Service Tax – Budget Highlights 2009

Monarch Bhattreward as per section 2(7) of the Motor Vehicles Act,
The glimpse of service tax proposals forms the1988.
subject- matter of this article.(Notification No. 20/2009-ST, dated July 7, 2009)
B. Banking and other financial services and Foreign
1. Economy may be good or bad, there may be anyexchange broking service - Foreign currency
progress or not, there may be development or not, butexchange - The inter-bank transaction for the sale and
imposition and leviability of taxes is certain for thepurchase of foreign currency between the scheduled
growth of the country. Shri Pranab Mukherjee has alsobank has been exempted from the payment of
in his Budget done it for the benefit of the country atservice tax.(Notification No. 19/2009-ST, dated July 7,
large.2009)
2. There is no change in the rate of service tax, i.e., 10Impact : The Government has granted it as a
per cent service tax, 2 per cent Education Cess and 1exemption but on the contrary it will be difficult for the
per cent Higher and Secondary Education Cess.bank to avail the credit of input service as now
Changes effective from July 7, 2009banking companies are required to treat this service as
3. The changes effective from July 7, 2009 are asexempted service.
follows :C. Club or association service - Export promotion
(i)- Territorial jurisdiction of India extended - Thecouncils - The exemption has been granted to the
territorial jurisdiction of India was extended up toexport promotion councils including Federation of Indian
Continental Shelf of India (CSI), i.e., up to 12 nauticalExport Organisation and other such 21 organisations
miles and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Now, thefrom the payment of service tax up to March 31, 2010
territorial jurisdiction has been extended to cover theon the membership fees paid by the members to the
installations, structures and vessels in the entire CSIassociation.
and EEZ.(Notification No. 16/2009-ST, dated July 7, 2009)
(Notification No. 21/2009-ST, dated July 7, 2009)Impact : It is not much beneficial and whether such
The consequent change has also been made in theorganizations are really liable for the payment of
Taxation of Services (Provided from Outside India andservice tax under the Club and association services?
Received in India) Rules, 2006.Levy of service tax itself is challengeable so there is
(Notification No. 22/2009-ST, dated July 7, 2009)no need for granting any exemption.
Impact : Thus, now it will attract service tax even on(iv) Amendment in Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004
services provided in (EEZ) area vice versa it willA. Change in rule 6 (3) - pay 6 per cent of exempted
attract the service tax under a reverse chargeservice and 5 per cent of exempted goods and avail
mechanism if the service has been received in suchfull Cenvat credit - The service provider who is
area from the outside India. Up till now, it was notproviding both exempted and taxable services and
attracting service tax.maintaining the separate account for the value of input
(ii)- Composition scheme under works contract serviceservices and inputs received, may avail full Cenvat
- The composition scheme is one where thecredit and pay 6 per cent instead of paying 8 per cent
assessees are required to pay the service tax on theof the exempted service.
gross amount of contract including the labours andSimilarly, a manufacturer manufacturing both dutiable
materials used in the contract and cannot avail theand exempted goods but not maintaining the separate
Cenvat credit of duty paid on inputs. However, it wasaccounts for the value of inputs and input services
not including the value of goods supplied free of costused in the manufacture of dutiable and exempted
by the service receiver to the service provider. Certainfinal products, may avail full credit and pay only 5 per
conditions have been introduced with respect tocent of the exempted goods.
calculation of ‘value’ of works contractNote : It is optional and not mandatory for the service
service.a- The works contract will include the value ofprovider and manufacturer.
goods used in the execution of works contract when(Notification No. 16/2009-CE (N.T.), dated July 7, 2009)
either goods have been provided by the receiver ofImpact : The rate has been reduced to streamline it
the service free of charge or under any other contractwith the payment of taxes on final products as duty
entered between the service provider and servicerates have been reduced to 4 per cent and 8 per cent
receiver (including the contract other than the principleand service tax has also been reduced on output
contract).b- The value of works contract will alsoservice from 12 per cent to 10 per cent. Hence, this
include the value of machinery and tools used in therate has also been reduced now.
execution.B. Change in rule 3 (5B) - Payment of taxes equivalent
Note : The value will not include the Value Added Taxto written off in the books of account by service
or sales tax paid on the goods.provider - In any situation or due to any reason if
(Notification No. 23/2009-ST, dated July 7, 2009)service provider is writing off the input or capital goods
Impact : This enables the Government to eliminate thefully or provision has been made for write-off, then in
chances for evasion of service tax by showing lesssuch cases service provider shall make the payment
value of material used in the execution of works andof credit availed on the value of input or capital goods.
showing it as free material supplied by the client orSimilar provision is there for the manufacturer but for
under any other contract.the service provider it was not there which has been
(iii)- Exemption to a particular service under certaininserted now.
existing categoryTaxmann is growth oriented publishing house with in
A. Tour operator service - Contract carriage - Thedepended editorial, marking and production division .We
exemption has been granted to the service providerhave an impressive tally of title on India –international
having contract carriage permit for inter-State ortaxation, service tax, indian tax,tax calculator, banking -
intra-State transportation of passengers. However, theforeign laws, income tax returns, insurance laws,direct
exemption has not been granted to the tour operatortax laws,corporate laws and other judicial SC/HC acts
operating tour or providing charter or hire services in.Our experience in the industry. Editorial expertise,
respect of vehicles.market, network and in house production unit combine
The contract carriage permit means a motor vehicleto produce publication of quality.
used to transport the passengers for a hire and