Case Law Details
An order dated 15th February 2012 passed by the Authority for Advance Rulings (‘AAR’) (Income Tax) in AA No. 936 of 2010 has been challenged in this writ petition filed by Technip Singapore Pte Ltd. (formerly known as Global Industries Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.), a company incorporated in Singapore. The Petitioner, a resident of Singapore, is admittedly entitled to the benefit of India-Singapore Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (hereinafter „DTAA‟).
Background facts
The Petitioner states that it is a leading solutions provider of offshore construction, engineering, project management and support services to the oil and gas industry worldwide. The Income Tax Officer (International Taxation) Dehradun is stated to be the Assessing Officer („AO‟) as far as the Petitioner is concerned.
By a letter dated 12th June 2008 Indian Oil Corporation Ltd („IOCL‟) invited tenders for the “Residual Offshore Construction work” at Paradip. The letter explained that IOCL was “setting up offshore crude oil receiving facility having Single Point Mooring (SPM) terminal about 20 Kms. off the coast of Paradip port in the east coast of India.” The said facility would enable unloading the crude oil from the Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) “to meet the crude oil requirement of its Refineries located in the eastern part of India.” The work involved installation of IOCL supplied SPM including anchor chains, floating and subsea hoses.
The question is whether the mobilisation/demobilisation charges which constituted 68% of the total consideration could be treated as royalty within the meaning of Section 9 (1) (vi) of the Act read with Article 12 (3) (b) of the DTAA and whether the installation charges could be treated as FTS within the meaning of Explanation 2 below Section 9 (1) (vii) of the Act read with Article 12 (4) (a) of the DTAA?
Are mobiisation/demobiisation charges ‘royalty’?
The Petitioner is right in its contention that the Revenue did not contend before the AAR that the income earned by the Petitioner from the contract towards mobilisation/demobilisation charges should be treated as royalty under Section 9(i) (vi) of the Act or Article 12.3(b) of the DTAA. The fact that in the certificates issued under Section 197 of the Act the Revenue may have earlier characterized the payment as royalty cannot change its stand taken subsequently before the AAR. Therefore, there was no occasion for the AAR to examine the question as to whether the payment received for mobilisation/demobilisation could be treated as royalty under Section 9(i) (vi) of the Act read with Article 12.3(b) of the DTAA.
The term ‘royalty’ is defined in Article 12.3 of the DTAA as under: “The term „royalties‟ as used in this Article means payments of any kind received as a consideration for the use of, or the right to use:
(a) any copyright of a literary, artistic or scientific work, including cinematograph film or films or tapes used for radio or television broadcasting, any patent, trade mark, design or model, plan, secret formula or process, or for information concerning industrial, commercial or scientific experience, including gains derived from the alienation of any such right, property or information;
(b) any industrial, commercial or scientific equipment, other than payments derived by an enterprise from activities described in paragraph 4(b) or 4(c) of Article 8.”
As far as the Act is concerned, Section 9(1) (vi) states that the following incomes shall be deemed to accrue or arise in India:
“(vi) income by way of royalty payable by²
(a) the Government ; or
(b) a person who is a resident, except where the royalty is payable in respect of any right, property or information used or services utilised for the purposes of a business or profession carried on by such person outside India or for the purposes of making or earning any income from any source outside India ; or
(c) a person who is a non-resident, where the royalty is payable in respect of any right, property or information used or services utilised for the purposes of a business or profession carried on by such person in India or for the purposes of making or earning any income from any source in India :
Provided that nothing contained in this clause shall apply in relation to so much of the income by way of royalty as consists of lump sum consideration for the transfer outside India of, or the imparting of information outside India in respect of, any data, documentation, drawing or specification relating to any patent, invention, model, design, secret formula or process or trade mark or similar property, if such income is payable in pursuance of an agreement made before the 1st day of April, 1976, and the agreement is approved by the Central Government :
Provided further that nothing contained in this clause shall apply in relation to so much of the income by way of royalty as consists of lump sum payment made by a person, who is a resident, for the transfer of all or any rights (including the granting of a licence) in respect of computer software supplied by a non-resident manufacturer along with a computer or computer-based equipment under any scheme approved under the Policy on Computer Software Export, Software Development and Training, 1986 of the Government of India.
Explanation 2 thereunder defines royalty to mean as under:
“Explanation 2.—For the purposes of this clause, “royalty” means consideration (including any lump sum consideration but excluding any consideration which would be the income of the recipient chargeable under the head “Capital gains”) for—
(i) the transfer of all or any rights (including the granting of a licence) in respect of a patent, invention, model, design, secret formula or process or trade mark or similar property ;
(ii) the imparting of any information concerning the working of, or the use of, a patent, invention, model, design, secret formula or process or trade mark or similar property ;
(iii) the use of any patent, invention, model, design, secret formula or process or trade mark or similar property ;
(iv) the imparting of any information concerning technical, industrial, commercial or scientific knowledge, experience or skill ;
(iva) the use or right to use any industrial, commercial or scientific equipment but not including the amounts referred to in section 44BB;
(v) the transfer of all or any rights (including the granting of a licence) in respect of any copyright, literary, artistic or scientific work including films or video tapes for use in connection with television or tapes for use in connection with radio broadcasting, but not including consideration for the sale, distribution or exhibition of cinematographic films ; or
(vi) the rendering of any services in connection with the activities referred to in sub-clauses (i) to (iv), (iva) and (v).
Further, Explanation 5 below Section 9(vi) reads as under:
³[Explanation 5.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby clarified that the royalty includes and has always included consideration in respect of any right, property or information, whether or not²
(a) the possession or control of such right, property or information is with the payer;
(b) such right, property or information is used directly by the payer;
(c) the location of such right, property or information is in India.”
As far as DTAA in the present case is concerned, the income earned by the Assessee would be treated as royalty only where it is received as consideration for the use of the equipment, i.e., industrial, commercial or scientific. It can also be for use of or the right to use any copyright or for information concerning industrial, commercial or scientific experience. It is clear from the contract itself that the control of the equipment throughout remained with the Petitioner and did not get transferred to IOCL.
In this context, it is necessary to refer to the decision of this Court in Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd (supra). The facts were that the Assessee in that case, Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (ASTC), a company incorporated in Hong Kong, was carrying on the business of private satellite communications and broadcasting facilities and was the lessee of a satellite called AsiaSat 1 which was launched in April 1990 and was the owner of a satellite called AsiaSat 2 which was launched in November 1995. ASTC entered into agreements with television channels, communication companies or other companies who desired to utilize the transponder capacity available on the assessee‟s satellite to relay their signals. The customers had their own relaying facilities, which were not situated in India. From these facilities, the signals were beamed in space where they were received by a transponder located in the assessee‟s satellite.
The process of transmission of TV programmes started with TV channels (customers of ASTC) uplinking the signals containing the television programmes ; thereafter the satellite received the signals and after amplifying and changing their frequency relayed it down in India and other countries where the cable operators caught the signals and distributed them to the public. Any person who had a dish antenna could also catch the signals relayed from these satellites. The role of ASTC was that of receiving the signals, amplifying them and after changing the frequency relaying them on the earth. For this service, the TV channels paid ASTC.
The Court held that ASTC was the operator of the satellites and in control of the satellite. It had not leased out the equipment to the customers. ASTC had merely given access to a broadband width available in a transponder which could be utilized for the purpose of transmitting signals of the customer. It was held that the terms “lease of transponder capacity”, “lessor”, “lessee” and “rental” used in the agreement would not be the determinative factors. There was no use of “process” by the television channels. Moreover, no such purported use had taken place in India. It was held that the services provided were an “integral part of the satellite” and remained “under the control of the satellite/transponder owner (like the appellant in this case) and it does not vest with the telecast operator/ television channels.” The Court rejected the plea that the payment made to ASTC could be ‘royalty’ within the meaning of Section 9 (1) (vi) of the Act. The Court reiterated that “the fact remains that there is no use of ‘process’ by the television channels. Moreover, no such purported use has taken place in India.”
The Court has held that the concept of dominion or control is sine qua non use. Further Explanation 5 below Section 9 (vi), to the extent it is not beneficial to the Assessee, will have to in terms of Section 90 (2) of the Act, make way for the provision of the DTAA which is more beneficial to the Assessee. This aspect too has been clarified by the Court in Asia Satellite Telecommunications (supra). It was observed:
“The effect of an agreement made pursuant to Section 90 is that if no tax liability is imposed under this Act, the question of resorting to agreement would not arise. No provision of the agreement can fasten a tax liability when the liability is not imposed by this Act. If a tax liability is imposed by this Act, the agreement may be resorted to for negativing or reducing it. In case of difference between the provisions of the Act and of an agreement under section 90, the provisions of the agreement shall prevail over the provisions of the Act and can be enforced by an appellate authority or the court. However, as provided by sub-section (2), the provisions of this Act will apply to the assessee in the event they are more beneficial to him. Where there is no specific provision in the agreement, it is the basic law, i.e., the Income-tax Act which will govern the taxation of income.”
For the payment to be characterised as one for the use of the equipment, factually, the equipment must be used by IOCL. In the present case factually, there is no finding that the equipment had actually been used by There is a difference between the use of the equipment by the Petitioner ‘for’ IOCL and the use of the equipment ‘by’ IOCL. Since the equipment was used for rendering services to IOCL, it could not be converted to a contract of hiring of equipment by IOCL.
As observed in Visual Inc. v. Asst. CCT 124 STC 426 (Karn):
“9. Thus if the transaction is one of leasing/hiring/letting simpliciter under which the possession of the goods, i.e., effective and general control of the goods is to be given to the customer and the customer has the freedom and choice of selecting the manner, time and nature of use and enjoyment, though within the frame work of the agreement, then it would be a transfer of the right to use the goods and fall under the extended definition of ‘sale’. On the other hand, if the customer entrusts to the assessee the work of achieving a certain desired result and that involves the use of goods belonging to the assessee and rendering of several other services and the goods used by the assessee to achieve the desired result continue to be in the effective and general control of the assessee, then, the transaction will not be a transfer of the right to use goods falling within the extended definition of ‘sale’.”
Consequently, this Court is unable to concur with the finding of the AAR that in the instant case the consideration received for mobilisation/demobilisation should be considered as royalty paid by IOCL to the Petitioner.
