Delhi Service Tax Commissionerate drops “names”
Well, this is not really about dropping names, but about dropping of dropping names! DDT had written about the illegal publication of names of alleged offenders by Delhi Service Tax Commissionerate, in spite of clear rules against such publication by Commissioners, when only the Government had the power to do it. See
04.03.2008 and 14.03.2008
We are happy to report that the Delhi Service Tax Commissionerate has now decided to follow the legal route and show respect to LAW. Their latest release states, The Anti-Evasion branch of Service Tax Commissionerate, Delhi has completed investigation in three more cases and issued Show Cause Notices to big Tour Operators for non payment of service tax on “Outbound tours” demanding service tax, education cess and higher and secondary education cess amounting to Rs. 23.69 crores - Without mentioning the names of the tour operators, as was the practice earlier.
We always applaud whenever state sponsored lawlessness or disobedience of the law by the State is discontinued. It is indeed heartening to note that the Commissionerate has realised that it has to follow the laws of this land and it has no business or right to publish the names of all those against whom it has decided to issue SCNs . While the latest releases of the Commissionerate intelligently avoid the names of the evaders, the previous releases with names are still available in their website.