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2022 (5) TMI 908 - AT - Service TaxRefund of service tax paid - payment of tax due to mistake in facts or of law - period of limitation - whether the amount of Rs.4,78,222/- as was deposited by the appellant on 14.3.2016 was the amount of duty/tax? - HELD THAT:- Apparently and admittedly the said amount was deposited under the wrong impression of appellant being the liable to Service Tax for providing the construction service to M P Police Housing Corpn. Ltd. There is no denial to the fact that these services were exempted from the tax liability till March 2015 under Notification No. 06/2015 dated 1.3.2015. There is also no denial to the fact that the exemption was removed only for the period of one year i.e. from March 2015 to March 2016. From the notification No. 06/2015 vide Notification No. 9/2016 dated 1.3.2016, the retrospective exemption for the construction services provided under contract prior to 1.3.2015 was announced. There is no denial to the fact that service in question were rendered by the appellant in favour of the contract with M P Police Housing Corpn. Ltd. dated 30.6.2014 i.e. the contract was prior to 1.3.2015. Hence, irrespective the construction was raised during the year 2015-16, the exemption to the liability as introduced vide Notification No. 9/2016 is very much applicable to the impugned service. This perusal makes it abundantly clear that the appellant was not liable to pay Service Tax for rendering the services in question. Consequently, it is held that the amount of Rs.4,78,222/- was not the amount of Service Tax. It was merely a deposit being made by the appellant in view of the ongoing confusion about the liability. The law with respect to the deposits being made by the assessee due to mistake either of the fact or of law is no more res integra to the effect that section 11B of Central Excise Act is not applicable to such deposits. Time bar of said section cannot be invoked while refunding the amount of deposit. Appeal allowed - decided in favor of appellant.
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