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2024 (4) TMI 683 - AT - Service TaxScope of SCN - Classification of service - Club or Association services or not - services of licencing the copyrights in musical works to its members who had only paid subscription fee of meager amount and licensing of copyright in musical work - HELD THAT:- The Show-cause cum demand notice lacks clarity about the recipient of the service and the nature of services provided to it allegedly by the appellant. The nature of service provided by the appellant was stated to be administration of copyrights owned by its members and it is in the nature of facilities or advantages extended to its members. However, going by the factual background, it is noticed that appellant is a company and not a Society registered under Society Registration Act but it collects monthly subscription fee from its members. Apart from this amount no other consideration flows from the members/ copyright owners to the appellant and there is no denial of the fact that entire collection from the membership had never exceeded the threshold prescribed for registration of a Company under Service Tax. Clause 29A of Article 366 of Constitution of India defines all services associated with sale of goods or lease of the kind as deemed sale and as because Intellectual Property, which in the present case is copyright and other related rights in the nature of performance, play etc. that is not in tangible form, the same may not be included under the definition of services under Section 65B (44 read with Section 66E) but the very fact that Section 65 (55b) that defines “Intellectual Property Services” expressly excludes copyright from the category of Intellectual Property services and there is also no demand against such licence fee/ royalty collected by the appellant from the customers/ users, the order of the Commissioner is unsustainable in both law and facts. Further demand being confirmed against administrative expenditure that was deducted from the membership fee and royalty/ licence fee by a non-profit organization namely assesse, consideration should also be treated as ‘Nil’ for the purpose of taxation. The order passed by the Commissioner of Service Tax-VI, Mumbai is hereby set aside - Appeal allowed.
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