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Service Tax

About Service Tax

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What is Service Tax

Service tax was an indirect tax levied by the government on services offered by service providers. Introduced under Section 65 of the Finance Act, 1994, service tax was on July 2017 replaced by Goods and Services Tax (GST), which subsumed the various types of indirect taxes.
 
Service tax was paid to the government in exchange for different services received from service providers. Though the tax was paid by service providers, it was recovered from customers who bought or availed of the taxable services. It was set, more recently, at 15% for transactions that occurred on or after June 1, 2016.
 
Rollout of service tax: Service tax had been introduced in Union Budget 1994, and rolled out with effect from July 1, 1994. Following this, services that were included under the service tax were increased gradually from 1994. Services provided by air-conditioned restaurants, lodging (both long and short term), guest houses and other amenities were included under the tax. Going by regulations, the tax was levied on companies as well as individual service providers. While companies paid it on the basis of accrual, individuals paid the tax via cash. However, it was paid only if the total value of the service provider by an entity exceeded Rs 1 million in a given financial year. The erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir was exempt from this addition to the service tax rules.
 
The service tax payment was made via GAR 7, which was the erstwhile TR6 Challan. Designated banks’ branches accepted the payments for service tax. Another option of making the service tax payment was through the e-payment facility.
 
The tax invoice would have the following:
  • Serial number
  • Name and address of the service receiver
  • Name, address and registration number of the service provider
  • Classification, description as well as taxable service value of the service that is rendered
  • Payable service tax amount to be mentioned on the invoice
Abolition of service tax: Service tax was abolished with the rollout of GST on July 1, 2017, as the new tax subsumed service tax in addition to many other indirect taxes.

Latest Updates on Service Tax

No service tax on corporate guarantees by parent company to subsidiaries in absence of consideration, it says

Updated On: 04 Apr 2023 | 6:50 PM IST

Where the taxpayers are doubtful on whether they will be penalized, it makes sense to opt for settlement and get a quick closure. For them, the latest FAQs give a quick initiation

Updated On: 12 Mar 2023 | 10:53 PM IST

The CESTAT bench ruled that service tax cannot be levied on takeaway/ parcel food items sold by restaurants while hearing the pleas filed by Haldiram Marketing Pvt Ltd

Updated On: 17 Feb 2023 | 10:28 PM IST

The real issue before taxation lies in identifying the Goose Point and the way goes through 'neutral goods'

Updated On: 30 Jun 2022 | 10:51 AM IST

Paper by Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Jindal Global Law School opposes digital service tax, currently imposed by individual countries, such as equalisation levy by India

Updated On: 05 Oct 2021 | 1:30 AM IST

GST on expenses charged by REITs, InvITs and MFs may result in tax levy of hundreds of crores

Updated On: 05 Aug 2021 | 1:53 AM IST

Direct-tax-to-GDP ratio in the first quarter of 2021-22 increased to 5.14 per cent, compared with 3.29 per cent over the last two years

Updated On: 03 Aug 2021 | 10:02 PM IST

To facilitate trade, Indian banks provide services to exporters by sending the export documents to the bank of the importer abroad and collect payment

Updated On: 08 Aug 2020 | 1:13 AM IST

The CBIC has also instructed field formations to make special efforts to dispose of all pending refund and drawback claims through a "special refund and drawback disposal drive"

Updated On: 03 May 2020 | 10:46 PM IST

Disputes relating to wealth, securities transactions, commodities transaction tax, and the equalisation levy are not covered under the scheme.

Updated On: 09 Mar 2020 | 2:05 AM IST

The amnesty component offers an opportunity to taxpayers to pay the outstanding tax and be free of any other consequence under the law

Updated On: 27 Aug 2019 | 1:28 AM IST

The Sabka Vishwas (Legacy Dispute Resolution) Scheme, 2019 is not yet implemented. It shall come into force with effect from September 1, 2019

Updated On: 26 Aug 2019 | 11:07 PM IST

Many entities were served notices after the 15% tax was introduced in April 2016

Updated On: 17 Jul 2019 | 1:53 AM IST

A total of 13 banks had approached the high court claiming that the government had arbitrarily decided on the service tax

Updated On: 08 Jul 2019 | 10:00 PM IST

Similarly, in respect of central excise, total arrears increased to Rs 96,496 crore in FY 2017-18 from Rs 84,200 crore in the previous year.

Updated On: 01 Jul 2019 | 6:53 PM IST

The case was from the earlier service tax regime, prior to rollout of the current goods and services tax

Updated On: 26 Mar 2018 | 12:25 AM IST

The judgment, issued by an Allahabad HC Bench, will have ramifications on all revenue sharing arrangements, say experts

Updated On: 02 Dec 2017 | 9:33 PM IST

The chairman of SBI should review the difference in charge

Updated On: 31 May 2017 | 11:39 PM IST

Professionals will need to maintain detailed records if they fall under the ambit of service tax

Updated On: 23 May 2017 | 11:20 PM IST

As per norms, the returns have to be filed online on www.aces.gov.in

Updated On: 27 Apr 2017 | 2:31 PM IST