Surrender of service tax registration certificate for commercial rent. - Draft letter to surrender certificate of registration:

[C.A. DEV KUMAR KOTHARI]

Since notification levying service tax on rent of commercial properties has been held invalid, the service providers of such service has ceased to be provider of taxable service under this category. Where such service provider has obtained registration only for rent of commercial properties, they need to surrender the certificate to the Superintendent of Central Excise as required under Rule 4(7) of the Service tax Rules,1994.

In case the service provider is also registered for other services under the same registration certificate, he may continue to hold registration for such other services, in that case an application can be made for amendment of registration certificate or intimation can be given as required under Rule 4 (5A).

In case after exclusion of rent from value of total taxable services, the service provider is not liable to pay service tax due to less than thresh hold limit, in that case also he can apply for cancellation of registration or can intimate the authority that in view of low volume he is not entitled to charge service tax, so his registration may be cancelled..

Draft letter to surrender certificate of registration:

FROM   Service tax assessee

To,

The Superintendent of Central Excise, Range.

 Service Tax Division-,

………

Dear Sir,

Service tax registration no………… Surrender of registration certificate for cancellation of registration under Rule 4 (7) of the Service Tax Rules, 1994.

The above certificate of registration was granted to us in relation to service of commercial renting covered by Section 65(105) (zzzz).

We hereby surrender our registration certificate for cancellation since the levy of service tax on rent has been held invalid and ultravirse the Finance Act, 1994. Therefore we have  ceased to render any taxable service. Original registration certificate is enclosed as required under Rule 4(7) of the said Rules.

The rule reads as follows;

(7) Every registered assessee, who ceases to provide the taxable service for which he is registered, shall surrender his registration certificate immediately to the Superintendent of Central Excise.

We have paid service tax up to the month of … 2009 and there is no tax payable after declaration of the levy as invalid.

Therefore, we request you to kindly cancel our registration as required under sub rule (8) of Rule 4 of the Service Tax Rules 1994.

For your ready reference we mention that recently Delhi High Court has held that the notification levying service tax on rent of immovable properties let out for commercial purposes is not valid and is ultravirse the charging section 65(105) (zzzz) of the Finance Act, 1994. The judgment is reported as HOME SOLUTION RETAIL INDIA LTD. And others Versus UOI & ORS In Appeal No. - WP(C) 1659/2008 and others decided on 18 April 2009 and reported as 2009 -TMI - 33136 on www.taxmanagementindia.com. Relevant para 36 of the judgment is reproduced below:

 "36. In view of the foregoing discussion, we hold that Section 65(105)(zzzz) does not in terms entail that the renting out of immovable property for use in the course or furtherance of business of commerce would by itself constitute a taxable service and be exigible to service tax under the said Act. The obvious consequence of this finding is that the interpretation placed by the impugned notification and circular on the said provision is not correct. Consequently, the same are ultra vires the said Act and to the extent that they authorize the levy of service tax on renting of immovable property per se, they are set aside."

In view of the above judgment we have been advised that we have ceased to provide any taxable service and  we cannot continue to hold registration certificate and  there is no need to pay further tax on rent. Kindly confirm the same.

We also request you to kindly extend all necessary co-operation to our tenants in the matter of refund of service tax paid by us under mistake of law, and passed over to tenants, if they have not availed CENVAT credit for the same and are otherwise eligible to get refund as per law.

We reserve our right to claim refund of service tax paid by us under mistake of law, which has not been collected from tenant. After ascertaining the position in this regard we shall submit application for refund of such tax wrongly paid.

In case there is any prescribed form of application for cancellation of registration and refund of tax paid under mistake of law, kindly provide us the same and allow time to submit the same.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

For……. (Service tax assessee.)