2023 (2) TMI 657 - HC - VAT and Sales Tax

Tribunal's Judgment Set Aside, Remanded for Fresh Order. Detailed ACP Classification Required. Unanswered Legal Question.

The Tribunal's common judgment was set aside, and the matters were remanded back for a fresh order. The Tribunal was directed to pass a detailed order ... Classification of goods - Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) - It is the contention of the Appellants that ACP is classifiable under Entry C-6 of Schedule to the MVAT Act, 2002 read with Sr. No.6 of Notification No. VAT- 1505/CR-113/Taxation-1 dated 1st June, 2005 and the sale was chargeable to 5% VAT and not 12.5 % as claimed by the State Authorities - interpretation of Heading 7606 and Heading 7610. HELD THAT:- The learned Tribunal has failed to give any finding with respect to subject ACP in the context of the product description, its manufacture, its end use, the various principles including essential characteristics as well as the predominant use. There is no finding as to whether the subject aluminium panel is not a aluminum plate or sheet or a strip of thickness exceeding 0.2 mm nor a finding that the same is part of a structure or prepared for use in structures to come to a conclusion that it falls under Heading 7610. Nowhere the Tribunal has distinguished the opinions published by the Worlds Customs Organization. It was necessary for the Tribunal to consider the submissions made on behalf of the Appellants as well as the Respondent Revenue and give factual findings with detailed reasoning before confirming the orders of the Commissioner and dismissing the Appeals. The Tribunal is the last fact finding authority and is expected to come to a conclusion of a product under a Heading after a detailed factual analysis of the product in question and not merely on the basis of judgments cited before it - the Tribunal ought to have independently come to a conclusion after considering and exhaustively dealing with the material furnished by the Appellants. The matters are remanded back to the Tribunal - appeal disposed off. Issues Involved:1. Classification of Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) under the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act, 2002 (MVAT Act).2. Appropriate Central Excise Tariff Heading (CETH) for ACP.3. Rate of tax applicable to ACP.4. Prospective effect of the determination order.Issue-wise Detailed Analysis:1. Classification of Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) under the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act, 2002 (MVAT Act):The dispute revolves around the classification of ACP under the MVAT Act. The appellants argued that ACP should be classified under Entry C-6 of Schedule to the MVAT Act, 2002, read with Sr. No.6 of Notification No. VAT-1505/CR-113/Taxation-1 dated 1st June, 2005, which would subject it to a 5% VAT. The State Authorities contended that ACP falls under a different classification, attracting a higher tax rate.2. Appropriate Central Excise Tariff Heading (CETH) for ACP:The core issue is whether ACP should be classified under CETH 7606 or CETH 7610. The appellants claimed that ACP should be classified under CETH 7606, which pertains to 'Aluminium plates, sheets and strips, of a thickness exceeding 0.2 mm.' The Revenue argued that ACP falls under CETH 7610, which includes 'Aluminium structures and parts of structures.' The Tribunal upheld the Revenue's classification under CETH 7610, leading to the appellants' challenge.3. Rate of tax applicable to ACP:The Commissioner of Sales Tax determined that ACP is not covered under CETH 7606 but falls under CETH 7610, making it subject to a 12.5% tax rate under residual Schedule Entry E-1 of the MVAT Act. The Tribunal confirmed this decision, rejecting the appellants' contention for a lower tax rate.4. Prospective effect of the determination order:The appellants requested the determination order to have a prospective effect, arguing that they were misled by previous assessments and orders. The Commissioner rejected this request, and the Tribunal upheld the decision, emphasizing that the discretion to grant prospective effect lies with the Commissioner and must be exercised judiciously.Detailed Analysis:Classification of ACP:The Tribunal considered various arguments and materials, including the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System published by the World Customs Organization, technical manuals, and previous judgments. The appellants argued that ACP should be classified under CETH 7606 as aluminium plates or sheets of a thickness exceeding 0.2 mm. The Revenue contended that ACP is either parts of structures or prepared for use in structures, thus falling under CETH 7610.Appropriate CETH for ACP:The Tribunal relied on the Harmonized System Committee's opinions and previous judgments, such as the case of Commissioner of Customs (Import), Chennai vs. ICP India Ltd., which classified similar products under CETH 7610. The Tribunal observed that ACP is used for cladding in structures and has essential characteristics indicating its use in structures. The Tribunal also referred to the technical manual and noted that ACP is coated and cut to size, supporting its classification under CETH 7610.Rate of Tax:The Tribunal upheld the Commissioner's decision that ACP is subject to a 12.5% tax rate under residual Schedule Entry E-1 of the MVAT Act. The Tribunal rejected the appellants' contention for a lower tax rate, emphasizing that the product's classification under CETH 7610 justifies the higher tax rate.Prospective Effect:The Tribunal upheld the Commissioner's discretion to refuse prospective effect, citing the lack of legal ambiguity and the appellants' delayed reference to the Commissioner. The Tribunal referred to the Bombay High Court's observations in Lalbaugcha Raja Sarwajanic Ganeshotsav Mandal, emphasizing that the discretion must be exercised judiciously and cannot be used to defeat the law.Conclusion:The Tribunal's common judgment dated 27th February 2017 was set aside, and the matters were remanded back to the Tribunal for a fresh order/judgment. The Tribunal was directed to pass a detailed order considering all factual submissions and providing specific findings on the classification of ACP. The question of law was returned unanswered, and the appeals were disposed of without costs.