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Showing contexts for: 46th amendment in S L Oberia Minerals Pvt Ltd vs Ce & Cgst Meerut-I on 29 August, 2024Matching Fragments
"18. It is amply clear from the above and hardly needs clarification that the Court was of the firm view that two Judges Bench judgment in Rainbow Colour Lab and Another v. State of Madhya Pradesh and Others (2000) 2 SCC 385 did not lay down the correct law as it referred to pre 46th Amendment judgments in arriving at its conclusions which had lost their validity. The Court also specifically commented that after 46th Amendment, State is empowered to levy sales tax on the material used even in those contracts where "the dominant intention of the contract is the rendering of a service, which will amount to a Works Contract".
"46. This conclusion was doubted in Associated Cement Companies Ltd. v. Commissioner of Customs, (2001) 4 SCC 593 saying :
"The conclusion arrived at in Rainbow Colour Lab case (2000) 2 SCC 385, in our opinion, runs counter to the express provision contained in Article 366(29A) as also of the Constitution Bench decision of this Court in Builders Assn., of India v. Union of India - (1989) 2 SCC 645.
47. We agree. After the 46th Amendment, the sale element of those contracts which are covered by the six sub-clauses of Clause (29A) of Article 366 are separable and may be subjected to sales tax by the States under Entry 54 of List II and there is no question of the dominant nature test applying. Therefore, in 2005, C.K. Jidheesh v. Union of India - (2005) 8 SCALE 784 held that the aforesaid observations in Associated Cement (supra) were merely obiter and that Rainbow Colour Lab (supra) was still good law, it was not correct. It is necessary to note that Associated Cement did not say that in all cases of composite transactions the 46th Amendment would apply"
22. Keeping in mind the aforesaid principle of law, the obvious conclusion would be that Entry 25 of Schedule VI to the Act which makes that part of processing and supplying of photographs, photo prints and photo negatives, which have "goods" component exigible to sales tax is constitutionally valid. Mr. Patil and Mr. Salman Khurshid, Learned Senior Counsel who argued for these assessees/respondents, made vehement plea to the effect that the processing of photographs etc. was essentially a service, wherein the cost of paper, chemical or other material used in processing and developing photographs, photo prints etc. was negligible. This argument, however, is founded on dominant intention theory which has been Service Tax Appeal No.55917 of 2014 repeatedly rejected by this Court as no more valid in view of 46th Amendment to the Constitution.
19. In view of the law laid down by the Apex Court in M/s. Pro. Lab‟s case (supra), it can be safely held that photography service, which has both the elements of Service Tax Appeal No.55917 of 2014 goods and services is covered under works contract. Thus, in a works contract which involves transfer of property, the provisions as contained in Article 366(29A) of the Constitution are attracted. Therefore, in the light of sub- clause (b) of Clause (29A) of Article 366 of the Constitution, in execution of a works contract when there is transfer of property even in some other form than in goods, the tax on such sale or purchase of goods is leviable. In this view of the matter, after the 46th Amendment, there is no question of dominant nature test applying in photography service and the works contract, which is covered by Clause (29A) of Article 366 of the Constitution where the element of goods can be separated, such contracts can be subjected to sales tax by the States under Entry 54 of List II of Schedule II. Once that is so, value of photographic paper and consumables cannot be included in the value of photography service for the purposes of imposition of service tax. Thus, in the light of the judgment of the Apex Court in M/s. Pro Lab (supra), wherein it is held that part of processing and supplying of photographs, photo prints and negatives, which have "goods" component exigible to sales tax is constitutionally valid, it is held that value of photography service has to be determined in isolation of cost of goods such as photography paper, consumables and chemicals with which image is printed, negatives and other material which has "goods" component liable to sales tax. Accordingly, the substantial question of law No. 1 is answered in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue.