Taxability of service tax - Website development, Selling Web spaces

[Asked by Guest]

Whether the followings are taxable under service tax - 1. Website development 2.Selling Web spaces 3. Providing Domain Names If yes, under which Services ? Is website designing different from Website Development and will be treated differently ?

[Surender Gupta]

Designing of websites is taxable. However creation and development of a complex website is not limited to designing activity. It involves complete software engineering service for complex coding. Therefore, since only designing activity is included in the definition of Design Service, development and complex coding of a web site which requires services of software engineer is not liable to service tax. Selling of web space and domain name is not a taxable service.

AI Summary

Service tax on website designing affirmed, while complex development and sale of web space or domain names excluded.
Website designing, as a creative design activity, is taxable as a Design Service. In contrast, complex website development involving full software engineering and coding does not fall within the Design Service definition and is not liable to service tax on that basis. Selling web space and providing or selling domain names are not taxable services.