2017 (1) TMI 1110 - SUPREME COURT

Valuation - works contract - whether in a contract for retreading of tyres, service tax is leviable on the total amount charged for retreading including the value of the materials/goods that have been used and sold in the execution of the contract?

Held that: - Section 67 of the aforesaid Act deals with valuation of taxable services and specifically mentions that the same does not include the cost of parts or other material, if any, sold to the customer during the course of providing maintenance or repair service.

On the very face of the language used in Section 67 of the Finance Act, 1994 we cannot subscribe to the view held by the Majority in the appellate Tribunal that in a contract of the kind under consideration there is no sale or deemed sale of the parts or other materials used in the execution of the contract of repairs and maintenance. The finding of the appellate Tribunal that it is the entire of the gross value of the service rendered that is liable to service tax, in our considered view, does not lay down the correct proposition of law which, according to us, is that an assessee is liable to pay tax only on the service component which under the State Act has been quantified at 30%.

Acceptance of 70% of the amount as cost of material - Held that:- It is now stated before us that the aforesaid figures have been furnished by the assessee himself and, therefore, must be understood not to be authentic. This, indeed, is strange. No dispute has been raised with regard to the correctness of the said figures furnished by the assessee in the show cause notice issued to justify the stand now taken before this Court; at no point of time such a plea had been advanced. - Revenue cannot challenge an issue first time here.

Appeal allowed - decided in favor of appellant-assessee.