Home Case Index All Cases VAT and Sales Tax VAT and Sales Tax + HC VAT and Sales Tax - 2015 (9) TMI HC This
Forgot password New User/ Regiser ⇒ Register to get Live Demo
2015 (9) TMI 1438 - HC - VAT and Sales TaxLevy of VAT on Liquor - constitutional validity of Entry No.59A of the III Schedule to Karnataka Value Added Tax Act, 2003 - it was contend that by virtue of this notification, the State has attempted to over come the legislative limitation imposed on the State not to exempt dealers or class of dealers from levy of tax under KVAT Act and the device adopted by the State to confer exemption in respect of liquor sold by the dealers who are not holding certain stated categories of licences under Excise Law and it amounts to class oriented discrimination. Held that:- In the matters of tax laws, larger discretion is extended to the State Legislature and ample freedom to select and classify persons, districts, goods, properties, incomes and objects which it would tax and which it would not tax, so long as the classification made within this wide and flexible range, by a taxing statute does not transgress the fundamental principles underlying the doctrine of equality and it would not be vulnerable to attack on the ground of discrimination merely because it taxes or exempts from tax some incomes or objects and not others. It could be seen that State legislature in its economic wisdom of taxation has chosen to provide for levy of tax on liquor sold by certain dealers namely, Bar and Restaurants operating in urban areas i.e., licence issued in Form No.CL-9 and in respect of Star Hotels, Clubs and Hotel, Boarding Houses and Lodges located anywhere in the State considering the potential for tax collection being huge, and at the same time, exemption has been extended to similar licence holders running Bar and Restaurants by operating them in rural areas considering the fact of low value addition between the price at which liquor is purchased and sold to customers in rural areas. However, a Hotel, Boarding House or Lodge holding licence in CL-7 though located in rural area would also serve liquor only to the residents of the Hotel and their guests who are elite customers and they can afford to pay more for the comfort they enjoy with varying degree of facilities. Thus, condition of licence itself enables the licence holder to fix the price of the liquor irrespective of MRP on account of substantial value addition and as such, the legislature has brought this class of dealer also to taxation. However, Bar and Restaurants located in the same rural area which would not cater to the elite class of customers or customers of economic superiority have been exempted by virtue of notification dated 28.02.2014. The classification of dealers based on value addition criteria for the purpose of tax levy and exempting the dealers based on area criteria cannot be held to be discriminatory. - Decided against the petitioners.
|