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2013 (4) TMI 482 - AT - Central ExciseEducation/S&H cess - Goods cleared by 100% EOU into DTA - double taxation - whether education cess and S&H Cess is to be levied again in respect of DTA clearances of a 100% EOU on the aggregate of the duties of customs which already includes the education cess and S&H cess? Held that – Sections 93 & 94 of Finance Act, 2004 and Sections 138 and 139 of Finance Act, 2007 while defining the measure of education cess and S&H cess in respect of excisable goods and imported goods respectively, specifically provide that the aggregate of duties of excise or aggregate of duties of customs levied by the Central Government , on which this cess is to be levied as surcharge, would not include the education cess and S&H cess. Thus, the intention of the legislature was never to charge education cess on education cess. In fact this is not permissible from very mode of this levy as prescribed in Section 91 of the Finance Act, 2004 and Section 136 of the Finance Act, 2007, as when a new tax is introduced as surcharge on the existing levies, the base on which the new levy as surcharge is to be calculated will include only the existing levies, not the new levy. As decided by the Apex court in the Jain Brothers v. U.O.I., reported in [1969 (11) TMI 1] has held that there can be no objection for double taxation if the legislature has distinctly enacted it, but while interpreting general words of taxation, the same cannot be so interpreted as to tax the subject twice over to the same tax. Thus, this principle which has to be kept in mind while calculating education cess and S&H cess on DTA clearances of a 100% EOU. Since the DTA clearance of a 100% EOU attract central excise duty and in terms of proviso to Section 3(1) of Central Excise Act, 1944, the measure of the excise duty leviable is aggregate of duties of customs charged on import of like goods into India under Customs Act, 1962 read with Indian Customs Tariff Act, 1975 or any other law for the time being in force, this aggregate of duties of customs on which education cess under Section 93 of Finance Act, 2004 and S&H cess under Section 138 of Finance Act, 2007 is to be charged, would not include education cess and S&H cess under Section 94 of Finance Act, 2004 and Section 139 of Finance Act, 2007. In other words, the education cess and S&H cess would be chargeable only once under Section 93 of Finance Act, 2004 and Section 138 of Finance Act, 2007 on the sum of basic customs duty and Additional customs duty.
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