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2022 (12) TMI 716 - HC - VAT and Sales TaxSeeking deposit of 50% of the disputed tax by giving credit to the tax already deposited - grant of stay of collection of disputed tax pending appeal filed by petitioners before the VAT Appellate Tribunal - it is alleged that the petitioners have not produced the Foreign Buyer Purchase Agreements to claim exemption under export sales - HELD THAT:- As can be seen, under Section 33 of the AP VAT Act, 2005, a dealer aggrieved by the order passed by the revisional authority under Section 32 of the AP VAT Act, 2005 can file an appeal before the VAT Appellate Tribunal. Then the second proviso to Section 33(2) of the AP VAT Act, 2005 says that no appeal against the order passed under sub-section (2) of Section 32 shall be admitted unless it is accompanied by satisfactory proof of the payment of the tax admitted by the appellant to be due and 25% of the difference of the tax. Thus, it is mandatory that while preferring appeal a dealer shall make a pre-deposit of admitted tax plus 25% of the differential tax to admit the appeal. In the instant case, the petitioners have admittedly fulfilled the said condition. An appeal can be filed before the Appellate Tribunal under Section 33(1)(a) or (b). In the instant case, appeal is preferred under Section 33(1)(b) as against the order of the revisional authority. Then following Section 33(6) of the AP VAT Act the petitioners prayed the 3rd respondent for stay. As per Section 33(6)(a), the said authority is vested with the discretionary power of granting stay subject to such terms and conditions as he may deem fit. As has been observed by the Division Bench in ACT Digital Home [2021 (9) TMI 1149 - ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT], if the mandatory deposit of 25% of the disputed tax as prescribed under the second proviso of Section 33(2) of the AP VAT Act, 2005 is sufficient to obtain stay of payment of the differential tax pending appeal, certainly the provision under Section 33(6) will become nugatory and otiose. Therefore, following the ratio in the ACT Digital Home, it can be said that the initial pre-deposit of 25% made under Section 33(2) of the AP VAT Act, 2005 will not automatically entitle any dealer to claim stay of collection of the differential tax pending his appeal as a matter of right. Petition dismissed.
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