2023 (5) TMI 766
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....2016 to January 2017. 2. The issue involved in this appeal is regarding non-payment of service tax on the amount paid to the Government or a local authority towards periodical charges for assignment of right to use of natural resource or quarry sand from the allotted mines. The Commissioner dropped the demand for the following reason: "51. Also, as per the terms and condition of the relevant agreements, the amount of the kadhan including royalty, rent etc. payable by the notice to the Govt. of M.P. were predetermined and the quantum and pattern of such payments was well defined by way of distributed installments in closed manner and their due dates. Since, the terms and condition of the relevant agreements qualify both the conditio....
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....he State Government, which was taxable on a reverse charge basis against the receipt of services concerning grant of mining rights, the Bench held that for the purposes of levying service tax, the taxable event is construed at the time the service is provided or agreed to be provided. Therefore, in order to determine whether levy of services tax is applicable on a particular activity, it is necessary to determine the point of time when such activity is provided or agreed to be provided and since the agreements between the appellant and the State Government regarding grant of mining right were executed prior to April 01, 2016, on which date the transaction in mining of right to use natural resources became taxable, the appellant would not be....
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....uted on 02.01.2016 and on this date, the transactions involving) assignment of right to use natural resource was not taxable. 17. In this connection section 66D of the Finance Act, as it existed prior to 01.04.2016, can be referred to and it is as follows: "66D The negative list shall comprise of the following services, namely:- (a) services by Government or a local authority excluding the following services to the extent they are not covered elsewhere- (i) services by the Department of Posts by way of speed post, express parcel post, life insurance and agency services provided to a person other than Government; (ii) services in relation to an aircraft or a vessel, inside or outside the precincts of a port or an airport; (iii) t....
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....uced below: "9.6 On going through the agreements it has been observed that all the contracts/agreements (for each sand quarry) have been executed allotted prior to the relevant date i.e. 01.04.2016 (the date of Levy of Service Tax), for assignment of right to use of natural resource of such sand quarry on periodical charge (yearly basis in the name of the kadhan to be paid in four installments every year on 1st day of the quarter i.e. 01.04.2016, 01.07.2016, 01.10.2016 & 01.01.2018 for the year 2016-17 and similar/ identical manner for the remaining future periods of the contract / agreement. There are no provisions for payment of one-time payment/charges in all the contracts involved in the SCN dated 01.03.2017 / impugned order dated 30.....