Service Tax Seminar in Hyderabad
YESTERDAY CBEC Member (Service Tax) Shiela Sangwan addressed a Seminar in Hyderabad on Impact of Budgetary changes - Taxation of Services. JM Kennedy, Director (Service Tax) in TRU gave a rather lengthy presentation on the new Service Tax regime with effect from 1st July 2012. The packed auditorium with a capacity of over 500 was filled and overflowing with assesses, consultants and departmental officers. At the end of his speech, we got an sms message - “no value addition so far”, but the FAPCCI chief who hosted the function said that Kennedy was a professor and “we are all students”. A question was asked whether remuneration paid to a partner was liable to Service Tax and whether the partner was an employee. The CBEC bosses had no clue on this issue and so they cleverly skirted it.
Another delegate wanted to know a few examples of “transfer of goods without transfer of right to use such goods”. They had no clue though they had included it in the Statute. The Board should ensure that their brand ambassadors are well trained before they embark on their road shows.
The highlight of the programme was the very sensible ‘vote of thanks' by Chief Commissioner SB Singh who said that any change is received with a lot of apprehension about an uncertain future and nobody understands it better than a Government Servant who is under the threat of a transfer every year. He said that the two words, “thank you” are not enough to convey the deep feelings of gratitude and for want of better words, he was constrained to limit his expression to “thank you” - maybe the law makers can get a few tips from him.
And if you want to know how the Pink Press understood Kennedy, The Business Standard today covering the event reports that, “The government has hiked the service tax rate to 14 per cent, from the earlier 12 per cent in this year's Budget!”