COMMNR.,CENTRAL EXCISE & CUSTOMS, KERALA Vs. M/S. LARSEN & TOUBRO LTD.
Supreme Court of India (Division Bench (DB)- Two Judge)
Appeal (Civil), 6770 of 2004, Judgment Date: Aug 20, 2015
REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 6770 OF 2004 Commissioner, Central Excise & Customs, …Appellant Kerala Vs. M/s Larsen & Toubro Ltd. …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 4468 of 2006 Commissioner, Central Excise & Customs, …Appellant Vadodara-II Vs. M/s Larsen & Toubro Ltd. & Anr. …Respondents WITH Civil Appeal No. 6434 of 2015 CCE-II, Vadodara …Appellant Vs. M/s Skanska Cementation …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 2798 of 2009 CCE, Haldia …Appellant Vs. S. Swaminathan, Project Manager, …Respondent M/s P.I.Ltd. WITH Civil Appeal No. 4234 of 2009 CCE, Vadodara …Appellant Vs. M/s Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Ind. …Respondent Co. Ltd. WITH Civil Appeal No. 4281 of 2009 CCE, Vadodara …Appellant Vs. M/s Ballash Nedam International …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 6429 of 2015 CST, Bangalore …Appellant Vs. M/s Turbotech Precision Eng. P. Ltd. …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 4893 of 2011 M/s. Alstom Project India Ltd. Tr. M.D. …Appellant Vs. CST, New Delhi …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 6084 of 2011 M/s. Instrumentation Ltd. …Appellant Vs. CCE, Jaipur …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 8477 of 2011 CST, Bangalore …Appellant Vs. M/s Asea Brown Boveri Ltd. …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 732 of 2012 M/s Engineers India Ltd. …Appellant Vs. CST …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 1627 of 2012 Commissioner of Central Excise & Customs ...Appellant Vs. ABB Ltd. …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 6430 of 2015 Commissioner of Central Excise & S. Tax ...Appellant Vs. Simplex Engineering & …Respondent Foundry Works Pvt. Ltd. WITH Civil Appeal No. 5841 of 2011 CCE, Bangalore ...Appellant Vs. M/s ABB Ltd. …Respondent J U D G M E N T R.F. NARIMAN, J. 1. This group of appeals is by both assessees and the revenue and concerns itself with whether service tax can be levied on indivisible works contracts prior to the introduction, on 1st June, 2007, of the Finance Act, 2007 which expressly makes such works contracts liable to service tax. 2. It all began with State of Madras v. Gannon Dunkerley & Co. (Madras) Ltd., 1959 SCR 379. A Constitution Bench of this Court held that in a building contract which was one and entirely indivisible, there was no sale of goods and it was not within the competence of the State Provincial Legislature to impose a tax on the supply of materials used in such a contract, treating it as a sale. The above statement was founded on the premise that a works contract is a composite contract which is inseparable and indivisible, and which consists of several elements which include not only a transfer of property in goods but labour and service elements as well. Entry 48 of List II to the 7th Schedule to the Government of India Act, 1935 was what was under consideration before this Court in Gannon Dunkerley’s case. It was observed that the expression “sale of goods” in that entry has become “nomen juris” and that therefore it has the same meaning as the said expression had in the Sale of Goods Act, 1930. In other words, the essential ingredients of a sale of goods, namely, that there has to be an agreement to sell movables for a price, and property must pass therein pursuant to such agreement, are both preconditions to the taxation power of the States under the said entry. This Court, after considering a large number of judgments, ultimately came to the following conclusion:- “To sum up, the expression “sale of goods” in Entry 48 is a nomen juris, its essential ingredients being an agreement to sell movables for a price and property passing therein pursuant to that agreement. In a building contract which is, as in the present case, one, entire and indivisible — and that is its norm, there is no sale of goods, and it is not within the competence of the Provincial Legislature under Entry 48 to impose a tax on the supply of the materials used in such a contract treating it as a sale.” (at page 425)[1]
REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 6770 OF 2004 Commissioner, Central Excise & Customs, …Appellant Kerala Vs. M/s Larsen & Toubro Ltd. …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 4468 of 2006 Commissioner, Central Excise & Customs, …Appellant Vadodara-II Vs. M/s Larsen & Toubro Ltd. & Anr. …Respondents WITH Civil Appeal No. 6434 of 2015 CCE-II, Vadodara …Appellant Vs. M/s Skanska Cementation …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 2798 of 2009 CCE, Haldia …Appellant Vs. S. Swaminathan, Project Manager, …Respondent M/s P.I.Ltd. WITH Civil Appeal No. 4234 of 2009 CCE, Vadodara …Appellant Vs. M/s Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Ind. …Respondent Co. Ltd. WITH Civil Appeal No. 4281 of 2009 CCE, Vadodara …Appellant Vs. M/s Ballash Nedam International …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 6429 of 2015 CST, Bangalore …Appellant Vs. M/s Turbotech Precision Eng. P. Ltd. …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 4893 of 2011 M/s. Alstom Project India Ltd. Tr. M.D. …Appellant Vs. CST, New Delhi …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 6084 of 2011 M/s. Instrumentation Ltd. …Appellant Vs. CCE, Jaipur …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 8477 of 2011 CST, Bangalore …Appellant Vs. M/s Asea Brown Boveri Ltd. …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 732 of 2012 M/s Engineers India Ltd. …Appellant Vs. CST …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 1627 of 2012 Commissioner of Central Excise & Customs ...Appellant Vs. ABB Ltd. …Respondent WITH Civil Appeal No. 6430 of 2015 Commissioner of Central Excise & S. Tax ...Appellant Vs. Simplex Engineering & …Respondent Foundry Works Pvt. Ltd. WITH Civil Appeal No. 5841 of 2011 CCE, Bangalore ...Appellant Vs. M/s ABB Ltd. …Respondent J U D G M E N T R.F. NARIMAN, J. 1. This group of appeals is by both assessees and the revenue and concerns itself with whether service tax can be levied on indivisible works contracts prior to the introduction, on 1st June, 2007, of the Finance Act, 2007 which expressly makes such works contracts liable to service tax. 2. It all began with State of Madras v. Gannon Dunkerley & Co. (Madras) Ltd., 1959 SCR 379. A Constitution Bench of this Court held that in a building contract which was one and entirely indivisible, there was no sale of goods and it was not within the competence of the State Provincial Legislature to impose a tax on the supply of materials used in such a contract, treating it as a sale. The above statement was founded on the premise that a works contract is a composite contract which is inseparable and indivisible, and which consists of several elements which include not only a transfer of property in goods but labour and service elements as well. Entry 48 of List II to the 7th Schedule to the Government of India Act, 1935 was what was under consideration before this Court in Gannon Dunkerley’s case. It was observed that the expression “sale of goods” in that entry has become “nomen juris” and that therefore it has the same meaning as the said expression had in the Sale of Goods Act, 1930. In other words, the essential ingredients of a sale of goods, namely, that there has to be an agreement to sell movables for a price, and property must pass therein pursuant to such agreement, are both preconditions to the taxation power of the States under the said entry. This Court, after considering a large number of judgments, ultimately came to the following conclusion:- “To sum up, the expression “sale of goods” in Entry 48 is a nomen juris, its essential ingredients being an agreement to sell movables for a price and property passing therein pursuant to that agreement. In a building contract which is, as in the present case, one, entire and indivisible — and that is its norm, there is no sale of goods, and it is not within the competence of the Provincial Legislature under Entry 48 to impose a tax on the supply of the materials used in such a contract treating it as a sale.” (at page 425)[1] 3. The Law Commission of India in its 61st Report elaborately examined the law laid down in Gannon Dunkerley’s case and suggested that the relevant entry contained in the 7th Schedule to List II to the Constitution of India - Entry 54 - could either be amended; or a fresh entry in the State List could be added; or Article 366 which is a definition clause could be amended so as to widen the definition of “sale”, and include therein indivisible composite works contracts. Having regard to the said recommendation of the Law Commission, the Constitution (46th Amendment) Act was passed in 1983 by which Parliament accepted the 3rd alternative of the Law Commission, and amended Article 366 by adding sub-clause (29A). We are concerned with sub-clause (b) of Article 366 (29A) which reads as follows:-
366 (29A) “tax on the sale or purchase of goods” includes-
(b) a tax on the transfer of property in goods (whether as goods
or in some other form) involved in the execution of a works
contract;
and such transfer, delivery or supply of any goods shall be
deemed to be a sale of those goods by the person making the
transfer, delivery or supply and a purchase of those goods by
the person to whom such transfer, delivery or supply is made;
4. The Constitutional amendment so passed was the subject matter of
a challenge in Builders' Assn. of India v. Union of India, (1989) 2
SCC 645. This challenge was ultimately repelled and this Court
stated:-
“… After the 46th Amendment, it has become possible for the
States to levy sales tax on the value of goods involved in a
works contract in the same way in which the sales tax was
leviable on the price of the goods and materials supplied in a
building contract which had been entered into in two distinct
and separate parts as stated above.” (at para 36)
5. This is the historical setting within which the present
controversy arises.
6. Service tax was introduced by the Finance Act, 1994 and various
services were set out in Section 65 thereof as being amenable to tax.
The legislative competence of such tax is to be found in Article 248
read with Entry 97 of List I of the 7th Schedule to the Constitution
of India. All the present cases are cases which arise before the 2007
amendment was made, which introduced the concept of “works contract”
as being a separate subject matter of taxation. Various amendments
were made in the sections of the Finance Act by which “works
contracts” which were indivisible and composite were split so that
only the labour and service element of such contracts would be taxed
under the heading “Service Tax”.
7. Learned counsel for the revenue has essentially raised four
arguments before us in which he assails the judgments of various
Tribunals and High Courts which have decided against the revenue on
this point. According to him, the 46th Amendment has itself divided
works contracts by Article 366 (29A)(b). After taking out the “goods”
element from such contracts, what remains is the “labour and service”
element which, according to him, has been subjected to tax by various
entries in the Finance Act, 1994. Further, relying upon Section 23 of
the Contract Act and Mcdowell and Company Ltd. v. Commercial Tax
Officer, 1985 (2) SCC 230, he went on to argue that post 1994 all
indivisible works contracts were made with a view to evade or avoid
tax and that therefore being contrary to public policy, the principles
in Mcdowell’s judgment should apply to make such so-called indivisible
contracts taxable under the Finance Act, 1994. According to him, the
Finance Act, 1994 itself contains both the charge of tax as well as
the machinery by which only the labour and service element in these
indivisible contracts is taxable, it being his contention that the
statute need not do what the constitutional amendment has already done
– namely, split the indivisible works contract into a separate
contract of transfer of property in goods involved in the execution of
the works contract on the one hand, which is taxable by the States,
and the labour and services element on the other, which is taxable,
according to him, by the Central Government. Further, he argued that
the fact that the 2007 Amendment Act has, in fact, defined works
contract for the first time and sought to split it, and tax only the
element of labour and service would make no difference because,
according to him, whatever elements of works contracts were taxable
under the Finance Act, 1994 would continue to be taxable and would be
untouched by the said amendment.
8. On the other hand, learned counsel for the assessees assailed
the judgments of the Tribunals and the High Courts against them, in
particular the judgment in G.D. Builders v. UOI and Anr., 2013 [32]
S.T.R. 673 (Del.), of the Delhi High Court. In answer to revenue’s
contention, learned counsel argued that a works contract is a separate
species known to the world of commerce and law as such. That being so,
an indivisible works contract would have to be split into its
constituent parts by necessary legislation which would then contain,
post splitting, a charge to service tax together with the necessary
machinery to enforce such charge. According to learned counsel, not
only was there no such charge pre-2007 but there were no machinery
provisions as well to bring indivisible works contracts under the
service tax net. According to learned counsel, what was taxable under
the Finance Act, 1994 was only cases of pure service in which there
was no goods element involved. Further, according to them, for various
reasons, the sheet anchor of revenue’s case, the Delhi High Court
judgment in G.D. Builders (supra), was wholly incorrect, and the
minority judgment of the judicial members of a Full Bench of the Delhi
Tribunal in M/s Larsen & Toubro Ltd. v. CST,Delhi, 2015-TIOL-527-
CESTAT-DEL-LB, comprehensively discussed all the authorities that were
relevant to this issue and arrived at the correct conclusion.
9. We have heard learned counsel for the parties. Before examining
the contentions made on the both sides, it will be necessary to set
out the Finance Act, 1994 insofar as it pertains to the levy of
service tax.
10. Section 64. Extent, commencement and application.
(1) This Chapter extends to the whole of India except the
State of Jammu and Kashmir.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central
Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,
appoint.
(3) It shall apply to taxable services provided on or after
the commencement of this Chapter.
Section 65. Definitions. In this Chapter, unless the context
otherwise requires, ----
(105) “taxable service” means any service provided-
(g) to a client, by a consulting engineer in relation to
advice, consultancy or technical assistance in any manner in one
or more disciplines of engineering [but not in the discipline of
computer hardware engineering or computer software engineering;
(zzd) to a customer, by a commissioning and installation agency
in relation to erection, commissioning or installation;
(zzh) to any person, by a technical testing and analysis agency,
in relation to technical testing and analysis;
(zzq) to any person, by a commercial concern, in relation to
construction service;
(zzzh) to any person, by any other person, in relation to
construction of a complex;
Explanation : For the purposes of this sub-clause, construction
of a complex which is intended for sale, wholly or partly, by a
builder or any person authorized by the builder before, during
or after construction (except in cases for which no sum is
received from or on behalf of the prospective buyer by the
builder or a person authorized by the builder before the grant
of completion certificate by the authority competent to issue
such certificate under any law for the time being in force)
shall be deemed to be service provided by the builder to the
buyer;”
Section 66. Charge of service tax
There shall be levied a tax (hereinafter referred to as
the service tax) at the rate of ten per cent. Of the value of
the taxable services referred to in sub-clauses (a), (b), (c),
(d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), (n), (o), (p),
(q), (r), (s), (t), (u), (v), (w), (x), (y), (z), (za), (zb),
(zc), (zd), (ze), (zf), (zg), (zh), (zi), (zj), (zk), (zl),
(zm), (zn), (zo), (zq), (zr), (zs), (zt), (zu), (zv), (zw),
(zx), (zy), (zz), (zza), (zzb), (zzc), (zzd), (zze), (zzf),
(zzg), (zzh), (zzi), (zzj), (zzk), (zzl), (zzm), (zzn), (zzo),
(zzp), (zzq), (zzr), (zzs), (zzt), (zzu), (zzv), (zzw), (zzx),
and (zzy) of clause (105) of section 65 and collected in such
manner as may be prescribed.
Section 67. Valuation of taxable services for charging service
tax.- For the purposes of this Chapter, the value of any
taxable service shall be the gross amount charged by the service
provider for such service rendered by him.
Explanation.1- For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared
that the value of a taxable service, as the case may be,
includes,-
a) the aggregate of commission or brokerage charged by a broker on
the sale or purchase of securities including the commission or
brokerage paid by the stock-broker to any sub-broker;
b) the adjustments made by the telegraph authority from any
deposits made by the subscriber at the time of application for
telephone connection or pager or facsimile or telegraph or telex
or for leased circuit;
c) the amount of premium charged by the insurer from the policy
holder;
d) the commission received by the air travel agent from the
airline;
e) the commission received by an actuary, or intermediary or
insurance intermediary or insurance agent from the insurer;
f) the reimbursement received by the authorized service station
from manufacturer for carrying out any service of any automobile
manufactured by such manufacturer; and
g) the commission or any amount received by the rail travel agent
from the Railways or the customer,
but does not include, -
(i) initial deposit made by the subscriber at the time of
application for telephone connection or pager or facsimile (FAX)
or telegraph or telex or for leased circuit:
(ii) the cost of unexposed photography film, unrecorded
magnetic tape or such other storage devices, if any, sold to the
client during the course of providing the service;
(iii) the cost of parts or accessories, or consumables such as
lubricants and coolants, if any, sold to the customer during the
course of service or repair of motor cars, light motor vehicle
or two wheeled motor vehicles;
(iv) the airfare collected by air travel agent in respect 0f
service provided by him;
(v) the rail fare collected by rail travel agent in respect of
service provided by him;
(vi) the cost of parts or other material, if any, sold to the
customer during the course of providing maintenance or repair
service;
(vii) the cost of parts or other material, if any, sold to the
customer during the course of providing erection, commissioning
or installation service; and
(viii) interest on loans.
Explanation 2. - Where the gross amount charged by a service
provider is inclusive of service tax payable, the value of
taxable service shall be such amount as with the addition of tax
payable, is equal to the gross amount charged.”
11. By the Finance Act, 2007, for the first time, Section 65 (105)(
zzzza) set out to tax the following:-
“(zzzza) to any person, by any other person in relation to
the execution of a works contract, excluding works contract in
respect of roads, airports, railways, transport terminals,
bridges, tunnels and dams.
Explanation : For the purposes of this sub-clause, “works
contract” means a contract wherein,-
i) Transfer of property in goods involved in the execution of such
contract is leviable to tax as sale of goods, and
ii) Such contract is for the purposes of carrying out,-
a) Erection, commissioning or installation of plant, machinery,
equipment or structures, whether pre-fabricated or otherwise,
installation of electrical and electronic devices, plumbing,
drain laying or other installations for transport of fluids,
heating, ventilation or air-conditioning including related pipe
work, duct work and sheet metal work, thermal insulation, sound
insulation, fire proofing or water proofing, lift and escalator,
fire escape staircases or elevators; or
b) Construction of a new building or a civil structure or a part
thereof, or of a pipeline or conduit, primarily for the purposes
of commerce or industry; or
c) Construction of a new residential complex or a part thereof; or
d) Completion and finishing services, repair, alteration,
renovation or restoration of, or similar services, in relation
to (b) and (c); or
e) Turnkey projects including engineering, procurement and
construction or commissioning (EPC) projects;”
12. Section 67 of the Finance Act 1994 was amended to read as
follows:-
“Valuation of taxable services for charging Service tax –
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Chapter, service tax
chargeable on any taxable service with reference to its value
shall,—
(i) in a case where the provision of service is for a
consideration in money, be the gross amount charged by the
service provider for such service provided or to be provided by
him;
(ii) in a case where the provision of service is for a
consideration not wholly or partly consisting of money, be such
amount in money, with the addition of service tax charged, is
equivalent to the consideration;
(iii) in a case where the provision of service is for a
consideration which is not ascertainable, be the amount as may
be determined in the prescribed manner.”
13. Pursuant to the aforesaid, the Service Tax (Determination of
Value) Rules, 2006 were made, Rule 2A of which reads as under:-
“2A. Subject to the provisions of section 67, the value of
service portion in the execution of a works contract, referred
to in clause (h) of section 66E of the Act, shall be determined
in the following manner, namely:-
?
i) Value of service portion in the execution of a works contract
shall be equivalent to the gross amount charged for the works
contract less the value of property in goods transferred in the
execution of the said works contract.
Explanation.-For the purposes of this clause,-
(a) gross amount charged for the works contract shall not
include value added tax or sales tax, as the case may be, paid
or payable, if any, on transfer of property in goods involved in
the execution of the said works contract;
(b) value of works contract service shall include,-
(i) labour charges for execution of the works;
(ii) amount paid to a sub-contractor for labour and services;
(iii) charges for planning, designing and architect's fees;
(iv) charges for obtaining on hire or otherwise, machinery and
tools used for the execution of the works contract;
(v) cost of consumables such as water, electricity, fuel used in
the execution of the works contract;
(vi) cost of establishment of the contractor relatable to supply
of labour and services;
(vii) other similar expenses relatable to supply of labour and
services; and
(viii) profit earned by the service provider relatable to supply
of labour and services;
(c) where value added tax or sales tax has been paid or payable
on the actual value of property in goods transferred in the
execution of the works contract, then, such value adopted for
the purposes of payment of value added tax or sales tax, shall
be taken as the value of property in goods transferred in the
execution of the said works contract for determination of the
value of service portion in the
execution of works contract under this clause.
(ii) Where the value has not been determined under clause (i),
the person liable to pay tax on the service portion involved in
the execution of the works contract shall determine the service
tax payable in the following manner, namely:-
A) in case of works contracts entered into for execution of
original works, service tax shall be payable on forty per cent
of the total amount charged for the works contract;
(B) in case of works contract entered into for maintenance or
repair or reconditioning or restoration or servicing of any
goods, service tax shall be payable on seventy per cent of the
total amount charged for the works contract;
(C) in case of other works contracts, not covered under sub-
clauses (A) and (B) including maintenance, repair, completion
and finishing services such as glazing, plastering, floor and
wall tiling, installation of electrical fittings of an
immovable' property, service tax shall be payable on sixty per
cent of the total amount charged for the works contract.
Explanation I.-For the purposes of this rule,-
(a) "original works" means-
(l) all new constructions;
(ii) all types of additions and alterations to abandoned or
damaged structures on land that are required to make them
workable;
(iii) erection, commissioning or installation of plant,
machinery or equipment or structures, whether pre-fabricated or
otherwise;
(d) "total amount" means the sum total of the gross amount
charged for the works contract and the fair market value of all
goods and services supplied in or in relation to the execution
of the works contract, whether or not supplied under the same
contract or any other contract, after deducting-
(i) the amount charged for such goods or services, if any; and
(ii) the value added tax or sales tax, if any, levied thereon:
Provided that the fair market value of goods and services so
supplied may be determined in accordance with the generally
accepted accounting principles.
Explanation 2.-For the removal of doubts, it is clarified that
the provider of taxable service shall not take CENVAT credit of
duties or cess paid on any inputs, used in or in relation to the
said works contract, under the provisions of CENVAT Credit
Rules, 2004.”[2]
14. Crucial to the understanding and determination of the issue at
hand is the second Gannon Dunkerley judgment which is reported in
(1993) 1 SCC 364. By the aforesaid judgment, the modalities of taxing
composite indivisible works contracts was gone into. This Court said:-
“On behalf of the contractors, it has been urged that under a
law imposing a tax on the transfer of property in goods involved
in the execution of a works contract under Entry 54 of the State
List read with Article 366(29-A)(b), the tax is imposed on the
goods which are involved in the execution of a works contract
and the measure for levying such a tax can only be the value of
the goods so involved and the value of the works contract cannot
be made the measure for levying the tax. The submission is
further that the value of such goods would be the cost of
acquisition of the goods by the contractor and, therefore, the
measure for levy of tax can only be the cost at which the goods
involved in the execution of a works contract were obtained by
the contractor. On behalf of the States, it has been submitted
that since the property in goods which are involved in the
execution of a works contract passes only when the goods are
incorporated in the works, the measure for the levy of the tax
would be the value of the goods at the time of their
incorporation in the works as well as the cost of incorporation
of the goods in the works. We are in agreement with the
submission that measure for the levy of the tax contemplated by
Article 366(29-A)(b) is the value of the goods involved in the
execution of a works contract. In Builders' Association
case [(1989) 2 SCC 645 : 1989 SCC (Tax) 317 : (1989) 2 SCR 320]
it has been pointed out that in Article 366(29-A)(b), “[t]he
emphasis is on the transfer of property in goods (whether as
goods or in some other form)”. (SCC p. 669, para 32: SCR p.
347). This indicates that though the tax is imposed on the
transfer of property in goods involved in the execution of a
works contract, the measure for levy of such imposition is the
value of the goods involved in the execution of a works
contract. We are, however, unable to agree with the contention
urged on behalf of the contractors that the value of such goods
for levying the tax can be assessed only on the basis of the
cost of acquisition of the goods by the contractor. Since the
taxable event is the transfer of property in goods involved in
the execution of a works contract and the said transfer of
property in such goods takes place when the goods are
incorporated in the works, the value of the goods which can
constitute the measure for the levy of the tax has to be the
value of the goods at the time of incorporation of the goods in
the works and not the cost of acquisition of the goods by the
contractor. We are also unable to accept the contention urged on
behalf of the States that in addition to the value of the goods
involved in the execution of the works contract the cost of
incorporation of the goods in the works can be included in the
measure for levy of tax. Incorporation of the goods in the works
forms part of the contract relating to work and labour which is
distinct from the contract for transfer of property in goods
and, therefore, the cost of incorporation of the goods in the
works cannot be made a part of the measure for levy of tax
contemplated by Article 366(29-A)(b).
Keeping in view the legal fiction introduced by the Forty-
sixth Amendment whereby the works contract which was entire and
indivisible has been altered into a contract which is divisible
into one for sale of goods and other for supply of labour and
services, the value of the goods involved in the execution of a
works contract on which tax is leviable must exclude the charges
which appertain to the contract for supply of labour and
services. This would mean that labour charges for execution of
works, [item No. (i)], amounts paid to a sub-contractor for
labour and services [item No. (ii)], charges for planning,
designing and architect's fees [item No. (iii)], charges for
obtaining on hire or otherwise machinery and tools used in the
execution of a works contract [item No. (iv)], and the cost of
consumables such as water, electricity, fuel, etc. which are
consumed in the process of execution of a works contract [item
No. (v)] and other similar expenses for labour and services will
have to be excluded as charges for supply of labour and
services. The charges mentioned in item No. (vi) cannot,
however, be excluded. The position of a contractor in relation
to a transfer of property in goods in the execution of a works
contract is not different from that of a dealer in goods who is
liable to pay sales tax on the sale price charged by him from
the customer for the goods sold. The said price includes the
cost of bringing the goods to the place of sale. Similarly, for
the purpose of ascertaining the value of goods which are
involved in the execution of a works contract for the purpose of
imposition of tax, the cost of transportation of the goods to
the place of works has to be taken as part of the value of the
said goods. The charges mentioned in item No. (vii) relate to
the various expenses which form part of the cost of
establishment of the contractor. Ordinarily the cost of
establishment is included in the sale price charged by a dealer
from the customer for the goods sold. Since a composite works
contract involves supply of materials as well as supply of
labour and services, the cost of establishment of the contractor
would have to be apportioned between the part of the contract
involving supply of materials and the part involving supply of
labour and services. The cost of establishment of the contractor
which is relatable to supply of labour and services cannot be
included in the value of the goods involved in the execution of
a contract and the cost of establishment which is relatable to
supply of material involved in the execution of the works
contract only can be included in the value of the goods. Similar
apportionment will have to be made in respect of item No. (viii)
relating to profits. The profits which are relatable to the
supply of materials can be included in the value of the goods
and the profits which are relatable to supply of labour and
services will have to be excluded. This means that in respect of
charges mentioned in item Nos. (vii) and (viii), the cost of
establishment of the contractor as well as the profit earned by
him to the extent the same are relatable to supply of labour and
services will have to be excluded. The amount so deductible
would have to be determined in the light of the facts of a
particular case on the basis of the material produced by the
contractor. The value of the goods involved in the execution of
a works contract will, therefore, have to be determined by
taking into account the value of the entire works contract and
deducting therefrom the charges towards labour and services
which would cover—
(a) Labour charges for execution of the works;
(b) amount paid to a sub-contractor for labour and services;
(c) charges for planning, designing and architect's fees;
(d) charges for obtaining on hire or otherwise machinery and
tools used for the execution of the works contract;
(e) cost of consumables such as water, electricity, fuel, etc.
used in the execution of the works contract the property in
which is not transferred in the course of execution of a works
contract; and
(f) cost of establishment of the contractor to the extent it is
relatable to supply of labour and services;
(g) other similar expenses relatable to supply of labour and
services;
(h) profit earned by the contractor to the extent it is
relatable to supply of labour and services.
The amounts deductible under these heads will have to be
determined in the light of the facts of a particular case on the
basis of the material produced by the contractor.
Normally, the contractor will be in a position to furnish
the necessary material to establish the expenses that were
incurred under the aforesaid heads of deduction for labour and
services. But there may be cases where the contractor has not
maintained proper accounts or the accounts maintained by him are
not found to be worthy of credence by the assessing authority.
In that event, a question would arise as to how the deduction
towards the aforesaid heads may be made. On behalf of the
States, it has been urged that it would be permissible for the
State to prescribe a formula on the basis of a fixed percentage
of the value of the contract as expenses towards labour and
services and the same may be deducted from the value of the
works contract and that the said formula need not be uniform for
all works contracts and may depend on the nature of the works
contract. We find merit in this submission. In cases where the
contractor does not maintain proper accounts or the accounts
maintained by him are not found worthy of credence it would, in
our view, be permissible for the State legislation to prescribe
a formula for determining the charges for labour and services by
fixing a particular percentage of the value of the works
contract and to allow deduction of the amount thus determined
from the value of the works contract for the purpose of
determining the value of the goods involved in the execution of
the works contract. It must, however, be ensured that the amount
deductible under the formula that is prescribed for deduction
towards charges for labour and services does not differ
appreciably from the expenses for labour and services that would
be incurred in normal circumstances in respect of that
particular type of works contract. Since the expenses for labour
and services would depend on the nature of the works contract
and would not be the same for all types of works contracts, it
would be permissible, indeed necessary, to prescribe varying
scales for deduction on account of cost of labour and services
for various types of works contracts.”(at paras 45, 47 and 49)
15. A reading of this judgment, on which counsel for the assessees
heavily relied, would go to show that the separation of the value of
goods contained in the execution of a works contract will have to be
determined by working from the value of the entire works contract and
deducting therefrom charges towards labour and services. Such
deductions are stated by the Constitution Bench to be eight in number.
What is important in particular is the deductions which are to be
made under sub-paras (f), (g) and (h). Under each of these paras, a
bifurcation has to be made by the charging Section itself so that the
cost of establishment of the contractor is bifurcated into what is
relatable to supply of labour and services. Similarly, all other
expenses have also to be bifurcated insofar as they are relatable to
supply of labour and services, and the same goes for the profit that
is earned by the contractor. These deductions are ordinarily to be
made from the contractor’s accounts. However, if it is found that
contractors have not maintained proper accounts, or their accounts are
found to be not worthy of credence, it is left to the legislature to
prescribe a formula on the basis of a fixed percentage of the value of
the entire works contract as relatable to the labour and service
element of it. This judgment, therefore, clearly and unmistakably
holds that unless the splitting of an indivisible works contract is
done taking into account the eight heads of deduction, the charge to
tax that would be made would otherwise contain, apart from other
things, the entire cost of establishment, other expenses, and profit
earned by the contractor and would transgress into forbidden territory
namely into such portion of such cost, expenses and profit as would be
attributable in the works contract to the transfer of property in
goods in such contract. This being the case, we feel that the learned
counsel for the assessees are on firm ground when they state that the
service tax charging section itself must lay down with specificity
that the levy of service tax can only be on works contracts, and the
measure of tax can only be on that portion of works contracts which
contain a service element which is to be derived from the gross amount
charged for the works contract less the value of property in goods
transferred in the execution of the works contract. This not having
been done by the Finance Act, 1994, it is clear that any charge to tax
under the five heads in Section 65(105) noticed above would only be
of service contracts simpliciter and not composite indivisible works
contracts.
16. At this stage, it is important to note the scheme of taxation
under our Constitution. In the lists contained in the 7th Schedule to
the Constitution, taxation entries are to be found only in lists I and
II. This is for the reason that in our Constitutional scheme,
taxation powers of the Centre and the States are mutually exclusive.
There is no concurrent power of taxation. This being the case, the
moment the levy contained in a taxing statute transgresses into a
prohibited exclusive field, it is liable to be struck down. In the
present case, the dichotomy is between sales tax leviable by the
States and service tax leviable by the Centre. When it comes to
composite indivisible works contracts, such contracts can be taxed by
Parliament as well as State legislatures. Parliament can only tax the
service element contained in these contracts, and the States can only
tax the transfer of property in goods element contained in these
contracts. Thus, it becomes very important to segregate the two
elements completely for if some element of transfer of property in
goods remains when a service tax is levied, the said levy would be
found to be constitutionally infirm. This position is well reflected
in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited v. Union of India, (2006) 3 SCC 1, as
follows:-
“No one denies the legislative competence of the States to levy
sales tax on sales provided that the necessary concomitants of a
sale are present in the transaction and the sale is distinctly
discernible in the transaction. This does not however allow the
State to entrench upon the Union List and tax services by
including the cost of such service in the value of the goods.
Even in those composite contracts which are by legal fiction
deemed to be divisible under Article 366(29-A), the value of the
goods involved in the execution of the whole transaction cannot
be assessed to sales tax. As was said in Larsen &
Toubro v. Union of India[(1993) 1 SCC 364] : (SCC p. 395, para
47) :-
“The cost of establishment of the contractor which is relatable to supply
of labour and services cannot be included in the value of the goods
involved in the execution of a contract and the cost of establishment which
is relatable to supply of material involved in the execution of the works
contract only can be included in the value of the goods.”
For the same reason the Centre cannot include the value of the
SIM cards, if they are found ultimately to be goods, in the cost
of the service. As was held by us in Gujarat Ambuja Cements
Ltd. v. Union of India [(2005) 4 SCC 214] , SCC at p. 228, para
23:-
“This mutual exclusivity which has been reflected in Article 246(1) means
that taxing entries must be construed so as to maintain exclusivity.
Although generally speaking, a liberal interpretation must be given to
taxing entries, this would not bring within its purview a tax on subject-
matter which a fair reading of the entry does not cover. If in substance,
the statute is not referable to a field given to the State, the court will
not by any principle of interpretation allow a statute not covered by it to
intrude upon this field.” (at paras 88 and 89)
17. We find that the assessees are correct in their submission that
a works contract is a separate species of contract distinct from
contracts for services simpliciter recognized by the world of commerce
and law as such, and has to be taxed separately as such. In Gannon
Dunkerley, 1959 SCR 379, this Court recognized works contracts as a
separate species of contract as follows:–
“To avoid misconception, it must be stated that the above
conclusion has reference to works contracts, which are entire
and indivisible, as the contracts of the respondents have been
held by the learned Judges of the Court below to be. The several
forms which such kinds of contracts can assume are set out
in Hudson on Building Contracts, at p. 165. It is possible that
the parties might enter into distinct and separate contracts,
one for the transfer of materials for money consideration, and
the other for payment of remuneration for services and for work
done. In such a case, there are really two agreements, though
there is a single instrument embodying them, and the power of
the State to separate the agreement to sell, from the agreement
to do work and render service and to impose a tax thereon cannot
be questioned, and will stand untouched by the present
judgment.” (at page 427)
18. Similarly, in Kone Elevator India (P) Ltd. v. State of T.N.,
(2014) 7 SCC 1, this Court held:-
“Coming to the stand and stance of the State of Haryana, as put
forth by Mr Mishra, the same suffers from two basic fallacies,
first, the supply and installation of lift treating it as a
contract for sale on the basis of the overwhelming component
test, because there is a stipulation in the contract that the
customer is obliged to undertake the work of civil construction
and the bulk of the material used in construction belongs to the
manufacturer, is not correct, as the subsequent discussion would
show; and second, the Notification dated 17-5-2010 issued by the
Government of Haryana, Excise and Taxation Department, whereby
certain rules of the Haryana Value Added Tax Rules, 2003 have
been amended and a table has been annexed providing for
“Percentages for Works Contract and Job Works” under the heading
“Labour, service and other like charges as percentage of total
value of the contract” specifying 15% for fabrication and
installation of elevators (lifts) and escalators, is self-
contradictory, for once it is treated as a composite contract
invoking labour and service, as a natural corollary, it would be
works contract and not a contract for sale. To elaborate, the
submission that the element of labour and service can be
deducted from the total contract value without treating the
composite contract as a works contract is absolutely fallacious.
In fact, it is an innovative subterfuge. We are inclined to
think so as it would be frustrating the constitutional provision
and, accordingly, we unhesitatingly repel the same.” (at para
60)
19. In Larsen & Toubro Ltd. v. State of Karnataka, (2014) 1 SCC
708, this Court stated:-
“In our opinion, the term “works contract” in Article 366(29-
A)(b) is amply wide and cannot be confined to a particular
understanding of the term or to a particular form. The term
encompasses a wide range and many varieties of contract.
Parliament had such wide meaning of “works contract” in its view
at the time of the Forty-sixth Amendment. The object of
insertion of clause (29-A) in Article 366 was to enlarge the
scope of the expression “tax on sale or purchase of goods” and
overcome Gannon Dunkerley (1) [State of Madras v. Gannon
Dunkerley and Co. (Madras) Ltd., AIR 1958 SC 560 : 1959 SCR 379]
. Seen thus, even if in a contract, besides the obligations of
supply of goods and materials and performance of labour and
services, some additional obligations are imposed, such contract
does not cease to be works contract. The additional obligations
in the contract would not alter the nature of contract so long
as the contract provides for a contract for works and satisfies
the primary description of works contract. Once the
characteristics or elements of works contract are satisfied in a
contract then irrespective of additional obligations, such
contract would be covered by the term “works contract”. Nothing
in Article 366(29-A)(b) limits the term “works contract” to
contract for labour and service only. The learned Advocate
General for Maharashtra was right in his submission that the
term “works contract” cannot be confined to a contract to
provide labour and services but is a contract for undertaking or
bringing into existence some “works”. We are also in agreement
with the submission of Mr K.N. Bhat that the term “works
contract” in Article 366(29-A)(b) takes within its fold all
genre of works contract and is not restricted to one specie of
contract to provide for labour and services alone. Parliament
had all genre of works contract in view when clause (29-A) was
inserted in Article 366.” (at para 72)
20. We also find that the assessees’ argument that there is no
charge to tax of works contracts in the Finance Act, 1994 is correct
in view of what has been stated above.
21. This Court in Mathuram Agrawal v. State of M.P., (1999) 8 SCC
667, held:-
“Another question that arises for consideration in this
connection is whether sub-section (1) of Section 127-A and the
proviso to sub-section (2)(b) should be construed together and
the annual letting values of all the buildings owned by a person
to be taken together for determining the amount to be paid as
tax in respect of each building. In our considered view this
position cannot be accepted. The intention of the legislature in
a taxation statute is to be gathered from the language of the
provisions particularly where the language is plain and
unambiguous. In a taxing Act it is not possible to assume any
intention or governing purpose of the statute more than what is
stated in the plain language. It is not the economic results
sought to be obtained by making the provision which is relevant
in interpreting a fiscal statute. Equally impermissible is an
interpretation which does not follow from the plain, unambiguous
language of the statute. Words cannot be added to or substituted
so as to give a meaning to the statute which will serve the
spirit and intention of the legislature. The statute should
clearly and unambiguously convey the three components of the tax
law i.e. the subject of the tax, the person who is liable to pay
the tax and the rate at which the tax is to be paid. If there is
any ambiguity regarding any of these ingredients in a taxation
statute then there is no tax in law. Then it is for the
legislature to do the needful in the matter.
This construction, in our considered view, amounts to
supplementing the charging section by including something which
the provision does not state. The construction placed on the
said provision does not flow from the plain language of the
provision. The proviso requires the exempted property to be
subjected to tax and for the purpose of valuing that property
alone the value of the other properties is to be taken into
consideration. But, if in doing so, the said property becomes
taxable, the Act does not provide at what rate it would be
taxable. One cannot determine the rateable value of the small
property by aggregating and adding the value of other
properties, and arrive at a figure which is more than possibly
the value of the property itself. Moreover, what rate of tax is
to be applied to such a property is also not indicated.” (at
paras 12 and 16)
22. Equally, this Court in Govind Saran Ganga Saran v. CST, 1985
Supp SCC 205, held:-
“The components which enter into the concept of a tax are well
known. The first is the character of the imposition known by its
nature which prescribes the taxable event attracting the levy,
the second is a clear indication of the person on whom the levy
is imposed and who is obliged to pay the tax, the third is the
rate at which the tax is imposed, and the fourth is the measure
or value to which the rate will be applied for computing the tax
liability. If those components are not clearly and definitely
ascertainable, it is difficult to say that the levy exists in
point of law. Any uncertainty or vagueness in the legislative
scheme defining any of those components of the levy will be
fatal to its validity.” (at para 6)
23. To similar effect is this Court’s judgment in CIT v. B.C.
Srinivasa Setty, (1981) 2 SCC 460, held:-
“Section 45 charges the profits or gains arising from the
transfer of a capital asset to income tax. The asset must be one
which falls within the contemplation of the section. It must
bear that quality which brings Section 45 into play. To
determine whether the goodwill of a new business is such an
asset, it is permissible, as we shall presently show, to refer
to certain other sections of the head, “Capital gains”. Section
45 is a charging section. For the purpose of imposing the
charge. Parliament has enacted detailed provisions in order to
compute the profits or gains under that head. No existing
principle or provision at variance with them can be applied for
determining the chargeable profits and gains. All transactions
encompassed by Section 45 must fall under the governance of its
computation provisions. A transaction to which those provisions
cannot be applied must be regarded as never intended by Section
45 to be the subject of the charge. This inference flows from
the general arrangement of the provisions in the Income Tax Act,
where under each head of income the charging provision is
accompanied by a set of provisions for computing the income
subject to that charge. The character of the computation
provisions in each case bears a relationship to the nature of
the charge. Thus the charging section and the computation
provisions together constitute an integrated code. When there is
a case to which the computation provisions cannot apply at all,
it is evident that such a case was not intended to fall within
the charging section. Otherwise one would be driven to conclude
that while a certain income seems to fall within the charging
section there is no scheme of computation for quantifying it.
The legislative pattern discernible in the Act is against such a
conclusion. It must be borne in mind that the legislative intent
is presumed to run uniformly through the entire conspectus of
provisions pertaining to each head of income. No doubt there is
a qualitative difference between the charging provision and a
computation provision. And ordinarily the operation of the
charging provision cannot be affected by the construction of a
particular computation provision. But the question here is
whether it is possible to apply the computation provision at all
if a certain interpretation is pressed on the charging
provision. That pertains to the fundamental integrality of the
statutory scheme provided for each head.” (at para 10)
24. A close look at the Finance Act, 1994 would show that the five
taxable services referred to in the charging Section 65(105) would
refer only to service contracts simpliciter and not to composite works
contracts. This is clear from the very language of Section 65(105)
which defines “taxable service” as “any service provided”. All the
services referred to in the said sub-clauses are service contracts
simpliciter without any other element in them, such as for example, a
service contract which is a commissioning and installation, or
erection, commissioning and installation contract. Further, under
Section 67, as has been pointed out above, the value of a taxable
service is the gross amount charged by the service provider for such
service rendered by him. This would unmistakably show that what is
referred to in the charging provision is the taxation of service
contracts simpliciter and not composite works contracts, such as are
contained on the facts of the present cases. It will also be noticed
that no attempt to remove the non-service elements from the composite
works contracts has been made by any of the aforesaid Sections by
deducting from the gross value of the works contract the value of
property in goods transferred in the execution of a works contract.
25. In fact, by way of contrast, Section 67 post amendment (by the
Finance Act, 2006) for the first time prescribes, in cases like the
present, where the provision of service is for a consideration which
is not ascertainable, to be the amount as may be determined in the
prescribed manner.
26. We have already seen that Rule 2(A) framed pursuant to this
power has followed the second Gannon Dunkerley case in segregating the
‘service’ component of a works contract from the ‘goods’ component.
It begins by working downwards from the gross amount charged for the
entire works contract and minusing from it the value of the property
in goods transferred in the execution of such works contract. This is
done by adopting the value that is adopted for the purpose of payment
of VAT. The rule goes on to say that the service component of the
works contract is to include the eight elements laid down in the
second Gannon Dunkerley case including apportionment of the cost of
establishment, other expenses and profit earned by the service
provider as is relatable only to supply of labour and services. And,
where value is not determined having regard to the aforesaid
parameters, (namely, in those cases where the books of account of the
contractor are not looked into for any reason) by determining in
different works contracts how much shall be the percentage of the
total amount charged for the works contract, attributable to the
service element in such contracts. It is this scheme and this scheme
alone which complies with constitutional requirements in that it
bifurcates a composite indivisible works contract and takes care to
see that no element attributable to the property in goods transferred
pursuant to such contract, enters into computation of service tax.
27. In fact, the speech made by the Hon’ble Finance Minister in
moving the Bill to tax Composite Indivisible Works Contracts
specifically stated:-
“State Governments levy a tax on the transfer of property in
goods involved in the execution of a works contract. The value
of services in a works contract should attract service tax.
Hence, I propose to levy service tax on services involved in the
execution of a works contract. However, I also propose an
optional composition scheme under which service tax will be
levied at only 2 per cent of the total value of the works
contract.”
28. Pursuant to the aforesaid speech, not only was the statute
amended and rules framed, but a Works Contract (Composition Scheme for
Payment of Service Tax) Rules, 2007 was also notified in which service
providers could opt to pay service tax at percentages ranging from 2
to 4 of the gross value of the works contract.
29. It is interesting to note that while introducing the concept of
service tax on indivisible works contracts various exclusions are also
made such as works contracts in respect of roads, airports, airways
transport, bridges, tunnels, and dams. These infrastructure projects
have been excluded and continue to be excluded presumably because they
are conceived in the national interest. If learned counsel for the
revenue were right, each of these excluded works contracts could be
taxed under the five sub-heads of Section 65(105) contained in the
Finance Act, 1994. For example, a works contract involving the
construction of a bridge or dam or tunnel would presumably fall within
Section 65(105)(zzd) as a contract which relates to erection,
commissioning or installation. It is clear that such contracts were
never intended to be the subject matter of service tax. Yet, if
learned counsel for the revenue is right, such contracts, not being
exempt under the Finance Act, 1994, would fall within its tentacles,
which was never the intention of Parliament.
30. It now remains to consider the judgment of the Delhi High Court
in G.D. Builders.
31. In the aforesaid judgment, it was held that the levy of service
tax in Section 65(105)(g), (zzd), (zzh), (zzq) and (zzzh) is good
enough to tax indivisible composite works contracts. Various
judgments were referred to which have no direct bearing on the point
at issue. In paragraph 23 of this judgment, the second Gannon
Dunkerley judgment is referred to in passing without noticing any of
the key paragraphs set out hereinabove in our judgment. Also, we find
that the judgment in G.D. Builders (supra) went on to quote from the
judgment in Mahim Patram Private Ltd. v. Union of India, 2007 (3) SCC
668, to arrive at the proposition that even when rules are not framed
for computation of tax, tax would be leviable.
32. We are afraid that the Delhi High Court completely misread the
judgment in Mahim Patram’s case. This judgment concerned itself with
works contracts being taxed under the Central Sales Tax Act. What was
argued in that case was that in the absence of any rule under the
provisions of the Central Act, the determination of sale price would
be left to the whims and fancies of the assessing authority. This
argument was repelled by this Court after setting out Sections 2(g)
and 2(ja), which define “sale” and “works contract”. The Court then
went on to discuss Sections 9(2) and 13(3) of the Central Sales Tax
Act. Section 9(2) of the Central Sales Tax Act provides:-
“Section 9. Levy and collection of tax and penalties.—
(2) Subject to the other provisions of this Act and the rules
made thereunder, the authorities for the time being empowered to
assess, reassess, collect and enforce payment of any tax under
the general sales tax law of the appropriate State shall, on
behalf of the Government of India, assess, reassess, collect and
enforce payment of tax, including any interest or penalty,
payable by a dealer under this Act as if the tax or interest or
penalty payable by such a dealer under this Act is a tax or
interest or penalty payable under the general sales tax law of
the State; and for this purpose they may exercise all or any of
the powers they have under the general sales tax law of the
State; and the provisions of such law, including provisions
relating to returns, provisional assessment, advance payment of
tax, registration of the transferee of any business, imposition
of the tax liability of a person carrying on business on the
transferee of, or successor to, such business, transfer of
liability of any firm or Hindu undivided family to pay tax in
the event of the dissolution of such firm or partition of such
family, recovery of tax from third parties, appeals, reviews,
revisions, references, refunds, rebates, penalties, charging or
payment of interest, compounding of offences and treatment of
documents furnished by a dealer as confidential, shall apply
accordingly:
Provided that if in any State or part thereof there is no
general sales tax law in force, the Central Government may, by
rules made in this behalf make necessary provision for all or
any of the matters specified in this sub-section.”
33. Section 13(3) of the Central Sales Tax Act says:-
“The State Government may make rules, not inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act and the rules made under sub-section (1),
to carry out the purposes of this Act.”
34. In the aforesaid judgment it was found that Section 9(2) of the
Central Sales Tax Act conferred powers on officers of the various
States to utilize the machinery provisions of the States’ sales tax
statutes for purposes of levy and assessment of central sales tax
under the Central Act. It was also noticed that the State Government
itself had been given power to make rules to carry out the purposes of
the Central Act so long as the said rules were not inconsistent with
the provisions of the Central Act. It was found that, in fact, the
State of Uttar Pradesh had framed such rules in exercise of powers
under Section 13(3) of the Central Act as a result of which the
necessary machinery for the assessment of central sales tax was found
to be there. The Delhi High Court judgment unfortunately misread the
aforesaid judgment of this Court to arrive at the conclusion that it
was an authority for the proposition that a tax is leviable even if no
rules are framed for assessment of such tax, which is wholly
incorrect. The extracted passage from Mahim Patram’s case only
referred to rules not being framed under the Central Act and not to
rules not being framed at all. The conclusion therefore in paragraph
36(2) of the Delhi High Court judgment is wholly incorrect. Para 36(2)
reads as follows:-
“(2) Service tax can be levied on the service component of any
contract involving service with sale of goods etc. Computation
of service component is a matter of detail and not a matter
relating to validity of imposition of service tax. It is
procedural and a matter of calculation. Merely because no rules
are framed for computation, it does not follow that no tax is
leviable.” [at para 36]
35. The aforesaid finding is in fact contrary to a long line of
decisions which have held that where there is no machinery for
assessment, the law being vague, it would be open to the assessing
authority to arbitrarily assess to tax the subject. Various judgments
of this Court have been referred to in the following passages from
Heinz India (P) Ltd. v. State of U.P., (2012) 5 SCC 443. This Court
said:-
“This Court has in a long line of decisions rendered from time
to time, emphasised the importance of machinery provisions for
assessment of taxes and fees recoverable under a taxing statute.
In one of the earlier decisions on the subject a Constitution
Bench of this Court in K.T. Moopil Nair v. State of Kerala [AIR
1961 SC 552] examined the constitutional validity of the
Travancore-Cochin Land Tax Act (15 of 1955). While recognising
what is now well-settled principle of law that a taxing statute
is not wholly immune from attack on the ground that it infringes
the equality clause in Article 14, this Court found that the
enactment in question was violative of Article 14 of the
Constitution for inequality was writ large on the Act and
inherent in the very provisions under the taxing section
thereof. Having said so, this Court also noticed that the Act
was silent as to the machinery and the procedure to be followed
in making the assessment. It was left to the executive to evolve
the requisite machinery and procedure thereby making the whole
thing, from beginning to end, purely administrative in character
completely ignoring the legal position that the assessment of a
tax on person or property is a quasi-judicial exercise.”
Speaking for the majority Sinha, C.J. said: (K.T. Moopil
case [AIR 1961 SC 552] , AIR p. 559, para 9)
“9. … Ordinarily, a taxing statute lays down a regular
machinery for making assessment of the tax proposed to be
imposed by the statute. It lays down detailed procedure as to
notice to the proposed assessee to make a return in respect of
property proposed to be taxed, prescribes the authority and the
procedure for hearing any objections to the liability for
taxation or as to the extent of the tax proposed to be levied,
and finally, as to the right to challenge the regularity of
assessment made, by recourse to proceedings in a higher civil
court. The Act merely declares the competence of the Government
to make a provisional assessment, and by virtue of Section 3 of
the Madras Revenue Recovery Act, 1864, the landholders may be
liable to pay the tax. The Act being silent as to the machinery
and procedure to be followed in making the assessment leaves it
to the Executive to evolve the requisite machinery and
procedure. The whole thing, from beginning to end, is treated as
of a purely administrative character, completely ignoring the
legal position that the assessment of a tax on person or
property is at least of a quasi-judicial character.”
(emphasis supplied)
In Rai Ramkrishna v. State of Bihar [AIR 1963 SC 1667] this
Court was examining the constitutional validity of the Bihar
Taxation on Passengers and Goods (Carried by Public Service
Motor Vehicles) Act, 1961. Reiterating the view taken in K.T.
Moopil Nair [AIR 1961 SC 552] this Court held that a statute is
not beyond the pale of limitations prescribed by Articles 14 and
19 of the Constitution and that the test of reasonableness
prescribed by Article 304(b) is justiciable. However, in cases
where the statute was completely discriminatory or provides no
procedural machinery for assessment and levy of tax or where it
was confiscatory, the Court would be justified in striking it
down as unconstitutional. In such cases the character of the
material provisions of the impugned statute may be such as may
justify the Court taking the view that in substance the taxing
statute is a cloak adopted by the legislature for achieving its
confiscatory purpose.
In Jagannath Baksh Singh v. State of U.P. [AIR 1962 SC 1563]
this Court was examining the constitutional validity of the U.P.
Large Land Holdings Tax Act (31 of 1957). Dealing with the
argument that the Act did not make a specific provision about
the machinery for assessment or recovery of tax, this Court
held: (AIR pp. 1570-71, para 17)
“17. … if a taxing statute makes no specific provision about
the machinery to recover tax and the procedure to make the
assessment of the tax and leaves it entirely to the executive to
devise such machinery as it thinks fit and to prescribe such
procedure as appears to it to be fair, an occasion may arise for
the courts to consider whether the failure to provide for a
machinery and to prescribe a procedure does not tend to make the
imposition of the tax an unreasonable restriction within the
meaning of Article 19(5). An imposition of tax which in the
absence of a prescribed machinery and the prescribed procedure
would partake of the character of a purely administrative affair
can, in a proper sense, be challenged as contravening Article
19(1)(f).” (emphasis
supplied)
In State of A.P. v. Nalla Raja Reddy [AIR 1967 SC 1458] this
Court was examining the constitutional validity of the Andhra
Pradesh Land Revenue (Additional Assessment) and Cess Revision
Act, 1962 (22 of 1962) as amended by the Amendment Act (23 of
1962). Noticing the absence of machinery provisions in the
impugned enactments this Court observed: (AIR p. 1468, para 22)
“22. … if Section 6 is put aside, there is absolutely no
provision in the Act prescribing the mode of assessment.
Sections 3 and 4 are charging sections and they say in effect
that a person will have to pay an additional assessment per acre
in respect of both dry and wet lands. They do not lay down how
the assessment should be levied. No notice has been prescribed,
no opportunity is given to the person to question the assessment
on his land. There is no procedure for him to agitate the
correctness of the classification made by placing his land in a
particular class with reference to ayacut, acreage or even
taram. The Act does not even nominate the appropriate officer to
make the assessment to deal with questions arising in respect of
assessments and does not prescribe the procedure for assessment.
The whole thing is left in a nebulous form. Briefly stated under
the Act there is no procedure for assessment and however
grievous the blunder made there is no way for the aggrieved
party to get it corrected. This is a typical case where a taxing
statute does not provide any machinery of assessment.”
(emphasis supplied)
The appeals filed by the State against the judgment of the High
Court striking down the enactment were on the above basis
dismissed.
Reference may also be made to Vishnu Dayal Mahendra
Pal v. State of U.P. [(1974) 2 SCC 306] and D.G. Gose and Co.
(Agents) (P) Ltd. v. State of Kerala [(1980) 2 SCC 410] where
this Court held that sufficient guidance was available from the
Preamble and other provisions of the Act. The members of the
committee owe a duty to be conversant with the same and
discharge their functions in accordance with the provisions of
the Act and the Rules and that in cases where the machinery for
determining annual value has been provided in the Act and the
rules of the local authority, there is no reason or necessity of
providing the same or similar provisions in the other Act or
Rules.
There is no gainsaying that a total absence of machinery
provisions for assessment/recovery of the tax levied under an
enactment, which has the effect of making the entire process of
assessment and recovery of tax and adjudication of disputes
relating thereto administrative in character, is open to
challenge before a writ court in appropriate proceedings.
Whether or not the enactment levying the tax makes a machinery
provision either by itself or in terms of the Rules that may be
framed under it is, however, a matter that would have to be
examined in each case.” (at paras 15-21)
36. In a recent judgment by one of us, namely, Shabina Abraham &
Ors. v. Collector of Central Excise & Customs, judgment dated 29th
July, 2015, in Civil Appeal No.5802 of 2005, this Court held:-
“It is clear on a reading of the aforesaid paragraph that
what revenue is asking us to do is to stretch the machinery
provisions of the Central Excises and Salt Act, 1944 on the
basis of surmises and conjectures. This we are afraid is not
possible. Before leaving the judgment in Murarilal’s case
(supra), we wish to add that so far as partnership firms are
concerned, the Income Tax Act contains a specific provision
in Section 189(1) which introduces a fiction qua dissolved
firms. It states that where a firm is dissolved, the
Assessing Officer shall make an assessment of the total income
of the firm as if no such dissolution had taken place and all
the provisions of the Income Tax Act would apply to assessment
of such dissolved firm. Interestingly enough, this provision
is referred to only in the minority judgment in M/s. Murarilal’s
case (supra).
The impugned judgment in the present case has referred to
Ellis C. Reid’s case but has not extracted the real ratio
contained therein. It then goes on to say that this is a case of
short levy which has been noticed during the lifetime of the
deceased and then goes on to state that equally therefore legal
representatives of a manufacturer who had paid excess duty would
not by the self-same reasoning be able to claim such excess
amount paid by the deceased. Neither of these reasons are
reasons which refer to any provision of law. Apart from this,
the High Court went into morality and said that the moral
principle of unlawful enrichment would also apply and since
the law will not permit this, the Act needs to be interpreted
accordingly. We wholly disapprove of the approach of the High
Court. It flies in the face of first principle when it comes
to taxing statutes. It is therefore necessary to reiterate the
law as it stands. In Partington v. A.G., (1869) LR 4 HL 100
at 122, Lord Cairns stated:
“If the person sought to be taxed comes within the letter of
the law he must be taxed, however great the hardship may appear
to the judicial mind to be. On the other hand, if the Crown
seeking to recover the tax, cannot bring the subject within the
letter of the law, the subject is free, however apparently
within the spirit of law the case might otherwise appear to
be. In other words, if there be admissible in any statute,
what is called an equitable, construction, certainly, such a
construction is not admissible in a taxing statute where you can
simply adhere to the words of the statute". (at paras 26 and
31)
37. We find that the Patna, Madras and Orissa High Courts have, in
fact, either struck down machinery provisions or held machinery
provisions to bring indivisible works contracts into the service tax
net, as inadequate. The Patna High Court judgment was expressly
approved by this Court in State of Jharkhand v. Voltas Ltd., East
Singhbhum, (2007) 9 SCC 266. This Court held:-
“Section 21 of the Bihar Finance Act, 1981, as amended states:
“21. Taxable turnover.—(1) For the purpose of this part the
taxable turnover of the dealer shall be that part of his gross
turnover which remains after deducting therefrom—
(a)(i) in the case of the works contract the amount of labour
and any other charges in the manner and to the extent
prescribed;”
Rule 13-A of the Bihar Sales Tax Rules which was also amended by
a notification dated 1-2-2000 reads as follows:
“13-A. Deduction in case of works contract on account of
labour charges.—If the dealer fails to produce any account or
the accounts produced are unreliable deduction under sub-clause
(i) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) of Section 21 on account of
labour charges in case of works contract from gross turnover
shall be equal to the following percentages...”
The aforesaid provisions have been adopted by the State of
Jharkhand vide notification dated 15-12-2000 and thus are
applicable in the State of Jharkhand.
Interpretation of the amended Section 21(1) and the newly
substituted Rule 13-A fell for consideration of a Division Bench
of the Patna High Court in Larsen & Toubro Ltd. v. State of
Bihar [(2004) 134 STC 354] . The Patna High Court in the said
decision observed as under:
“Rule 13-A unfortunately does not talk of ‘any other
charges’. Rule 13-A unfortunately does not take into
consideration that under the Rules the deduction in relation to
any other charges in the manner and to the extent were also to
be prescribed. Rule 13-A cannot be said to be an absolute follow-
up legislation to sub-clause (i) of clause (a) of Section 21(1).
When the law provides that something is to be prescribed in the
Rules then that thing must be prescribed in the Rules to make
the provisions workable and constitutionally valid. InGannon
Dunkerley & Co. [(1993) 1 SCC 364 : (1993) 88 STC 204] the
Supreme Court observed that as sub-section (3) of Section 5 and
sub-rule (2) of Rule 29 of the Rajasthan Sales Tax Act and the
Rules were not providing for particular deductions, the same
were invalid. In the present matter the constitutional provision
of law says that particular deductions would be provided but
unfortunately nothing is provided in relation to the other
charges either in Section 21 itself or in the Rules framed in
exercise of the powers conferred by Section 58 of the Bihar
Finance Act.
***
In our considered opinion sub-clause (i) of clause (a) of
Section 21(1) read with Rule 13-A of the Rules did not make sub-
clause (1) fully workable because the manner and extent of
deduction relating to any other charges has not been
provided/prescribed by the State.” (at paras 9-12)
38. Similarly, the Madras High Court in Larsen and Toubro Ltd. v.
State of Tamil Nadu and Ors., [1993] 88 STC 289, struck down Rules 6A
and 6B of the Tamil Nadu General Sales Tax Rules as follows:-
“…The eight principles are the criteria and the norms which
every State legislation has to conform as per the decision of
the apex Court which has been already adverted to by us supra.
In addition thereto, we have also referred to at considerable
length the particular reasons assigned by the apex Court while
striking down section of the Rajasthan Sales Tax Act and rule
29(2) of the Rules made thereunder. The impugned rules 6-A and 6-
B of the Rules, in our view, do not pass the above vital and
essential test and the basic requirements laid down by the ratio
of the decision of the apex Court in Gannon Dunkerley's
case supra; . The impugned rules are squarely opposed to the
ratio of the said decision and particularly the ratio laid down
in conclusion Nos. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 of the decision in Gannon
Dunkerley's case [1993] 88 STC 204 supra; and also reiterated by
the apex Court in the second Builders Association of India case
[1993] 88 STC 248 (SC); [1992] 2 MTCR 542. In the light of the
above, we see no merit in the stand taken for the respondents
relying upon the decisions reported in [1957] 8 STC 561 (SC) (A.
V. Fernandez v. State of Kerala) and [1969] 23 STC 447 (Mad.)
(Kumarasamy Pathar v. State of Madras) that the omission to
exclude certain items relating to non-taxable turnovers is of no
consequence and does not affect or undermine the validity of the
impugned proceedings. Consequently, applying the ratio of the
above decisions, we hereby strike down rules 6-A and 6-B as
illegal and unconstitutional, besides being violative of
sections 3 to 6, 14 and 15 of the Central Sales Tax Act and
consequently unenforceable.
The provisions of section 3-B merely levied the tax on the
transfer of property in goods involved in the execution of the
works contract. The assessment, determination of liability and
recovery had to be under the provisions of the Act read with the
relevant rules. In exercise of rule-making power conferred under
section 53(1) and (2)(bb), rules 6-A and 6-B came to be made and
published. The rules miserably failed to provide the procedure
and principles for effectively determining the taxable turnover,
after excluding the items of turnover relating to such works
contract which could not be subjected to levy of tax by the
State in exercise of its power of legislation under entry 64 of
the State List. Rule 6 by its own operation had no application
in the matter of determination of liability under section 3-
B since it has been made applicable only in respect of
determining the taxable turnover of a dealer under section 3, 3-
A, 4 or 5. Consequently, with our decision above striking down
rules 6-A and 6-B of the Rules, there is no proper machinery
provisions to determine the taxable turnover for purposes of
section 3-B. The provisions of section 3-B, therefore, in the
absence of the necessary rules for enforcing the same and
determining the taxable turnover for the purposes of section 3-
B is rendered dormant, ineffective and unenforceable. Such would
be the position till sufficient provisions are made either in
the Act itself or in the rules by virtue of the rule-making
power to ignite, activate and give life and force to section 3-
B of the Act.” (at paras 32, 33)
39. And the Orissa High Court in Larsen & Turbo v. State of Orissa,
(2008) 012 VST 0031, held that machinery provisions cannot be provided
by circulars and held that therefore the statute in question, being
unworkable, assessments thereunder would be of no effect.
40. Finally, in para 31, the Delhi High Court holds:-
“The contention of the petitioners that the impugned
notifications override the statutory provisions contained in
Section 65(105), which defines the term "taxable service",
Section 66, which it is claimed is a charging section, and
Section 67, the valuation provisions of the Finance Act, 1994,
has to be rejected. We have, as already stated above, rejected
the argument of the petitioners on bifurcation/vivisect and held
that as per the provisions of Section 65(105)(zzq) and (zzzh),
service tax is payable and chargeable on the service element of
the contract for construction of industrial and commercial
complexes and contract for construction of complexes as
specified and in case of a composite contract, the service
element should be bifurcated and ascertained and then taxed. The
contention that the petitioners are paying sales tax or VAT on
material in relation to execution of the contract under
composite contracts for construction of industrial/commercial
complexes and construction contracts as specified under
Section 65(105)(zzq) and (zzzh) therefore fails. The contention
that there was/is no valid levy or the charging section is not
applicable to composite contracts under clauses (zzq) and (zzzh)
of Section 65(105) stands rejected. But the petitioners have
rightly submitted that only the service component can be brought
to tax as per provisions of Section 67 which stipulates that
value of taxable service is the "gross amount charged" by the
service provider for such services provided or to be provided by
him and not the value of the goods provided by customers of
service provider and the service tax cannot be charged on the
value of the goods used in the contract.”
41. We are afraid that there are several errors in this paragraph.
The High Court first correctly holds that in the case of composite
works contracts, the service elements should be bifurcated,
ascertained and then taxed. The finding that this has, in fact, been
done by the Finance Act, 1994 Act is wholly incorrect as it ignores
the second Gannon Dunkerley decision of this Court. Further, the
finding that Section 67 of the Finance Act, which speaks of “gross
amount charged”, only speaks of the “gross amount charged” for
service provided and not the gross amount of the works contract as a
whole from which various deductions have to be made to arrive at the
service element in the said contract. We find therefore that this
judgment is wholly incorrect in its conclusion that the Finance Act,
1994 contains both the charge and machinery for levy and assessment of
service tax on indivisible works contracts.
42. It remains to consider the argument of Shri Radhakrishnan that
post 1994 all indivisible works contracts would be contrary to public
policy, being hit by Section 23 of the Indian Contract Act, and hit
by Mcdowell’s case.
43. We need only state that in view of our finding that the said
Finance Act lays down no charge or machinery to levy and assess
service tax on indivisible composite works contracts, such argument
must fail. This is also for the simple reason that there is no
subterfuge in entering into composite works contracts containing
elements both of transfer of property in goods as well as labour and
services.
44. We have been informed by counsel for the revenue that several
exemption notifications have been granted qua service tax “levied” by
the 1994 Finance Act. We may only state that whichever judgments
which are in appeal before us and have referred to and dealt with such
notifications will have to be disregarded. Since the levy itself of
service tax has been found to be non-existent, no question of any
exemption would arise. With these observations, these appeals are
disposed of.
45. We, therefore, allow all the appeals of the assessees before us
and dismiss all the appeals of the revenue.
……………………J.
(A.K. Sikri)
……………………J.
(R.F. Nariman)
New Delhi;
August 20, 2015
-----------------------
[1] It is interesting to note that a 7 Judge Bench in M/s. Vishnu Agencies
(Pvt.) Ltd. vs. Commercial Tax Officer and Ors., 1978 (1) SCC 520, doubted
Gannon Dunkerley’s case by stating that its correctness would have to await
a more suitable occasion in that the entry, namely, 48 of List II of the
7th Schedule to the Government of India Act had been narrowly construed. It
may be pointed out that H.M. Seervai’s Constitutional Law of India, Vol.
III, page 2326, had this to say: “This decision was rendered in 1959 and
was repeatedly followed, till a doubt was cast on its correctness in Vishnu
Agencies by the obiter observations of Chandrachud J. In my
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