Ld. A.R has not been able to point out any provisions to the effect that Cenvat credit cannot be taken on machine procured prior to the date of issue of registration certificate. The argument of the lower authorities seems to be that the credit entries in the register for taking credit should not have been earlier than the date of granting of registration.
Firstly, there is a legal infirmity that tax is demanded under a category of service different from the one for which demand was initially issued. There is also the issue that Clearing and Forwarding Service could be rendered using a godown made available by the service recipient. In this case the service recipient has taken godown on rent from the service provider itself.
We are of the view that even if technically, scope of sections 76 and 78 of the Act may be different, as submitted on behalf of the revenue, the fact that penalty has been levied under section 78 could be taken into account for levying or not levying penalty under section 76 of the Act. In such situation, even if reasoning given by the appellate authority that if penalty under section 78 of the Act was imposed, penalty under section 76 of the Act could never be imposed may not be correct,
The counsel for the appellant submits that in Board’s Circular No. 11/1/2002-TRU dated 01/08/2002 it has been clarified that Service Tax is not leviable on the activities of the custodian when he auctions abandoned cargo and VAT/ST is paid in respect of such cargo.
Water supply project is an infrastructure facility and a civic amenity which the State provides in public interest and not an activity of commerce or industry. Therefore, the appellants are not covered under the category of Erection, Commissioning or Installation Services.” Following the precedent decision in the case of Indian Hume Pipe Co. Ltd. (supra), we hold that the activities undertaken by the appellants does not cover under the category of Erection, Commissioning or Installation Services. Accordingly, we set aside the demand on this account in the impugned order.
In view of the presumption in the law that an penal liability can never be passed on to another person who has not committed the offence, the view taken by the Tribunal in the case of Offshore Hook-up that department has to prove that unjust enrichment would mean that some extra effort is required in addition to merely looking at the balance sheet or profit & loss account on the part of the department.
Appellate authority has not applied his own independent mind to various issues involved in the appeal and various contentions raised by the appellant. It stand simply observed by the appellate authority that all the issues stand discussed in detail by the adjudicating authority and he find himself in agreement with the same.
As regards the judgment relied upon by the learned SDR in the case of Bajaj Travels Ltd. (supra) I find that the issue involved in the: case was the issue therein the show cause notices were issued prior to 10.05.2008, i.e. on 17.10.2005 invoking the provisions of sections 76 and 78 of the Finance Act, 1994 for imposition of penalty.
No Cenvat credit on construction service if assessee is engaged in renting of immovable property – Commercial or industrial construction service or works contract service is an input service for the output service namely immovable property. Immovable property is neither subjected to central excise duty nor to service tax and input credit of service tax can be taken only if the output is a service liable to service tax or a goods liable to central excise duty.
The department has issued clarification vide circular No.59/8/2003-ST dated 20.6.2003 and as per the said clarification, it was clarified that in case of commercial training and coaching institutes, the exclusion shall apply only to the sale value of standard textbooks, which are priced. Any study material or written text provided by such institute as a part of service which does not satisfy the above criteria will be subjected to service tax. On the basis of this clarification, the demand has been confirmed against the appellant.
