Unless otherwise stated, all changes in rates of duty take effect from the midnight of 28th February/1st March, 2011. A declaration has been made under the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, 1931 in respect of clauses 57(a)(i), 57 (b) and 70(a)(i) of the Finance Bill, 2011 so that changes proposed therein take effect from the midnight of 28th February/1st March, 2011. The remaining legislative changes would come into effect only upon the enactment of the Finance Bill, 2010. Retrospective amendments in the provisions of law or notifications issued under the respective Acts shall have the force of law only upon the enactment of the Finance Bill, 2011 but with effect from the date indicated in the relevant clause or Schedule. These dates may be carefully noted.
The First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 is being amended vide Clause 57 of the Bill to give effect to the tariff changes relating to the Union Customs Duties. The basic customs duty rates of 2%, 2.5% and 3% are being unified at the median rate of 2.5%.
Notification No. 17/2011-ST has been issued superceding notification 9/2009-ST dated 03.03.2009. The new notification has the following unique features: (a) Criteria for the determination of “wholly consumed” services have been laid down in the notification, borrowing from the Export of Services Rules, 2005. It has also been specified that all services received by an entity in a SEZ, which does not have any other DTA operations, will constitute “wholly consumed” services.
Finance minister has announced in his budget speech that individual and sole proprietor assessees with a turnover upto Rs 60 lakhs shall not be subject to audit. Interest rate for all assessees (including firms and corporates) upto a turnover of Rs 60 lakhs shall be 3% less than the prescribed rate.
Exemption from service tax is being provided to „Works contract service‟ when rendered for the construction of residential complexes or completion and finishing services of a new complex under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewable Mission (JNURM) and “Rajiv Awaas Yojana” (Notifications No. 6/ST-2011).
Input has been defined to include, inter-alia, all goods used in a factory by the manufacturer and goods used for providing any output service; Goods that shall not constitute input have been specifically excluded. These shall include, besides petroleum items, any goods used for construction of a civil structure (by a manufacturer as well as a service provider) excepting when they are used in the provision of any of the specified construction services. Thus, goods used by a sub-contractor for rendering services of construction to the main contractor shall constitute input.
A new sub-rule (2A) is being added in rule 3 in the Works Contract (Composition Scheme for Payment of Service Tax) Rules, 2007 vide Notification 1/2011-ST so as to restrict the Cenvat credit to 40% of the tax paid on services relating to erection, commissioning & installation; commercial or industrial construction and construction of residential complex, in case tax has been paid on full value of the service after availing Cenvat credit on inputs
A new rule (2B) has been inserted vide Notification 2/2011-ST to prescribe the value of service rendered in relation to money changing. The details are explained at Annexure B. This amendment shall come into force on 01.04.2011.
Corresponding changes, as indicated in respect of Export of Services Rules, 2005, have been carried out by way of rearrangement of the stated services under respective sub- clauses of rule 3 of the Taxation of Services (Provided from Outside India and Received in India) Rules, 2006.
Globally the taxation of services across different taxing jurisdictions is increasingly moving towards destination-based levy in respect of B2B services while origin-based levy is largely applicable to B2C services. In tune with this practice, certain services are being rearranged as follows: (i) Service provided by builders [section 65(105)(zzzzu)] is being added to sub-rule 1(i) and will thus be considered as exported, subject to compliance with other conditions, if the immovable property is situated outside India.
