2012 (8) TMI 404 - AT - Service Tax

Demand of service tax - under the category of Business Auxiliary service provider benefit of Notification No.l4/2004/ST, and Notification No. 6/2005-Customs Held that - According to appellant individuals are totally exempt from the purview of the service tax when they provided services on behalf of their client - Authorities below have not dealt with exemption notification - matter remanded to Adjudicating Authority-

Summary

Issues:
1. Taxable service provided by the respondent in certain cases.
2. Classification of services provided by the appellants as "Business Auxiliary" services.
3. Exemption benefit under Notification No.14/2004/ST and Notification No.6/2005-Customs.
4. Remand for proper consideration of exemption benefit.
5. Range of demands in the cases and ensuring small taxpayers do not suffer due to delays.

Analysis:
1. The Tribunal dismissed all appeals of the Revenue related to certain serial numbers after considering that if taxable services were provided by the respondent in those cases, the Revenue's appeals would not survive.

2. The appellants in cases listed at serial numbers 17 to 24 were found to have provided Business Auxiliary Services. The authorities had not addressed the exemption notifications claimed by the appellants. The Tribunal remanded these appeals for a proper consideration of the exemption benefits under Notification No.14/2004/ST and Notification No.6/2005-Customs.

3. The appellants' contention that they were exempt from service tax under certain notifications when providing services on behalf of their clients was not tested by the authorities below. The Tribunal directed a reevaluation of this aspect to determine whether the exemption benefits claimed by the appellants were admissible.

4. Recognizing the range of demands in the cases (from Rs.15,153/- to Rs.47,118/-), the Tribunal emphasized the importance of preventing small taxpayers from suffering due to delays in the process. The assessees were instructed to appear before the Adjudicating Authority within 8 weeks to expedite the proceedings and ensure a prompt resolution.

This detailed analysis of the judgment highlights the key issues addressed by the Tribunal, including the classification of services, consideration of exemption benefits, and the need to protect small taxpayers from undue delays in the legal process.