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2015 (4) TMI 936 - SC - VAT and Sales TaxTaxability of Trust as a dealer under Kerala General Sales Tax Act, 1963 - Activities carried out by trust like dealing in scrap items etc., other than its statutory functions - Trust is a statutory authority constituted for rendering port services under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 - Held that:- Since the definition of “dealer” is wide to include transactions conducted in the course of business or otherwise, to answer the question posed before us, we do not deem it necessary to examine the nature of activity carried out by the assessee-Port Trust in as much as whether it falls under the definition of “business” under the Act or not. In the Madras Port Trust case [1999 (3) TMI 500 - SUPREME COURT OF INDIA], this Court has laid emphasis on the expression "carrying on business" in the context of the TN Act, and it is in that context it has reached the conclusion that the Madras Port Trust is not engaged in any business which is a necessary prerequisite under the definition of a “dealer” under the TN Act. In the Act herein, the necessity of a person carrying on business to be placed under the definition of “dealer” is absent. The definition expressly includes the persons who whether in course of business or not engage in the sale or transfer of goods and thus, does not mandate the requirement of conducting business for a person to be exigible under the Act. The contradistinction between the definition of “dealer” under the TN Act and the Act makes it abundantly clear that the observations of this Court in Madras Port Trust case, which refer to the definition of TN Act and interprets it to reach the conclusion of the Trust not being exigible to tax, cannot be accepted in the instant case. It is further pertinent to notice that the TN Act was amended by Act 22 of 2002 whereby explanation (3) was added to definition clause 2(g) of the TN Act. By the said amendment the Madras Port Trust has now been declared as a dealer under the TN Act. Explanation (3) states that if the port trust disposes of any goods including unclaimed or confiscated or unserviceable or scrap surplus, old or obsolete goods or discarded material or waste products whether by auction or otherwise directly or through an agent for cash or for deferred payment or for any other valuable consideration, notwithstanding anything contained in the TNGST Act, it shall be deemed to be a dealer for the purpose of the Act. Therefore, by amendment act the legislature has specifically brought in Port Trust also within the definition of "dealer" under Section 2(g) of the Act and thus, the substratum of the judgment in Madras Port Trust case has been lost. In light of the foregoing discussions, we are of the considered opinion that the activities of the assessee in respect of buying, selling, supplying or distributing goods, executing works contract, transferring the right to use any goods or supplying by way of or as part of any service, any goods directly or otherwise, whether for cash or for deferred payment or for commission, remuneration or other valuable consideration, whether in course of business or not, would fall within the purview of Section 2(viii) of the Act. Hence, the assessee-Port Trust would fall within the meaning of "dealer" under Section 2(viii) of the Act and is consequently assessable to tax under the Act. - Decided against the appellant.
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