Home Case Index All Cases VAT and Sales Tax VAT and Sales Tax + HC VAT and Sales Tax - 2015 (4) TMI HC This
Forgot password New User/ Regiser ⇒ Register to get Live Demo
2015 (4) TMI 286 - HC - VAT and Sales TaxClaim of refund - Levy of VAT on activation of SIM cards - Authority of state to levy VAT - whether the State of Haryana has collected Value Added Tax on activation of SIM cards, without authority of law - unjust enrichment - Held that:- State of Haryana does not deny that in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (2006 (3) TMI 1 - Supreme court), the Supreme Court has held that activation of SIM cards is a service and not a sale. The State of Haryana also does not deny that the collection of VAT on activation of SIM cards is not relatable to any statutory provision. As postulated by Article 265 of the Constitution of India a tax shall not be levied except by authority of law i.e., a tax shall be valid only if it is relatable to statutory power emanating from a statute. The collection of VAT on the sale of SIM cards, not being relatable to any statutory provision, must be held to be without authority of law and as a consequence non-est Factual situation so permitting, particularly where the levy and collection of tax is without authority of law, Article 226 of the Constitution of India would come to the aid of an aggrieved party, even where the assessment order has not been challenged by appeal or revision, to undo a collection of tax made without authority of law. As held by the Supreme Court [1996 (8) TMI 113 - SUPREME COURT OF INDIA], no State has the right to receive or retain taxes or monies realised from citizens without authority of law. To hold otherwise would, in our considered opinion, perpetuate an un-constitutional levy, an unconstitutional collection of a tax, and an unconstitutional retention of monies. The mere fact that orders have been passed levying and collecting tax would not confer legitimacy, on the acts of the State of Haryana in seeking to retain the amount of tax collected and retained, without authority of law. The State of Haryana would have been justified in raising such a plea if the judgment in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (2006 (3) TMI 1 - Supreme court) had been held to be prospective. A perusal of the aforesaid judgment reveals that the declaration of law is not prospective and like all general declarations of law, would be deemed to apply from the inception of the statute. The judgment having clearly held that VAT cannot be collected on activation of SIM cards, the assessment orders levying and collecting VAT, are from their inception a nullity and, therefore, the levy and collection of VAT is without authority of law and violative of Article 265 of the Constitution of India. - Decided in favour of assessee. The argument that refund of this amount would amount to unjust enrichment of the petitioner is without foundation in fact or in law. The Union of India has raised a demand for service tax for the period for which the State of Haryana has levied and collected VAT. If the petitioner is called upon to pay VAT and service tax, it would be the case of double taxation. Even otherwise all that we propose to do is to direct the State of Haryana to forward this amount to the Union of India. - State of Haryana shall transfer the amount of VAT collected from the petitioner to the Service Tax Department of the Union of India
|