TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2024 (10) TMI 1261
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....ble services under the category of 'works contract service', 'maintenance or repair service' and 'commercial construction service'. 2. An investigation was initiated by the Officers of DGCEI against the Appellant on the ground that in spite of collecting service charges / Service Tax from the clients, the Appellant has not paid appropriate Service Tax and not filed S.T.-3 Returns properly. Upon completion of the investigation, a Show Cause Notice dated 14.10.2014 was issued to the Appellant inter alia demanding Service Tax of Rs.1,32,29,951/- (including cesses) for the Financial Years 2009-10 to 2013-14. 3. The said Notice was adjudicated by the Ld. Commissioner of Central Excise and Service Tax, Haldia Commissionerate vide impugned O....
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....ervice tax liabilities on the basis of bills raised and reflected the same in their statutory books of accounts. 4.2. The appellant further submits that the service tax liabilities for each financial years were reflected in schedule 11 under the head of current liabilities of the respective Balance sheets during the years 2009-10 and 2010-11 and for the rest of the impugned period i.e., for 2011-12 to 2013-14, the liabilities were reflected in note 7 under the head statutory liabilities. Further, the amount withheld as "retention money" was reflected in note 'g' under the head Security deposits & EMD of the respecting Balance sheets. The unpaid bill amounts were reflected in the sub-head Sundry debtors/Trade receivables of the head "curr....
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....ion for confirming the demand as also the imposition of penalty. 6. Heard both sides and perused the appeal documents. 7. We observe that the Appellant has not contested the demand of Service Tax on merits. 8. The Appellant has primarily contested the issue on the ground of limitation. The plea of the Appellant is that there was no suppression of facts with intention to evade the tax established in this case and hence extended period of limitation cannot be invoked to demand service tax. The Appellant submitted that they have raised the bills to their clients along with service tax. In most of the cases, the client retained part of the bill amount as 'retention money' and released the money after a long period. In certain c....
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....e department. 8.2. We observe that DGCEI initiated investigation against the appellant by issuance of a letter dt. 13.03.2014. However, it is on record that the appellant has filed the ST-3 returns for the period July to September 2012-13 and October to March 2012-13 on 10.01.2014, which is much before the receipt of the aforesaid letter. In the return for July to September ibid, service tax payable amount and paid amount were shown. Similarly, for October to March return also the appellant has indicated the service tax amounts payable and paid. These declarations clearly establish that prior to initiation of the investigation by the officers of DGCEI, service tax dues for the periods July 2012 to March 2013, April to Sept. 2014 and Oct.....
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....case, the appellants cannot be held guilty of any suppression on their part. Accordingly, we hold that demand is also barred by limitation." 10.1. A similar view was taken by the Tribunal, New Delhi in the case of Hindalco Industries Ltd. v Commissioner of C.Ex., Allahabad [2003 (161) E.L.T. 346 (Tri. - Del.)] wherein it was held that: "6. .... .... Further, the finding of suppression of facts against the assessee is wholly unfair, apart from being incorrect. Balance Sheets of companies is a publicly available document. Therefore, the allegation that data stated in the Balance Sheet was suppressed from Central Excise authorities is not a viable allegation. The demand has to fail on the ground of limitation itself." 1....