TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2025 (1) TMI 141
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....tallation and commissioning of the machine. The case of the department is that the erection, commissioning and installation activity of the machines manufactured and supplied by the appellant is taxable service and the same is liable to service tax. Therefore, the show cause notices were issued proposing demand of service tax. The adjudicating authority after relying on various judgments and considering the facts of the case dropped the proceeding of all the show cause notices. Being aggrieved by the said Orders-In-Original, Revenue filed the present appeals. 2. Shri Mihir G Rayka, Learned Additional Commissioner (AR) appearing on behalf of the Revenue appellant submits that since the erection, commissioning and installation activity of the machine is independent to the manufacturing activity and the same is liable to service tax, the respondent are legally liable for the payment of service tax on such service. He submits that even though there is no separate consideration for providing services but the same is included in the sale value which has to be separated and service tax thereon is chargeable. 3. Shri Amal Dave, Learned Counsel, appearing on behalf of the Respondent r....
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....f goods and service of Erection, Installation and Commissioning. In such position the entire value of the goods has to be taken as sale value, consequently, no service value is involved separately. In the identical set of transaction, this tribunal has consistently taken a view that when there is a manufacturing and sale of the goods on a particular sale price which involves incidental service such as in the present case, no service tax can be demanded once the entire value is towards sale and has suffered the central excise duty. This issue in the appellant's own case has been decided by this tribunal as under:- M/s. Alidhara Texspin Engineers- 2010 (20) STR 315 (Tri.- Ahmd.) 8. We have considered the submissions made by both the sides and have gone through the impugned order. Some of the undisputed facts in the present case are that, appellants are primarily and mainly engaged in the manufacture of textile machinery. A contract entered into by them with their buyers for a lump sum amount and the sale price is inclusive of installation and commissioning charges. It is also not disputed that appellants have paid the Central Excise duty on the complete value and ha....
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....ing (e) lift and escalator fire escape staircases or traveators; or (f) such other similar services. As is seen from the above, the one of the ingredients of the definition is that services must be provided by commissioning and installation agency. Admittedly, the appellant is not an agency engaged in providing services of Installation, erection and commissioning etc. They are essentially a manufacturing unit engaged in the manufacture of textile machinery, which is undertaken to be supplied to their customer in a fully commissioned state. 10. Tribunal in the case of Allengers Medical Systems Limited v. Commissioner of Central Excise, Chandigarh - 2009 (14) S.T.R. 235 (Tri.-Del.) in an identical set of facts and circumstances has observed that where the assessee is paying Central Excise duty on the manufacture and sale of medical equipments on the total value recovered by them from their customers and where the activities of erection, commissioning and installation of equipments is a part of sale of excisable goods and where there is no separate charging for erection and commissioning of equipments, levy of service tax on such activities cannot b....
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....ommissioning is of the manufacturer. Therefore what is happening in this case is that the supplier of the machine is not only selling the machine but is also providing the service of erection and commissioning. Once erection and commissioning cost is included, in the transaction value the natural conclusion that would emerge is that the processes undertaken in the buyer's premises are actually incidental to manufacturing activity undertaken in the manufacturer's premises. What has been sold in this case is the complete machine duly erected and commissioned' and operational. The incidental process of erection and commissioning being incidental to manufacture, has to be treated as continuation of the earlier process which started in the manufacturer's premises. In this case even though the position of the machine in CKD condition gets transferred to the buyer when it is removed from the factory as per the contract, the question to be examined is whether such a service is related directly or indirectly to the manufacture of their goods in question. As already mentioned by me earlier, the process of erection and commissioning at the buyer's premises is incidental to the manufacture of ....
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....t in the case of State of Andhra Pradesh v. Kone Elevators (India) Limited - 2005 (181) E.L.T. 156 (S.C.), as also Tribunal decision in the case of Idea Mobile Communications Limited v. Commissioner - 2006 (4) S.T.R. 132 (Tribunal). 15. In view of our above discussions, we hold that appellants were not liable to pay any service tax. Accordingly, the impugned order confirming the demand and imposing penalties upon them is set-aside and appeal is allowed with consequential relief. Inasmuch as we have allowed the appeal on mere, the issue of demand being barred by limitation is only of academic interest and its not being gone into. M/s. Allengers Medical Systems Ltd.- 2012 (277) ELT 184 (Tri.-Del.) 4. After hearing both the sides and on perusal of the record, it is seen that the representative of the appellants in his statement dated 13th October, 2005 stated that OBDI contained the total cost of equipment including the cost of machine and value of optional services such as erection and commissioning of machines and equipment sold by them. In reply to show cause notice, the appellants contended that they had been paying duty on the total invoice value of med....
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....ble Supreme court held that if the main object of contract is transfer of finished goods, it is contract of sale. If the main object is work and labour and property passing by accessories during the process of work to the movable property of customer, it is works-contract. The relevant portion of the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme court in the case of Kone Elevators (I) Ltd. supra is reproduced below : "It can be treated as well settled that there is no standard formula by which one can distinguish a 'contract for sale' from a 'works contract'. The question is largely one of fact depending upon the terms of the contract including the nature of the obligations to be discharged there under and the surrounding circumstances. If the intention is to transfer for a price a chattel in which the transferee had no previous properly, then the contract is a contact for sale. Ultimately, the true effect of an accretion made pursuant to a contract has to be judged not by artificial rules but from the intention of the parties to the contract. In a 'contract of sale', the main object is the transfer of property and delivery of possession of the property, whereas the main object in a 'co....
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....d distinct, apart from mere passing of the property. (c) In the case of Imagic Creative Pvt. Ltd. (supra), the issue is whether the service provider paying service tax is liable to Sales Tax/VAT which are mutually exclusive. It has been held that having regard to the respective parameters on service tax and the sales tax as envisaged in a composite contract, from an indivisible contract levy would be determined. 9. We find that in the instant case, the appellant engaged on business of manufacturer and sale of medical equipment and no separate contract for erection and installation of the medical equipments. The erection and installation charges are covered in the value of the medical equipments and the central excise duty was discharged thereon. So, the case laws relied upon by the learned DR are not applicable herein. 10. In view of the above discussion, we find that the demand of tax and penalties are not sustainable. Accordingly the impugned order is set aside. The appeal is allowed with consequential relief. M/s. Rahil Air Bubbles Pvt. Ltd.- Final Order No. A/11894/2019 dated 17.09.2019. 4. We have carefully considered the submission....
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.... been subjected to customs duty towards import of goods, is not sustainable. However, the basic facts like contract and the invoices along with the other issues raised by the appellant is to be examined afresh by the original authority. We also note that composite non-vivisectable contracts are not liable to service tax under the category of 'works contract service' prior to 01.06.2007 as held by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Larsen &Tubro Ltd. 2015 (39) STR 913 (SC). 8. Considering the need for verifying all the factual details and non-consideration of facts placed by the appellant at the 5 ST/186/2012-ST [DB] time of original decision, we find it fit and proper to remand the case to the original authority for a fresh decision. Since the matter is remanded, all other issues are kept open including the question of time bar raised by the appellant. Accordingly, the appeal is allowed by way of remand." From the above judgment, which is relied upon various decisions of this Tribunal where it was held that in case of import of machine including the erection and installation, it is not permissible to artificially bifurcate the service value from the total value. Accordi....