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2016 (2) TMI 691 - HC - Service TaxExtended period of limitation - willful intention to evade service tax or not - the stance taken by the petitioner all along is that the petitioner has been submitting its Service Tax returns regularly by showing the details and particulars of the exemption availed of by them, which were within their knowledge and further that the respondent No. 3, while issuing the impugned order, has failed to consider the relevant fact that in terms of the Letter of Award, the burden of Service Tax was on the Service Receiver and the component of Service Tax paid by the Service Receiver was realized from the petitioner as Service Provider, which clearly indicates that it had nothing to gain by evading payment of the Service Tax. Held that:- the respondent No. 3 did not record any findings regarding the allegation of the petitioner as to whether the burden of service tax was on the Service Receiver or whether the component of service tax paid by the Service Receiver was realized from the petitioner as Service Provider or whether the submissions of service tax returns regularly showing all the details and particulars are indicative of the fact that these facts are within the knowledge of the respondent authorities. These are vital facts which, if duly considered by the respondent No. 3, would have enabled him to come to the correct conclusions. The initial burden is on the department to prove that the situations visualised by the proviso existed. But once the department is able to bring on record material to show that the appellant was guilty of any of those situations which are visualised by the section, the burden shifts and then applicability of the proviso has to be construed liberally. When the law requires an intention to evade payment of duty then it is not mere failure to pay duty. It must be something more. - Matter remanded back for fresh decision.
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