Reasonable cause protects service-tax defaulters from Section 78 penalties when departmental guidance creates genuine interpretational uncertainty.

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....Reasonable cause under Section 80 of the Finance Act, 1994 can shield an assessee from penalty under Section 78 for non-payment of service tax where contemporaneous departmental communications supported a bona fide belief that consultancy services provided to Government institutions were non-taxable. Interpretational uncertainty, the Department's initial view, and the absence of fraud, wilful misstatement, suppression with intent to evade, or deliberate default support reasonable cause. Service tax for the normal limitation period and applicable interest remained payable, but the Section 78 penalty was set aside.....