Additional consideration in excise valuation was rejected where advance licence surrender was covered by prior Tribunal precedent and revenue neutrality.

Surrender of advance licences by customers was considered on the question whether it constituted additional consideration includible in assessable value for excise duty. The Tribunal treated the issue as no longer res integra and followed its earlier majority view in the assessee's own case, holding that the demand could not be sustained in light of revenue neutrality. The impugned orders were set aside and both appeals were allowed with consequential relief to the assessee.

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Issues: Whether the surrender of advance licence by customers constituted additional consideration includible in the assessable value for excise duty.

Analysis: The issue was treated as no longer res integra and as already settled by the Tribunal in the appellant's own case. Following the earlier majority view, the Tribunal accepted that the demand could not be sustained in view of revenue neutrality.

Conclusion: The impugned orders were set aside and both appeals were allowed with consequential relief to the assessee.

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