Service Tax Not Applicable on Tea Production: Tea Classified as Agricultural Produce, Regardless of Type or Processing.

X X   X X   Extracts   X X   X X

Full Text of the Document

X X   X X   Extracts   X X   X X

....Levy of Service Tax - business auxiliary service - Tea, an agricultural produce or not - the said Notification does not distinguish between Tea or Green Tea or Black Tea, and it is also well understood that there is no alteration to the essential characteristic other than, perhaps, making it marketable as either Green Tea or Black Tea. - Even the processes involved in converting Green Tea into Black Tea does not alter the basic characteristic of the Tea as such and the same could not be considered as a non-agricultural product under any stretch of imagination. - AT....