The applicant were discharging their Service Tax liability in respect of tuition fee being charged by them from their students. Their premises were visited by the officers on 7.1.2010 and scrutiny of various records maintained by the appellants revealed that no Service Tax was being paid by them on pre-schooling coaching, sale of text books, conducting of mock test series etc.
Confirmation of demand under a category different than one proposed in the Show Cause Notice cannot be upheld. The Tribunal had, for the above proposition, relied up the earlier decision of the Tribunal in the case of Mahakoshal Beverages (P.) Ltd. v. CCE [2009] 18 STT 383 (Bang. – CESTAT).
It is an admitted fact on record that the appellant received the Order-in-Original on 30th December, 2009 and filed appeal before learned Commissioner (Appeals) on 2.1.2012. So also admittedly, there was a delay of more than two years in seeking appeal remedy before the learned first appellate authority.
We do not see any merit in the argument of the appellants that they were only an intermediary and not doing the work themselves and hence their activities did not amount to any service. Any service provided in relation to installation of electrical and electronic devices, including wirings or fittings, became taxable from 16-06-05.
When we read meaning of consignment note with the taxing entry under section 65 (105) (zzp) of the aforesaid Act it is inconceivable to bring the bullock carts transporting sugar cane to the fold of law, since law requires the transport made by goods carriage should only be brought to tax.
Input service distribution is a facility granted to a manufacturer/service provider who operates from a number of premises. There is no restriction under the CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004, with regard to the period for availing CENVAT credit of service tax paid. In other words, a manufacturer/input service provider can avail CENVAT credit of the service tax paid irrespective of any time limitation. The only condition to be satisfied is that they should have paid the service tax prior to availing the credit.
It is an admitted fact that the appellants are liable to pay service tax under Works Contract services with effect from 1-6-2007 and the appellants did not get themselves registered with the service tax department from 1-6-2007. The ground taken by the appellants is that they were not aware of the fact that they are liable to pay service tax under works’ contract with effect from 1-6-2007 is not sustainable, as ignorance of law is not an excuse.
In the instant case instead of foreign exchange going out of India, there is conservation of foreign exchange in India to the extent of commission earned by the service provider appellant in view of the arrangement made by the service recipient abroad in that behalf through Indian Railways. Instead of appellant earning foreign exchange, the foreign exchange which otherwise would have flown out of India, due to import by Indian Railways, has been conserved. This appears to have fulfilled the object of export of service.
Ld. AR submits that appellant was not registered as service tax payer and as such no authorised representative stands mentioned by him. As the impugned order was served at the residential address of the appellant, it has to be considered as proper service of the order.
Finance Minister in para 149 of the budget speech while introducing the entry for tax on Goods Transport Agency in the budget of 2004. It appears that there was clear intention not to levy service tax on individual truck owners except in cases where the cargo for such trucks are booked by Goods Transport Agency which is in the business of booking cargo and issuing the consignment note in the normal course of their business.
