Interpreting E-Way Bill Regulations: High Court's Guidance on Proportionality and Taxpayer Intent

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....cture and supply of industrial products, received an order from a consignee in Rajkot, Gujarat. The goods were booked through a transport service, and an e-way bill was generated with all the required details, except for Part-B, which did not mention the vehicle number. During transportation, the vehicle was intercepted by the Assistant Commissioner (in-charge), Commercial Tax, Mobile Squad, who issued an interception memo u/s 129(1) of the UPGST Act, 2017. The respondent detained the vehicle and goods, alleging that Part-B of the e-way bill was incomplete and no vehicle number was mentioned. The petitioner contended that there was no intention to evade tax payment, as IGST at 18% was charged, and both the consignor and consignee were reg....

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....he consequential show cause notice u/s 129(3) of the Act underscores the principle of proportionality and reasonableness in enforcing tax laws. The court emphasized that mere non-mention of the vehicle number in Part-B, especially in cases where the goods were being transported within a short distance for further transportation, should not automatically lead to harsh penalties or seizures. The judgment also highlights the need for tax authorities to consider relevant notifications and provisions before taking coercive actions. The HC's reference to the notification dated 07.03.2018, which provided an exemption for furnishing conveyance details in Part-B for short-distance transportation, reinforces the importance of interpreting and ap....