DIRECT TAXES - VST Cases – An Overview

Prem T. Chhatpar

1. Penalty u/s 10(d)

The respondent was an authorized dealer for M Ltd. and carried on the business of sale and purchase of vehicles. It purchased spare parts against Form C for sale but some parts were used for honouring warranty claim – free of cost replacement during the warranty period of the cars sold. Cost of the parts was recovered from M Ltd. The Assessing Officer levied penalty u/s 10A for violation of Sec. 10(d) of the CST Act on the ground that the parts were not resold but used under warranty free of cost. The HC held that such supply of parts under warranty claim amounts to sale following Mohd. Ekram Khan & Sons vs. CTT (2004) 136 STC 515 (S.C.)

CTT vs. Kanpur Tractors P. Ltd. (2009) 20 VST 493 (All)

2. Form C purchases

The dealer was engaged in the manufacture of Khandsari, gur, etc. and applied for registration of HSD for making purchases of High Speed diesel (HSD) at concessional rate of tax. The HSD purchased was to be used for running Generator and generating power. The HC ruled that HSD was eligible to be purchased at concessional rate of tax against Form C as the benefit was available to goods used in “generation or distribution of electricity or in any other form of power” which words were not qualified by the words “for sale”.

CTT vs. Shubham Cane Crusher – (2009) 20 VST 104 (All)

3. Circular for summary denial of Set off

The Commissioner issued a general Circular that no set off should be allowed to any claimant dealers if they claimed to have effected purchases from 3 dealers who had not shown sales in their returns. Further, even if their claim had been accepted in appeal, revision, appropriate action was to be taken for withdrawal of set off. Accordingly, set off was denied in assessment. The dealer filed an appeal and also filed a writ petition for quashing of the said Circular. On a perusal of the powers conferred under Rule 3(5) of the M.P. Commercial Tax Rules 1995 and ancillary clauses, the Circular did contravene the provisions of the Act as it encroached upon the quasi – judicial powers and was not for the purpose of giving effect to the purpose of the Act. Hence, the Circular was struck down. However, the HC clarified that it had not gone into the merits of the case.

MKS Engineering Co. P. Ltd. vs. AC (2009) 20 VST 485 (M.P.)

4. Sales by Central Government Department to State Government

The petitioner was a unit under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of the Government of India. It transferred medicines and equipments received as aid or imported from various international agencies like UNICEF, WHO, etc. to other Departments of Government of India, State Governments, Union Territories and other Central Government organizations. The petitioner was held to be a “dealer”. To the extent that the goods were distributed free of cost, no sales took place within the meaning of Sale of Goods Act, 1930. In instances where the goods were transferred to other Departments of the Central Government, no sales could be deemed to take place since one could not sell to oneself. However, supplies to other State Governments and / or statutory organizations, hospitals or Health Centres under other State Governments or statutory organizations would be sale as property in goods was being transferred from Central Government to other persons not forming part of the Central Government. Art. 285 of the Constitution did not grant immunity against levy of Sales tax as sale tax was not a levy on property belonging to the Union of India but on sales of goods effected by the Union of India.

Government Medical Stores Depot, Government of India vs. State of West Bengal & Ors. (2009) 20 VST 341 (WBTT)

5. Sale Price – Rural Development fee

Rural development fee under the Rural Development Fund Act does not form part of “Sale price” as the said fee was realized from the purchaser and paid on behalf of the buyer by the seller – it was the duty of the buyer to pay the same although the seller could realize it from the buyer.

Tilak Raj Madan Mohan vs. State of Punjab (2009) 20 VST 351 (P & H)

6. Service of Notice by affixation

Where a Notice of date of hearing was served by affixation without recording any finding/reasons that service could not be made personally or by registered post and the Notice Server’s Report did not indicate the place where the Notice was affixed or the name of the person who identified the place of affixation, the Notice was held to be not properly served under U.P. Trade Tax Rules, 1948.

Gurprasad Ramprasad Agencies vs. CTT (2009) 20 VST 368 (All.)

7. Entry – Thermoseal and Rathermoseal toothpastes

The T.N. Taxation Special Tribunal had ruled that Thermoseal and Rathermoseal, medicated toothpastes were liable to fall under Entry 7 of Part E and not under Entry 20A Part C relating to Drugs and medicines on the ground that the products stood excluded from Entry 20A in the light of the intention of the Legislature. The HC set aside the Tribunal’s order and allowed the petitioner to place all material evidence before the Assessing authority who would have to decide on the merits of the case in the light of guidelines laid down in V.C. Ramalingam & Sons vs. State of T.N. (2002) 127 STC 382 (Mad.) and Puma Ayurvedic Herbal P. Ltd. vs. CCE (2006) 145 STC 200 and State of Goa vs. Leukoplast (India) Ltd. 105 STC 318 (S.C.) – whether the products had medicinal contents, had curative function, whether they were used to cure, alleviate or prevent disease or merely to restore or preserve health.

Jain Distributors vs. Registrar, T.N. Taxation Special Tribunal (2009) 20 VST 375 (Mad.)

8. Recovery from Directors

The petitioner was an erstwhile Director of some companies against whom dues had been determined. The Director was proceeded against for recovery of dues payable by the companies. Writ petitions against the Recovery Notices were filed and the entity by itself and it could sue or be sued. The High Court held that any dues from the company could be recovered only from the company and not from its Directors.

Ravindra Maheswari vs. CTO (2009) 20 VST 422 (Mad.)

9. Reassessment – Exaggerated turnover shown to banks

The dealer had shown an exaggerated turnover to the bank with a view to procure Home Loan and Cash credit facilities. The Assessing authorities and the Tribunal had justified the reassessment on the basis of the exaggerated turnover disclosed to the bank. The HC accepted the dealer’s plea that reassessment was not justified solely on the basis of the exaggerated turnover without there being any incriminating evidence to support the view that there was suppression of turnover. On the contrary, there was a finding by the Assessing authority that the turnover was exaggerated for the purposes of the bank and telephone and electricity bills reflected were never raised by the Telephone and Electricity Department.

Asha Industries vs. CTT (2009) 20 VST 465 (All)

10. Reassessment

In original assessment after adjudication in detail, it had been held that freight directly paid by the purchasers to the Railways while taking delivery of goods would not form part of turnover. Hence, reassessment u/s 21 of the U.P. Act solely on account of change of opinion was set aside.

CTT vs. Arihant Trading Co. (2009) 20 VST 483 (All.)

11. Sales Tax Declaration Forms

While deciding on the issuance of declaration forms IIIB and IIIC/1, the Authorities are required only to see whether demand was genuine and reasonable and refusal on the ground that the dealer had not paid certain dues was not justified or in accordance with Rule 12B and Rule 25B of U.P. Trade Tax Rules, 1948.

Darshan Agroils Ltd. vs. State of U.P (2009) 20 VST 619 (All.)

12. Sales Turnover

Compensation for non-lifting goods as per Agreement would not form part of sales turnover since it was neither sales consideration nor falling within the purview of Explanation to Sec. 2(i) which defined “Turnover”.

CTT vs. Manava Gramodyog Mandal (2009) 20 VST 711 (All.)

13. Circular – Time of applicability

The SC has held that a beneficial Circular has to be applied retrospectively while an oppressive Circular has to be applied prospectively.

Suchitra Components Ltd. vs. CCE (2009) 20 VST 726 (S.C.)

14. Second Inter State sales

The HC held that for second or subsequent inter State sales in transit u/s 6(2) of the CST Act, it was necessary that the goods purchased were tax-paid under the CST Act and the mere fact that the purchase was made from registered dealers was not sufficient for a successful claim u/s 6(2) of the CST Act.

CTT vs. Azad Scrap Traders (2009) 20 VST 768 (All.)

15. Stay against recovery

In appeal proceedings against demand that had arisen due to disallowance of claim of branch transfer on the ground that goods were manufactured to specification and sent in furtherance of prior purchase order, the Joint Commissioner declined to grant stay against recovery of dues. In writ petition challenging the dismissal of the stay application, the HC held that powers conferred on the Joint Commissioner to grant stay were discretionary and unless it was shown that the exercise of the power was vitiated by an error apparent, the Court could not interfere. There were several vital considerations like existence of prima facie case balance of convenience, public interest, possibility of irreparable injury. Further, Courts should grant stay under Art. 226 of the Constitution in very exceptional cases and not as a matter of rule.

Thejo Engineering Services P. Ltd. vs. CTO (2009) 20 VST 737 (A.P)

16. Entry – Exerciser

Fitness equipments like Exerciser would not be covered by entry “Goods for indoor or outdoor games or sports” but be covered by residuary entry. The Exerciser was merely a device for physical exercise for sake of health, training or practice to develop skill, aptitude but did neither did it involve any contest or competition as in a game nor involved a concept of recreation, fun or enjoyment as in sports.

Hero Cycles Ltd. v. CTT (2009) 20 VST 819 (All)