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2008 (7) TMI 696 - AT - CustomsRefund claim - Unjust enrichment - Held that - the amount has been shown as receivable in the balance sheet for the relevant year as Central Excise deposit and does not form part of expenses account. The Chartered Accountant certificate states that the amount has been shown as receivable and the revenue deposit has not been included in the valuation of consumption - the appellants have been able to establish that the incidence of duty has not been passed on - appeal allowed - decided in favor of appellant.
Issues:
1. Refund claim rejection based on unjust enrichment. Analysis: The case involved the appellants importing goods from a related supplier in Germany, leading to provisional assessment with a 5% revenue deposit. Upon finalization, they became eligible for a refund of Rs. 1,33,398. The refund claim was denied due to unjust enrichment, prompting a review by the Commissioner. The appellants presented evidence, including balance sheets and a Chartered Accountant's certificate, to demonstrate that the duty incidence was not passed on. The lower authorities rejected these arguments, emphasizing the lack of specific evidence. The advocate for the appellants argued that since the deposits were clearly shown in the balance sheet as receivable and not in the expenses account, the duty incidence passing on did not occur. Additionally, the Chartered Accountant confirmed the non-inclusion of the deposit in consumption valuation. The Commissioner's rejection was critiqued for not specifying the required evidence and denying the refund solely on this basis. The Departmental Representative contended that merely showing the amounts as receivable did not guarantee non-apportionment to expenses later, necessitating proof from the appellants to establish the duty incidence non-passing. Upon review, the Judge found the appellants' evidence satisfactory. The deposits were clearly marked as receivable and not part of expenses, as supported by the Chartered Accountant's certificate. The Commissioner's demand for additional unspecified evidence was deemed unwarranted, especially since the existing documents were not disputed. Consequently, the Judge overturned the Commissioner's decision, allowing the appeal and granting consequential relief.
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