CESTAT: No Extended Limitation for CENVAT Credit Denial

The Appellate Tribunal CESTAT Ahmedabad held that the extended period of limitation could not be invoked for denial of CENVAT Credit on service tax paid by the appellant for commission agent services. The appellant was directed to deposit Rs.1,40,000 within eight weeks and report compliance to the Deputy Registrar. The tribunal allowed the application for waiver of pre-deposit of the balance amount, with recovery stayed until the appeals were disposed of, emphasizing the significance of compliance with the pre-deposit requirement and reporting to the authorities.

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Issues:
Denial of CENVAT Credit on service tax paid by the appellant for commission agent services; Invocation of extended period of limitation in the show cause notice.

Analysis:
The judgment by Mr. M.V. Ravindran of the Appellate Tribunal CESTAT Ahmedabad addressed the issue of denial of CENVAT Credit on service tax paid by the appellant for commission agent services. The appellant argued that the issue was settled by the Hon'ble High Court of Gujarat in a previous case. The show cause notice in question invoked the extended period of limitation, dated 08.02.2011, covering the period from May 2005 to August 2010. The appellant contended that the invocation of the extended period was not valid, as any amount beyond the period of limitation is time-barred. The appellant was directed to deposit Rs.1,40,000 within eight weeks and report compliance before the Deputy Registrar.

The tribunal found that the extended period of limitation could not be invoked in cases like this, where the issue was debatable. The appellant was required to make a pre-deposit of Rs.1,40,000 within a specified time frame. The compliance was to be reported to the Deputy Registrar, who would then present the file before the Bench for further action. The judgment allowed the application for waiver of pre-deposit of the balance amount, with recovery stayed until the appeals were disposed of. The decision emphasized the importance of compliance with the pre-deposit requirement and the subsequent reporting to the authorities for further proceedings.

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