No Service Tax Payable On Banking Services Rendered By PNB To RBI: CESTAT

The Chandigarh Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has held that no service tax is payable on banking services rendered by Punjab National Bank (PNB) to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).The bench of S. S. Garg (Judicial Member) and P. Anjani Kumar (Technical Member) has observed that the appellant bank is working as an agent of RBI in the discharge of sovereign functions; therefore, whatever exemption is applicable to RBI, that should also be applicable to the...

No Service Tax Payable On Construction Services Provided To Educational Institutions Prior To 30.06.2012: CESTAT

The Chennai Bench of Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has held that service tax is not payable on the construction services provided to educational institutions for the disputed period, which is prior to 30.06.2012.The bench of Sulekha Beevi.C.S. (Judicial Member) and Vasa Seshagiri Rao (Technical Member) have observed that when the building is solely used for educational purposes, the levy of service tax is not attracted. We, therefore, find that the building having...

CESTAT Quashes Service Tax Demand On Insurance Auxiliary Service And Short Account Of Insurance Premium Income

The Delhi Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has quashed the service tax demand on insurance auxiliary services and short accounts of insurance premium income.The bench of Justice Dilip Gupta (President) and Hemambika R. Priya (Technical Member) has observed that the CENVAT credit of the group health insurance policy for the employees cannot be denied to the assessee, Oriental Insurance Company.The appellant/assessee is a company incorporated under the...

No Service Tax Payable By CIPLA On Manufacturing And Exporting Of Pharmaceutical Products: CESTAT

The Delhi Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has held that no service tax is payable by Cipla on the manufacturing and export of pharmaceutical products.The bench of Binu Tamta (Judicial Member) and Hemambika R. Priya (Technical Member) has observed that the respondent-assessee is a holder of a letter of approval issued by the Development Commissioner for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products within the Special Economic Zone, Pithampur, Indore. The...

Co-Owners Holding Immovable Property To Be Treated As Independent Service Provider For Service Tax Exemption: CESTAT

The Ahmedabad Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has held that co-owners holding immovable property should be treated as independent service providers for the purpose of availing service tax exemption.The bench of Ramesh Nair (Judicial Member) and C.L. Mahar (Technical Member) has observed the decision in the case of Sarojben Khushalchand versus Commissioner of Service Tax, in which it was held that the rent received by individuals owning property jointly...

Activity Of Electroplating Amounts To Manufacture, No Service Tax Payable: CESTAT

The Chandigarh Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has held that the activity of electroplating amounts to manufacture and no service tax is payable.The bench of S. S. Garg (Judicial Member) and P. Anjani Kumar (Technical Member) has observed that electroplating of electrical contacts by the appellant amounts to manufacture, and therefore they are not liable to pay service tax in view of the specific exclusion in the definition of business auxiliary service,...

CESTAT Quashes Service Tax Demand On Housekeeping Services Provided To UN Agencies

The Delhi Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has quashed the service tax demand in respect of housekeeping services provided to UN agencies and educational institutions.The bench of Rachna Gupta (Judicial Member) and Hemambika R. Priya (Technical Member) has observed that the exemption to the United Nations is general in nature, and services provided to UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, UNAIDS, UNODC, and UNOPS are available on the basis of Mega Exemption Notification...

Service Tax Exemption On Quality Assurance Charges for Testing Rifles: CESTAT

The Chennai Bench of Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has held that no service tax is payable on the quality assurance charges for testing rifles.The bench of P. Dinesha (Judicial Member) and M. Ajit Kumar (Technical Member) has observed that the assessee is engaged in an activity that is purely in the public interest and is undertaken as per mandatory and statutory functions. He drew attention to Rule 22 of the Arms Rules, 1962, which states that proof testing of...