Clause 111 - Substitution of new section for section 76- Penalty for failure to pay service tax - Finance Bill, 2015

Substitution of new section for section 76. 111. For section 76 of the 1994 Act, the following section shall be substituted, namely:- Penalty for failure to pay service tax. 76. (1) Where service tax has not been levied or paid, or has been short-levied or short-paid, or erroneously refunded, for any reason, other than the reason of fraud or collusion or wilful misstatement or suppression of facts or contravention of any of the provisions of this Chapter or of the rules made thereunder with the intent to evade payment of service tax, the person who has been served notice under sub-section (1) of section 73 shall, in addition to the service tax and interest specified in the notice, be also liable to pay a penalty not exceeding ten per cent. of the amount of such service tax: Provided that where such service tax and interest is paid within a period of thirty days of-- (i) the date of service of notice under sub-section (1) of section 73, no penalty shall be payable; (ii) the date of receipt of the order of the Central Excise Officer determining the amount of service tax under sub-section (2) of section 73, the penalty payable shall be twenty-five per cent. of the penalty imposed in that order, only if such reduced penalty is also paid within such period. (2) Where the Commissioner (Appeals), the Appellate Tribunal or, the court, as the case may be, modifies the service tax determined under sub-section (2) of section 73, then, the amount of penalty payable thereon, shall also stand modified accordingly, and the benefit of reduced penalty under the proviso to sub-section (1) shall be available if such service tax, interest and reduced penalty so payable, is paid within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of the order by which such modification is made. .