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of the said export turnover the following amounts have to be deducted; a.
freight b. telecommunication charges c. insurance attributable to the
delivery of computer software outside India; d. expenses, if any, incurred
in foreign exchange in providing technical services outside India;
19. If the assessee is engaged in the business of providing technical
services outside India in connection with the development or production of
computer software then expenses if any incurred in foreign exchange in
providing technical services outside India is liable to be deducted out of
export turnover. The said provision has no application in the case of
export out of India of computer software or its transmission from India to a
place outside India by any means. The law makes a distinction between
technical services rendered in connection with export of computer software
and export of technical services for the purpose of development or
production of computer software outside India. If the technical services
rendered by the assessee's Engineers is in connection with the export of
computer software for the purpose of testing, installation and monitoring of
software such a turnover do not fall within clause of subsection (1) of
section 80HHE of the Act. Such a turnover falls within sub-clause (i) of
subsection (1) of Section 80HHE of the Act, that is export out of India of
computer software or its transmission from India to a place outside India by
any means. The expenditure incurred in the form of foreign exchange for
such services cannot be excluded in computing the export turnover as it
forms part of the export turnover. In the instant case as is clear from the
order of the Assessing Authority, he proceeds on the assumption that the
assessee is a company engaged in rendering technical services outside India
in connection with production of said software. Therefore the expenditure
incurred in foreign exchange in providing such technical services outside
India of Rs.62.7 lakhs was excluded in computing the export turnover and
total turnover for arriving at deduction under Section 80HHE of the Act.
The assesee is engaged in the business of export out of India of computer
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TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LTD.
software and its transmission to places from India outside India. Before a
computer software is exported, the Software Engineers of the assessee
would have initial discussion with regard to the requirements, specifications
etc. Thereafter computer software is manufactured and then it is
transmitted from India to a place outside India. The software Engineers
deputed abroad who among other things have to do testing, installation and
monitoring of software supplied to the client. Though the said services are
technical in nature it does not fall within clause (ii) of subsection (1) of
section 80HHE of the Act of providing technical services outside India in
connection with the development or production of computer software. It
falls under sub-clause (1) of sub-section (1) of Section 80 HHE of the
Act. Therefore, the said expenditure cannot be excluded in computing
export turn over. In that view of the matter we do not see any merit in this
appeal. Accordingly, the said question of law is answered in favour of the
assessee and against the revenue. Ordered accordingly."