The Hon’ble High Court, after detailed analyses: Declared Rule 5A(2) of the Service Tax Rules, as amended, to the extent that it authorises the officers of the Service Tax Department, the audit party deputed by a Commissioner or the CAG to seek production of the documents mentioned therein on demand, as ultra vires the Finance Act and, therefore, struck it down to that extent;
Hence, after levy of Krishi Kalyan Cess (KKC), Service tax rate will increase from 14.5% to 15%, effective from June 1, 2016. In this regard, there are many queries, which require clarification. We have summarized these queries through Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) enumerated below.
Pursuing with an objective to finance and promote initiatives to improve agriculture and farmer welfare, the Government announced a new cess namely ‘Krishi Kalyan Cess’ , to be levied at 0.5% on the value of all taxable services w.e.f June 1, 2016. In this regard, a new Chapter VI was inserted in the Finance Bill, 2016, containing relevant provisions, which are applicable with enactment of the Finance Act, 2016 on May 14, 2016.
162. Litigation is a scourge for a tax friendly regime and creates an environment of distrust in addition to increasing the compliance cost of the tax payers and administrative cost for the Government. There are about 3 lakh tax cases pending with the 1st Appellate Authority with disputed amount being 5.5 lakh crores. In order to reduce this number, I propose a new Dispute Resolution Scheme (DRS)
We are summarising herewith broader changes in the arena of Indirect Taxes, majorly Service tax coupled with analyses of the two sides of the Union Budget, 2016 along with highlighting some of the key areas requiring immediate attention of the Board:
Service Tax Rate: In this Article we have Compiled Service Tax Rate Charges from 01.06.2015 to 14.11.2015, 14.11.2015 to 31.05.2016 and Rates from 01.06.2016.
We are summarizing herewith the changes in Service tax, which are effective from May 14, 2016 for easy digest: Section 66D(l): Deletion of Education Services- Specified education services viz. services by way of pre-school education, higher secondary school education or equivalent, education as a part of a curriculum for obtaining a qualification recognised by any law for the time being in force, education as a part of an approved vocational education course, covered under Section 66D(l) of the Finance Act, stands deleted from the Negative List of services.
Presently, Section 66D(o)(i) of the Finance Act covers service of transportation of passengers, with or without accompanied belongings, by a stage carriage, which is proposed to be deleted w.e.f June 1, 2016.Corresponding to this deletion, new Entry [No. 23(bb)] has been inserted in the Mega Exemption Notification to exempt services by a stage carrier other than air-conditioned stage carriage.
1. Whether applicable rate of interest for delayed payment under Section 11AA of the Central Excise Act, 1944 is the one prevalent during period(s) of delay? 2. Whether it is justified to levy penalty under Section 11AC of the Excise Act, when the Returns filed by the Assessee clearly indicated the duty amount payable but not paid?
Vide Union Budget, 2016, Interest rates on delayed payment of duty/ taxes across all indirect taxes is proposed to be made uniform at 15% per annum, except in case of Service tax collected but not deposited with the Central Government, in which case the rate of interest will be 24% per annum from the date on which the Service tax payment becomes due.
