Case Law Details
Bengal Beverages Pvt. Ltd. Vs CGST & Excise, Howrah (CESTAT Kolkata)
In the instant case, the only dispute herein is for payment of remuneration in the nature and form of commission based on percentage of profit to whole time directors, which is a fact on record. Section 2(94) of Companies Act, 2013, duly defines ‘whole-time director’ to include a director in the whole-time employment of the company. A whole-time Director refers to a Director who has been in employment of the company on a full-time basis and is also entitled to receive remuneration. The certificate issued by the company secretory states that the remuneration is given in various form as allowed under the Companies act, 2013. We further find that the position of a whole-time director is a position of significance under the Companies Act. Moreover, a whole-time director is considered and recognized as a ‘key managerial personnel’ under Section 2(51) of the Companies Act.
Further, he is an officer in default [as defined in clause (60) of Section 2] for any violation or non-compliance of the provisions of Companies Act. Thus, in our view, the whole-time Director is essentially an employee of the Company and accordingly, whatever remuneration is being paid in conformity with the provisions of the Companies Act, is pursuant to employer-employee relationship and the mere fact that the whole-time Director is compensated by way of variable pay will not in any manner alter or dilute the position of employer-employee status between the company assessee and the whole-time Director. We are thoroughly convinced that when the very provisions of the Companies Act make whole-time director (as also in capacity of key managerial personnel) responsible for any default/offences, it leads to the conclusion that those directors are employees of the assessee company.
Further, the judgment of this Tribunal in the case of MAITHAN ALLOYS LTD Versus COMMISSIONER OF C. EX. & S.T., BOLPUR (supra) is squarely applicable to the facts of the case. Further, the Ld. Adjudicating authority has also allowed part of the demand on the ground that there exists an employer-employee relationship between the whole time Directors and the appellant assessee, then the ground of confirming the balance demand that the directors have provided service to the company becomes infructuous and hence cannot survive before the eyes of the law. Since demand of service tax is set aside, penalty and interest are also not sustainable.
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