Tax
Service Tax Cannot Be Levied On Membership & Participation Fees Paid To Foreign Associations Before 01.07.2012: CESTAT Chennai
The Chennai Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) held that service tax cannot be levied on membership and participation fees paid to foreign associations such as International Packaging Group (IPG) or International Packaging Forum Network (IPFN) for the period prior to 01.07.2012. P. Dinesha (Judicial Member) and Vasa Seshagiri (Technical Member)...
Customs | Import Duty Must Be Determined At Time Of Import, Not On Later Sale Price: CESTAT Chennai
The Chennai Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) held that customs duty is required to be assessed on the transaction value declared at the time of import, as reflected in the supplier's invoice. Any subsequent sale or higher remittance made after the import cannot be relied upon to reject the declared value. P. Dinesha (Judicial Member) and...
Customs | Face Recognition Access Control Systems Qualify As Automatic Data Processing Machines; NIL Duty Benefit Allowed: CESTAT Kolkata
The Kolkata Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has held that Face Recognition Access Control Systems perform data processing functions, such as data storage, read-write memory operations and automated processing, and therefore qualify as an Automatic Data Processing Machine under CTH 8471. The bench clarified that these systems are eligible for...
Bank Not 'Assessee In Default' For Not Deducting TDS On Interest After Accepting Form 15H From Senior Citizens: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court held that once a bank accepts valid Form 15H declarations from senior citizen depositors under Section 197A(1C) of the Income Tax Act, it cannot be treated as an “assessee in default” for non-deductions of TDS (deduct tax at source) on interest income. Justices A. Muhamed Mustaque and Harisankar V. Menon examined whether the bank (appellant) has to be treated...
CGST Act | Gujarat High Court Upholds Power To Confiscate Goods During Transit For Tax Evasion, Clarifies Scope Of S.129 & 130
The Gujarat High Court has upheld the power of GST authorities to confiscate goods and conveyances during transit where there is a clear intent to evade tax, and has clarified the scope and interplay of Sections 129 and 130 of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017. A Division Bench of Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice Pranav Trivedi, while deciding a large batch of...
GST | CBIC Circulars Cannot Shield Dubious Transactions; Must Operate Within Statutory Framework: Calcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court held that CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs) circulars are binding on departmental officers but cannot be used as a protective shield in cases where the genuineness of the transaction or invoices is in doubt. Justice Om Narayan Rai stated that it cannot be doubted that a circular issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs...
Delhi High Court Quashes ₹45.36 Crore GST Demand Against NBCC After Finance Ministry Clarification
The Delhi High Court has recently quashed a Rs 45.36 crore GST demand raised against NBCC (India) Ltd, a state-owned construction and project management company under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in connection with the redevelopment of East Kidwai Nagar, New Delhi.A division bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Shail Jain set aside the demand after relying on...
Business Law Daily Round-Up: December 14, 2025
TAX Third-Country Invoicing Inapplicable For Electronic/Non-Electronic Toy Parts From China For Preferential Customs Duty Benefit: Mumbai AARIncome Tax Act | Gross Receipts Cannot Be Taxed As Income Without Deducting Expenses: Bombay High CourtArbitrationS.11 Arbitration Plea Not Maintainable Without Valid S.21 Notice; Email Suggesting Arbitrator Appointment Insufficient: Kerala High...
Income Tax Act | Gross Receipts Cannot Be Taxed As Income Without Deducting Expenses: Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court has stayed the entire income tax demand raised against a state-funded educational trust, holding that the tax authorities erred in bringing gross receipts to tax without accounting for expenditure. A Division Bench of Justice B.P. Colabawalla and Justice Amit S. Jamsandekar, while allowing a writ petition filed by the assessee, Godavari Shikshan Prasarak...
Business Law Daily Round-Up: December 13, 2025
TAX GST | Non-Mentioning Vehicle Number In Part-B Of E-Way Bill Is Curable Defect: Karnataka High CourtGST Abolished Ad Tax, Doesn't Bar Municipal Licence Fees on Hoardings: Bombay High CourtDelhi High Court Flags Validity Of Reports In IGST Refund Denial On Export Of Mouth Fresheners/Pan Masala; Directs Expeditious ExaminationDelhi HC To Hear IndiGo's Plea For ₹900+ Crore IGST &...
Third-Country Invoicing Inapplicable For Electronic/Non-Electronic Toy Parts From China For Preferential Customs Duty Benefit: Mumbai AAR
The Mumbai, Customs Authority for Advance Ruling (CAAR) has clarified that there's no concept of third-party invoicing or third-country invoicing or third-country trade under the Rules for Determination of Country-Of-Origin under the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) for imports of electronic or non-electronic toy-parts from China when Swiss supplier invoices Jparks India. In a...
ITAT Mumbai Deletes Additions Based On HSBC Geneva 'Base Note' Against Anil Ambani
The Mumbai Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has dismissed a batch of appeals filed by the Revenue against businessman Anil Dhirajlal Ambani, holding that additions made on the basis of alleged undisclosed foreign bank accounts with HSBC Bank, Geneva were unsustainable in law. A Bench comprising Anikesh Banerjee (Judicial Member) and Girish Agrawal (Accountant...