2016 (3) TMI 832 - PATNA HIGH COURT

Service tax liability - Construction of academic complex of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Held that:- the Indian Institute of Technology, Bihta, Patna, whose academic block was to be constructed by the petitioner, was set up by an Act of Parliament, i.e., Indian Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 (59 of 1961) as an institute of national importance under Article 248 of the Constitution of India read with 7th Schedule List I. As per the definition of Governmental Authority as amended on 30th January 2014, an authority or board or any other body set up by an Act of Parliament or State Legislature is a Governmental Authority. Therefore, the Notification dated 20th June, 2012, exempts the activity of construction undertaken by the petitioner from payment of service tax. Thus, the service tax paid either by the petitioner or respondent No.4 and collected by respondent No.1, cannot be levied or collected as it is not chargeable levy and

Entitlement for refund of Service tax - Undue enrichment - Held that:- the payment of service tax has not been made by the numerous consumers and collected by the petitioner. It is paid by the petitioner alone. The petitioner is entitled for the reimbursement of the amount of service tax by respondent No. 4 in terms of the letter of award of contract. Such payment of service tax by the petitioner is not indirect collection of taxes but the direct payment by the petitioner. Therefore, it is not a case of undue enrichment. Thus, since the levy as collection of service tax paid by the petitioner or respondent No.4, has not been found to be justified, therefore, the respondent No. 1 shall refund the amount of the service tax deposited either to the petitioner or respondent No. 4, as the case may be, expeditiously. - Decided in favour of petitioner