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2016 (8) TMI 502 - HC - Service TaxConstitutional validity of levy of service tax - Section 65 (105) (zzzzv) of the Finance Act 1994 (FA) whereby the provision to any person by a restaurant, by having the facility of air-conditioning in any part of its establishment serving food or beverage, including alcoholic beverages or both, in its premises has been made amenable to service tax. - constitutional validity of Section 65 (105) (zzzzw) of the FA whereby the provision by a hotel, inn, guest house, club or camp-site by whatever name called to any provision, accommodation for a continuous period of less than three months has been made amenable to service tax. Held that:- For good measure the Supreme Court held: "The concept of catering admittedly includes the concept of rendering service. The fact that tax on the sale of the goods involved in the said service can be levied does not mean that a service tax cannot be levied on the service aspect of catering." What the decision therefore does is to highlight the possibility of splitting up of the composite transaction into the provision of service element and the supply of food. The Respondents are justified in contending that as far as the interpretation of Article 366 (29A) (f) of the Constitution is concerned, the decision in Tamil Nadu Kalyana Mandapam Association v. Union of India (supra) fully supports their stand. The Parliament has further made the legal position explicit by inserting Section 66 E (i) of the FA read as it were with Section 65 (22) and 65 (44) of the FA. It states that the "service portion in an activity wherein goods, being food or any other article of human consumption or any drink (whether or not intoxicating) is supplied in any manner as a part of the activity” is a 'declared' service. The legislative carving out of the service portion of the composite contract of supply of food and drinks has sound constitutional basis as explained in the aforementioned decisions of the Supreme Court. Even if this is viewed as Parliament deploying a legal fiction, it is legally permissible. Thus it is not possible to accept the contention of the Petitioners that Parliament lacks the legislative competence to enact Section 65 (105) (zzzzv) of the FA with a view to bringing the service component of the composite contract of supply of food and drinks by an air-conditioned restaurant within the service tax net. - Decided against the assessee and in favour of revenue. Short-term accommodation in hotel - Held that:- Provision of short-term accommodation in hotels etc. envisaged in Section 65 (105) (zzzzw) of the FA read with Section 65 (44) of the FA is a taxable event that is entirely covered by the term 'luxuries' in Entry 62 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution and therefore outside the legislative competence of Parliament. The exemption from service tax on the provision of accommodation for a room having a declared tariff of less than ₹ 1,000 per day or equivalent is by Notification No. 12/2012 dated 17th March 2012. This is not provided in the Act or the Rules. - Taxation by way of administrative instructions which are not backed by any authority of law is unreasonable and is contrary to article 265 of the Constitution of India. The court accordingly, strikes down Section 65 (105) (zzzzw) of the Finance Act 1994 pertaining to levy of service tax on the provision of short-term accommodation and the corresponding instructions/circulars seeking to operationalise the levy as unconstitutional and invalid. - Decided in favor of assessee and against the revenue.
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