India Tax: New service Tax Notifications Effective from 1 July 2010
The effective date of implementation of the Finance Act, 2010. received Presidential assent on 8 May 2010 and eight new services have been brought within the ambit of service tax. Notification No.24/2010, has specified the effective date of operation of the Finance Act 2010, as 1 July 2010.
A) New services liable to tax from 1 July 2010
Health, nursing home and multi-specialty clinic services, under specified circumstances
Storing, keeping and maintaining medical records
Promotion or marketing of a brand of goods, service, event or endorsement
Permitting commercial or exploitation of events Services of electricity exchange
Licensing of specified copyrights
Preferred location services
Promotion, marketing or organizing games of chance
Health Check-up services
Tax on hospitals, nursing homes or multispecialty clinics when health check up or preventive care is provided to an employee of a business entity
Tax on services to a person covered by a health insurance scheme for any healthcheck-up or treatment where the payment is made by the insurance company directly
Games of Chance
Promotion, marketing or organizing games of chance, including lottery, is being introduced as a separate service
Explanation inserted in the definition of Business Auxiliary Service (BAS) by the Finance Act, 2008 is deleted.
Medical Records
Services provided to any business entity by any other person in relation to maintenance of medical records of employees of a business entity.
Brand Promotion
Services of promoting a 'brand' of goods, services, events, business entity, etc.
Permitting commercial use or exploitation of any event
Service of permitting commercial use or exploitation of any event organized by a person or organization, has been added as a separate taxable category
Electricity exchanges
Services provided by Electricity Exchanges
Copyrights
Copyright of cinematographic films and sound recordings to get taxed.
Copyright on original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work would continue to remain outside the scope of service tax
Preferred location services
Tax on certain additional services provided by a builder to the prospective buyers such as providing preferential location or external or internal development of complexes on extra charges
Service of providing vehicle-parking space would not be applicable to tax
B) Amendment to existing services
Airport Services & Port Services
Definitions of Airport Services, Port Services and other Port Services amended to provide that all services provided entirely within the airport/port premises would be taxable. Further, the pre-condition of obtaining an authorization from the airport/port authority is removed.
Specified services if rendered within a port or airport exempted from service tax
Air Travel
Provisions amended to bring into service tax net, all types of air travel using scheduled or non-scheduled air transport
Exemption with respect to passengers transiting through India provided they do not pass through immigration and do not leave the customs area
Exemption to a person employed or engaged by the aircraft operator in any capacity on board the aircraft
Exemption from service tax as in excess of:
(a) 10% of the gross value of the ticket or Rs.100/- per journey whichever is less -Domestic.
(b) 10% of the gross value of the ticket or Rs.500/- per journey whichever is less -International.
This exemption is subject to the condition that credit of duty paid on inputs is not availed under the Credit Rules
Air travel services in specified states have been exempted from service tax
Construction Services
The word 'service' stands omitted in commercial or industrial construction.
Construction /construction of a complex intended for sale by the builder before or during or after construction be deemed to be a service provided by the builder to the buyer
No service tax if entire payment for the property is paid by the buyer after completion of the construction including certification by the local authorities.
Construction Services – Certificate
Amendment in the form of an insertion of explanation to the definition of taxable service pertaining to construction of complex/commercial construction.
A specific abatement of 75% provided on the value of taxable services with respect to Commercial or Industrial Construction and Construction of Complex. It has been specifically provided that the abatement will not apply if the cost of land has been separately recovered.
Exemption provided to construction of residential complex services for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and Rajiv Awaas Yojana.
Transportation of goods by rail
Levy and specific exemptions were to come into force from 1st July 2010. However, the same have now been extended to January 2011.
Renting of immovable property
Finance Act 2010 provides that renting of immovable property per se, or any other incidental services in relation to renting, are taxable.
Amendment is with retrospective effect from 1 June 2007. Constitutional validity issue is still pending.
Commercial Training
Retrospective amendment to the definition of the Commercial Training or Coaching Service w.e.f.1 July 2003 to clarify that commercial means what is provided for a consideration, whether or not for profit.
C) Other Changes
Specific exemptions from tax under sponsorship services, in respect of tournaments or championship organized by certain bodies and associations.
CENVAT Credit Rules amended w.e.f. 22 June 2010 to include dumpers or tippers as capital goods when used by service providers falling under 'site formation services'; mining services.
Taxable services provided by authorized distributors for distribution of electricity exempted from service tax
Definition of Information Technology Software Service expanded to include levy ofservice tax on right to use software for all purposes
Explanation added in Auctioneer services to clarify that the term 'auction by government' means an auction involving sale of government property and not when government acts as an auctioneer for sale of private property.