No entry tax on sugar in Punjab till date

There has been a lot of confusion off late about the levy of entry tax on import of sugar from outside the State of Punjab. The Excise and Taxation Department has been recovering entry tax on sugar imported from outside the state of Punjab.

The new entry tax law legislated by Punjab Government I.e. Punjab Development of trade commerce and Industries (Validation) Act is under challenge before the Punjab & Haryana High Court in CWP no 26998 of 2015. In the said Writ petition while passing an interim order on 27.04.2016 not only the stay on recovery of entry tax on sugar levied under an earlier ordinance I.e Ordinance no 1 of 2015 has been continued by the Hon’ble High Court but also it has been conceded by the Government councel in the court that no notification for leving entry tax on sugar under new law (i.e validation Act) has been issued till date.

Thus it is very much clear that no entry tax is leviable on sugar imported from outside State of Punjab till date. Hence any recovery made in this regard at the check post by the Department is illegal.