Service Tax – Manpower Recruitment or Supply Agency – Secondment of Employees – The Supreme Court examined whether the secondment of employees from group companies abroad to the respondent constituted a "manpower recruitment or supply agency service" under Section 65(68) read with Section 65(105)(k) of the Finance Act, 1994. The Court held that the secondment agreement,...
Income Tax – Reassessment Notices – Transition to New Provisions – High Courts quashed reassessment notices issued under unamended Section 148 after 01.04.2021 – Supreme Court converted such notices into those issued under Section 148A (new provisions) – Directed Revenue to comply with new procedural requirements – Notices deemed to be issued under amended Act t...
Taxation – Interest on Delayed Refunds – Section 56 of CGST Act – Supreme Court held that interest at the rate of 6% per annum applies unless covered by the proviso to Section 56 – Proviso applies where refund arises from an order passed by adjudicating authority or court – In present case, no such order existed, hence 6% interest rate applies – High C...
Income Tax – Re-opening of Assessment – High Court quashes notice for re-opening assessment due to lack of tangible material – Supreme Court finds that objective material existed justifying re-opening based on search proceedings, seized documents, and statements under Section 132(4) – Assessment originally accepted under Section 143(1) without scrutiny, thus not shielding f...
GST Law - Detention of Goods – Writ Petition – Alleged tax evasion due to minor discrepancy in quantity of copper goods in transit – Invoice and e-way bill showed 10430.7 kg, actual weight 10520 kg – Discrepancy less than 1% – Tax already paid Rs.12,76,717.68 – Claimed evasion Rs.11,000 – Petitioner offered to pay additional tax and penalty – Court f...
Service Tax - Renting of Immovable Property - Exemption - Market Committees under Rajasthan Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961 - Appellants claimed exemption under Circular No. 89/7/2006 - Supreme Court held that the activity of renting/leasing shops/lands/platforms by Market Committees is not a mandatory statutory duty under Section 9 of the Act - Therefore, not exempt from service tax as per...
Motor Vehicles - Taxation - Financier-in-Possession - U.P. Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1997 - Financier took possession of vehicle upon default in loan payment - Liability to pay tax - Supreme Court upheld High Court's decision - Financier-in-possession considered "owner" under Section 2(h) of Act 1997 and Section 2(30) of Act 1988 - Tax payable even if vehicle not used, unless exem...
Income Tax – Deduction under Section 37(1) – Pharmaceutical companies' gifting freebies to doctors is "prohibited by law" and cannot be claimed as a deduction under Section 37(1) – Expenditure incurred by pharmaceutical companies for such freebies is inadmissible under the Income Tax Act – Court emphasizes the principle that no entity should benefit from an ac...
Service Tax – Exemption – Job Work vs. Contract Labour – Appellant entered into agreements to provide personnel for various activities, claiming exemption from service tax under Notification No. 25/2012-Service Tax dated 20 June 2012 – CESTAT held services were in the nature of contract labour and not job work – Agreement lacked specifications of job work and resemble...
Constitutional Law – Detention of Goods under CGST Act, 2017 – Release of detained goods under Articles 226 and 227 – Challenge against order of Assistant Commissioner detaining goods under Section 129 of CGST Act, 2017 – Authorities' power to check goods in transit when accompanied by valid documents – Investigation report relied upon to initiate proceedings unde...