order to curb this malaise a new legislation will be introduced to tackle the undisclosed assets and income of Indian citizens located outside India. To achieve this objective The Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act (BMA) was...

Mortein Spray, Harpic & Lizol Cleaner- Not Classifiable as ‘Insecticide’ Under KVAT; Dettol A 'Medicament': Supreme Court

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices M. R. Shah and Krishna Murari has ruled that Mosquito Mats, Coils and Vaporizers, Mortein Insect Killers, Harpic Toilet Cleaner and Lizol Floor Cleaners, are not be classifiable under Entry 44(5) of the 3rd Schedule to the Kerala VAT Act (KVAT), 2003 as ‘insecticides’.While observing that Entry 44(5) of the 3rd Schedule to the Act is a general entry, the bench observed that the said products would fall under Sl.No.66 and 27(4) of...

Expenditure Made On Ice Boxes Are Capital Expenditure: ITAT Upholds Disallowance Against Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages

The Delhi Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that the expenditure made on ice chests or ice boxes was made for acquiring or bringing into existence an asset for the enduring benefit of the business and was of the nature of capital expenditure.The two-member bench of Anubhav Sharma (Judicial Member) and N.K. Billaiya (Accountant Member) has observed that if the expenditure is made for acquiring or bringing into existence an asset or advertisement for the enduring benefit...

ITAT Quashes Penalty Notice Which Was Silent On Specification Of Charges

The Delhi Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has quashed the penalty notice, which was silent on the specification of charges.The bench of Astha Chandra (a judicial member) and Shamim Yahya (an accountant member) has observed that no specification of charge in the penalty notice leads to the same becoming void, and the penalty on that count is to be deleted.The penalty under Section 271(1)(c) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, was levied upon the assessee on account of additions for...

S. 80-IB Of Income Tax Act - Assessee Not Entitled To Deduction Under On Profit Derived From DEPB And Duty Drawback Schemes: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has ruled that the assessee is not entitled to deduction under Section 80- IB of the Income Tax Act, 1961 on the amount received / profit derived from the Duty Entitlement Pass Book Scheme (DEPB) and the Duty Drawback Schemes.The bench of Justices M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna held that the profit from DEPB and the Duty Drawback claims cannot be said to be an income “derived from” the industrial undertaking. The court added that even otherwise, such an income is chargeable to...

CESTAT Allows CENVAT Credit Of Service Tax Paid On Corporate Membership Of Club

The Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Mumbai, has allowed the CENVAT credit of service tax paid on corporate memberships of clubs.The bench of Anil G. Shakkarwar (Technical) has observed that corporate membership of the club is utilized for business meetings and sales meetings, and therefore, for the period prior to April 1, 2011, service tax paid on corporate membership of the club was admissible for availment of CENVAT credit.The appellants/assessee were...

Income Tax Exemption On The Voluntarily Payment Made By The Employer To The Employee Out Of Appreciation: ITAT

The Pune Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that the payment has been made voluntarily by them out of appreciation for the employee and thus falls outside the rigours of Section 17(3)(iii) of the Income Tax Act.The two-member bench of R.S. Syal (Vice President) and Partha Sarathi Chaudhury (Judicial Member) has observed that the department could not produce any documents or evidence on record to show that the payment received from the employer was coupled with some legal...

Same Activity Can Be Taxed As ‘Goods’ & ‘Services’ : Supreme Court Upholds Levy Of Service Tax On “Engineering Design & Drawings”

The Supreme Court has held that the import of “Engineering Design & Drawings” falls under the category of “design services” under section 65(35b) read with Section 65(105) (zzzzd) of the Finance Act, 1994, and are subject to levy of service tax. On the sole ground that “Engineering Design & Drawings” prepared and supplied by sister company were shown as ‘goods’ under the Customs Act and in the bill of entry, such services cannot be excluded from the definition of “design services” under...

Income Tax Act | For A Company To Be A "Resident" In India, Domicile Or Registration Irrelevant; Test Is Where De Facto Control Lies : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has ruled that under the Income Tax Act, 1961, the domicile or the registration of the company is not at all relevant, and the determinate test is the place where, the sole right to manage the company and the control of the company lies. The place where the “head and seat” and the “directing power” of the affairs of the company and the control and management is shown, must not merely be theoretical control and power, i.e., not de jure control and power. Rather, in order to hold...

Mere Delay In Remittance Of TDS Doesn’t Attract Penalty Under S 271C Income Tax Act: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has ruled that no penalty is leviable under Section 271C of the Income Tax Act, 1961 on mere delay in remittance of the tax deducted at source (TDS) after the same has been deducted by the assessee.The bench of Justices M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar observed that the relevant words used in Section 271C(1)(a) are “fails to deduct”, and the same does not speak about belated remittance of the TDS. The words “fails to deduct” occurring in Section 271C(1)(a) cannot be...

Quarterly Digest Of Tax Cases: January-March, 2023

Indirect TaxesSupreme CourtSabka Vishwas Scheme : Supreme Court Grants Relief To Company Which Missed Deadline Due To IBC MoratoriumCase Title: Shekhar Resorts Limited vs Union of IndiaCitation : 2023 LiveLaw (SC) 15No one can be expected to do the impossible, the Supreme Court remarked while granting relief to a company which could not avail the benefit of settlement of tax dues under “Sabka Vishwas (Legacy Dispute Resolution) Scheme, 2019, due to moratorium imposed on it.Supreme Court Sets...