AI Drafter - (New and Powerful) 
Generate professional replies, appeals, opinions to Show Cause Notices, assessment orders, audit objections, and other legal communications using TaxTMI's AI Drafter. 
TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2023 (11) TMI 1214
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....with regard to disallowance of Service tax payable u/s 43B of the Act and adding the same to the returned income. 3. Facts of the issue are that in this assessment year under consideration, assessee has shown in the balance sheet under the head "current liabilities and provisions" towards service tax payable at Rs.33,47,887/-. It was noted by the ld. AO that assessee has collected service tax from its customers, has not paid the same within the due date of filing return of income u/s 139(1) of the Act. Accordingly, the ld. AO by applying the provisions of section 43B of the Act disallowed the same. The assessee carried the appeal before ld. CIT(A) and submitted that the assessee is following mercantile system of accounting. Though assessee collected service tax, on this amount he neither claimed any deduction nor debited the amount as an expenditure in the P&L account. As such, there could not be any disallowance on this count. However, the ld. CIT(A) confirmed the addition made by ld. AO by placing reliance on the judgement of Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Chowringhee Sales Bureau (P) Ltd. (87 ITR 542) (SC). Against this assessee is in appeal before us on this issue. ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ot claimed the same in its P & L account as an expenditure and, therefore, section 43B has no application. However, he was of the view that the fact remains that service tax collected by the assessee but not paid to the Government account up-to the end of the financial year or even up-to the date of filing of the return of income and, thus, by not including this amount in its service, it had clearly made a claim indirectly. As rightly highlighted by the CIT(A), the assessee's plea that sales-tax was different from service tax cannot be accepted in the present circumstance as what the assessee was a firm of Chartered Accountants is selling is services and not goods, so the tax applicable is service tax which stands on the same bracket as sales tax in terms of services rendered as sales tax holds for goods sold. We have also observed that the AO had pointed out that the said amount has been included as business receipts in its TDS Certificates and as such, the same should have been included in its receipts. This has not been precisely done by the assessee. The case laws relied on by the assessee is dealt with as under: (i) ACIT v. Real Image Media Technologies (P) Ltd. (ITAT....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... account either up-to the end of the financial year or even up-to the date of filing of the return of income. Thus, the case law relied on by the assessee is distinguishable and cannot come to the rescue of the assessee. (ii) CIT v. Noble and Hewitt India (P) Ltd (Del) 7.2.2 The Hon'ble Delhi High Court was predominantly concerned with the disallowance of deduction by invoking the provisions of section 43B of the Act. The Hon'ble Delhi High Court was not considering the issue whether the service tax collected and the remaining unpaid till the due date of furnishing of the return forms the part of the total income for the current year. (iii) DCIT v Manish M Chheda 29 SOT 138 - Mumbai ITAT 7.2.3 In the above case, the Hon'ble Mumbai Tribunal was considering the applicability of section 28(iv) of the I T Act. In the instant case, it is an admitted fact that during the course of assessee's profession, a sum of Rs.29,60,000/- was realised/collected as service tax payable and the same is not capital receipt. The moment the service tax is realised, it becomes payable to the Govt. account and if it is not paid, it partakes the character of income of the ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....he income chargeable under the head profits and gains of business or profession, shall be (i) in accordance with method of accounting regularly employed by the assessee; and (ii) further adjusted to include the amount of any tax, duties, cess or fees, by whatever name called, actually paid or incurred by the assessee, to bring the goods to the place of its location and condition, as on the date of valuation. As per the explanation under the said clause, it is pointed out that for the purpose of this section, any tax, duties, cess or fees, by whatever name called, under any law for the time being in force, shall include all such payments, notwithstanding any right arising as a consequence to such payments. Sub-clause (b) talks of interest received by the assessee on compensation or enhanced compensation, which is not relatable to the issue before us. The aforesaid provisions of section 145A of the Act have been substituted by the Finance (No.2) Act, 2009 w.e.f. 01.04.2010. Prior to its substitution, which was inserted by the Finance (No.2) Act, 1998 w.e.f. 01.04.1999, the section provided the provision relatable to the valuation of purchase and sale of goods and inventory, for the p....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....e under this Act in respect of- (a) any sum payable by the assessee by way of tax, duty, cess or fee, by whatever name called, under any law for the time being in force, or 8. Rule 4 of the CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004 reads as under : Rule 4. Conditions for allowing CENVAT credit.- (1) The CENVAT credit in respect of inputs may be taken immediately on receipt of the inputs in the factory of the manufacturer or in the premises of the provider of output service: Provided that in respect of final products, namely, articles of jewellery falling under heading 7113 of the First Schedule to the Excise Tariff Act, the CENVAT credit of duty paid on inputs may be taken immediately on receipt of such inputs in the registered premises of the person who get such final products manufactured on his behalf, on job work basis, subject to the condition that the inputs are used in the manufacture of such final product by the job worker. (2) (a) The CENVAT credit in respect of capital goods received in a factory or in the premises of the provider of output service at any point of time in a given financial year shall be taken only for an amount not ex....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....nt, from a financing company. (4) The CENVAT credit in respect of capital goods shall not be allowed in respect of that part of the value of capital goods which represents the amount of duty on such capital goods, which the manufacturer or provider of output service claims as depreciation under section 32 of the Income-tax Act, 1961( 43 of 1961). (5) (a) The CENVAT credit shall be allowed even if any inputs or capital goods as such or after being partially processed are sent to a job worker for further processing, testing, repair, re-conditioning, or for the manufacture of intermediate goods necessary for the manufacture of final products or any other purpose, and it is established from the records, challans or memos or any other document produced by the manufacturer or provider of output service taking the CENVAT credit that the goods are received back in the factory within one hundred and eighty days of their being sent to a job worker and if the inputs or the capital goods are not received back within one hundred eighty days, the manufacturer or provider of output service shall pay an amount equivalent to the CENVAT credit attributable to the inputs or capital ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....he Service Tax Act, in case, the service tax is collected, the provision is as under: 173A. Service Tax collected from any person to be deposited with Central Government: - (1) Any person who is liable to pay service tax under the provisions of this Chapter or the rules made thereunder, and has collected any amount in excess of the service tax assessed or determined and paid on any taxable service under the provisions of this Chapter or the rules made there under from the recipient of taxable service in any manner as representing service tax, shall forthwith pay the amount so collected to the credit of the Central Government. (2) Where any person who has collected any amount, which is not required to be collected, from any other person, in any manner as representing service tax, such person shall forthwith pay the amount so collected to the credit of the Central Government. (3) Where any amount is required to be paid to the credit of the Central Government under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) and the same has not been so paid, the Central Excise Officer shall serve, on the person liable to pay such amount, a notice requiring him to show cause....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....dically on the completion of an event in terms of a contract, which requires the receiver of service to make any payment to service provider, the date of completion of each such event as specified in the contract shall be deemed to be the date of completion of provision of service; (ii) wherever the provider of taxable service receives a payment up to rupees one thousand in excess of the amount indicated in the invoice, the point of taxation to the extent of such excess amount, at the option of the provider of taxable service, shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of clause (a). Explanation - For the purpose of this rule, wherever any advance by whatever name known, is received by the service provider towards the provision of taxable service, the point of taxation shall be the date of receipt of each such advance." 13. After considering the above provisions, it is clear that the assessee has to pay service tax within due date as set out under the above provisions either by way of cash/cheque or by way of availing CENVAT credit as per Rules as stated above, but the assessee did not do so. The liability of service tax had also arisen as per ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....d." 4.5 Further, Hon'ble Bombay High Court in the case of CIT Vs. Ovira Logistics P. Ltd. (377 ITR 129) (Mum.) held as under: "The Assessing Officer, for the assessment year 2007-08, disallowed service tax amounting to Rs.90,08,661 under section 43B of the Income-tax Act, 1961. The Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) deleted the entire disallowance of service tax under section 43B holding that a sum of Rs.41,97,663 had already been paid before the due date of filing return and, therefore, could not be disallowed under section 43B. As far as the remaining amount of Rs.48,10,998 was concerned, he held that the amount could not disallowed under section 43B since it was not payable as on March 31, 2007. It was found that the amount on which service tax was payable had not been received from the parties to whom services were rendered. Hence, the provisions of section 43B were not attracted. This was confirmed by the Tribunal. On appeal: Held, dismissing the appeal, that section 43B did not contemplate liability to pay the service tax before the actual receipt of the funds in the account of the assessee. The liability to pay service tax into the treasury will arise ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....d, but, was shown as 'outstanding liability'. Being queried, it was explained that it had not preferred any claim for deduction and, thus, it was argued, the question of disallowance u/s 43B of the Act does not arise. The AO took a view that even though the assessee had not claimed the same in its P & L account as an expenditure and, therefore, section 43B has no application. However, he was of the view that the fact remains that service tax collected by the assessee but not paid to the Government account up-to the end of the financial year or even up-to the date of filing of the return of income and, thus, by not including this amount in its service, it had clearly made a claim indirectly. As rightly highlighted by the CIT(A), the assessee's plea that sales tax was different from service tax cannot be accepted in the present circumstance as what the assessee was a firm of Chartered Accountants is selling is services and not goods, so the tax applicable is service tax which stands on the same bracket as sales tax in terms of services rendered as sales tax holds for goods sold. We have also observed that the AO had pointed out that the said amount has been included as business recei....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....of service tax. Hence, on this account alone addition u/s 43B could not be made and the same has been correctly deleted by the CIT(Appeals)". However, in the instant case, as admitted by the assessee, service tax has been collected but not paid to the Government account either up-to the end of the financial year or even up-to the date of filing of the return of income. Thus, the case law relied on by the assessee is distinguishable and cannot come to the rescue of the assessee. (ii) CIT v. Noble and Hewitt India (P) Ltd (Del) 7.2.2 The Hon'ble Delhi High Court was predominantly concerned with the disallowance of deduction by invoking the provisions of section 43B of the Act. The Hon'ble Delhi High Court was not considering the issue whether the service tax collected and the remaining unpaid till the due date of furnishing of the return forms the part of the total income for the current year. (iii) DCIT v Manish M Chheda 29 SOT 138 - Mumbai ITAT 7.2.3 In the above case, the Hon'ble Mumbai Tribunal was considering the applicability of section 28 (iv) of the I T Act. In the instant case, it is an admitted fact that during the course of assessee's pr....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ed by the Finance Act, 1995 w.e.f. 01.04.1997. Under section 145A of the Act, it is provided that notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in clause(a) to section 145, the valuation of purchase and sale of goods and inventory, for the purpose of determining the income chargeable under the head profits and gains of business or profession, shall be (i) in accordance with method of accounting regularly employed by the assessee; and (ii) further adjusted to include the amount of any tax, duties, cess or fees, by whatever name called, actually paid or incurred by the assessee, to bring the goods to the place of its location and condition, as on the date of valuation. As per the explanation under the said clause, it is pointed out that for the purpose of this section, any tax, duties, cess or fees, by whatever name called, under any law for the time being in force, shall include all such payments, notwithstanding any right arising as a consequence to such payments. Sub-clause (b) talks of interest received by the assessee on compensation or enhanced compensation, which is not relatable to the issue before us. The aforesaid provisions of section 145A of the Act....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....erefore, it is necessary to discuss the relevant provisions of the Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 as well as section 43B of the IT Act. 7. Section 43B(a) is as under : 43B. Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, a deduction otherwise allowable under this Act in respect of- (a) any sum payable by the assessee by way of tax, duty, cess or fee, by whatever name called, under any law for the time being in force, or 8. Rule 4 of the CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004 reads as under : Rule 4. Conditions for allowing CENVAT credit.- (1) The CENVAT credit in respect of inputs may be taken immediately on receipt of the inputs in the factory of the manufacturer or in the premises of the provider of output service: Provided that in respect of final products, namely, articles of jewellery falling under heading 7113 of the First Schedule to the Excise Tariff Act, the CENVAT credit of duty paid on inputs may be taken immediately on receipt of such inputs in the registered premises of the person who get such final products manufactured on his behalf, on job work basis, subject to the condition that the inputs are used in the manufacture of suc....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....in subsequent years. The CENVAT credit in respect of the capital goods shall be allowed to a manufacturer, provider of output service even if the capital goods are acquired by him on lease, hire purchase or loan agreement, from a financing company. (4) The CENVAT credit in respect of capital goods shall not be allowed in respect of that part of the value of capital goods which represents the amount of duty on such capital goods, which the manufacturer or provider of output service claims as depreciation under section 32 of the Income-tax Act, 1961( 43 of 1961). (5) (a) The CENVAT credit shall be allowed even if any inputs or capital goods as such or after being partially processed are sent to a job worker for further processing, testing, repair, re-conditioning, or for the manufacture of intermediate goods necessary for the manufacture of final products or any other purpose, and it is established from the records, challans or memos or any other document produced by the manufacturer or provider of output service taking the CENVAT credit that the goods are received back in the factory within one hundred and eighty days of their being sent to a job worker and if the inputs or the capi....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....e to the Government. He cannot retain the sum so collected with him by contending that the service tax is not payable. 11. As per section 173A of the Service Tax Act, in case, the service tax is collected, the provision is as under : 173A. Service Tax collected from any person to be deposited with Central Government:- (1) Any person who is liable to pay service tax under the provisions of this Chapter or the rules made thereunder, and has collected any amount in excess of the service tax assessed or determined and paid on any taxable service under the provisions of this Chapter or the rules made there under from the recipient of taxable service in any manner as representing service tax, shall forthwith pay the amount so collected to the credit of the Central Government. (2) Where any person who has collected any amount, which is not required to be collected, from any other person, in any manner as representing service tax, such person shall forthwith pay the amount so collected to the credit of the Central Government. (3) Where any amount is required to be paid to the credit of the Central Government under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) and t....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....n case of continuous supply of service where the provision of the whole or part of the service is determined periodically on the completion of an event in terms of a contract, which requires the receiver of service to make any payment to service provider, the date of completion of each such event as specified in the contract shall be deemed to be the date of completion of provision of service; (ii) wherever the provider of taxable service receives a payment up to rupees one thousand in excess of the amount indicated in the invoice, the point of taxation to the extent of such excess amount, at the option of the provider of taxable service, shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of clause (a). Explanation - For the purpose of this rule, wherever any advance by whatever name known, is received by the service provider towards the provision of taxable service, the point of taxation shall be the date of receipt of each such advance." 13. After considering the above provisions, it is clear that the assessee has to pay service tax within due date as set out under the above provisions either by way of cash/cheque or by way of availing CENVAT credit ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....t, which we do not find fit to be interfered with. Accordingly, the appeal of the assessee deserves to be dismissed." 6.2 In view of the above binding precedents, I am of the opinion that the service tax collected by the assessee and not paid to the Government exchequer before the due date of filing of return, is to be disallowed, though it was not charged to the profit and loss account and it attracts the provisions of section 43B of the Act and the present provisions of section 145A of the Act cannot be applied in view of non obstante clause in section 43B of the Act". 4.7 Contrary to this, the Tribunal in the case of ITO Vs. Speed Trans Cargo Pvt. Ltd. in ITA No.1969/Bang/2019, dt.31-03-2021, held as under: "7. We have heard rival submissions and perused the material on record. The learned DR contended that the amount of unpaid service tax amounting to Rs.4,35,91,191 whether it has claimed as deduction in the profit and loss account was never examined by the A.O. and the CIT(A) without giving an opportunity to the A.O. by placing reliance on the additional evidence allowed the appeal of the assessee. The learned AR does not have any grievance for remitting t....