SERVICE TAX – REVISED MEGA EXEMPTION LIST

[Mr. M. GOVINDARAJAN]

Vide Notification No.25/2012-Service Tax, dated 20.06.2012 the Central Government has exempted many of the services from the levy of service tax.  This notification is called as Mega Exemption Notification since the exemption is considerably high.  Subsequently many notifications were issued in relation to mega exemptions.   In some notifications the exemption granted were withdrawn.   Through some notifications new services were added in the exempted list.   The following are notifications given amendment to the Notification No. 25/2012-Service Tax, dated 20.06.2012:

• Notification No. 44/2012 - Service Tax, Dated 07/08/2012;
• Notification No.49/2012 - Service Tax, Dated 24/12/2012;
• Notification no. 3/2013 - ST dated 1.3.2013, ;
• Notification No.13/2013 - Service Tax September 10, 2013;
• Notification No. 14/2013-Service Tax, dated, 22.10.2013;
• Notification No. 01/2014 - Service Tax January 10, 2014;
• Notification No. 02/2014 - Service Tax January 30, 2014;
• Notification No.06/2014 - Service Tax dated 11th July, 2014;
• Notification No.17/2014 - Service Tax, the 20th August, 2014;
• Notification No.  06/2015 -Service Tax, Dated 1-3-2015.

The services newly given exemption vide Notification No. 6/2015 will come effect from 01.03.2015.   The list of services that are coming mega exemption as on date is furnished as below:

1. Services provided to the United Nations or a specified international organization;
2.   (i) Health care services by a clinical establishment, an authorized medical practitioner or para-medics;

(ii) Services provided by way of transportation of a patient in an ambulance, other than those specified in (i) above;

3. Services provided by cord blood banks by way of preservation of stem cells or any other service in relation to such preservation;
4. Services provided by cord blood banks by way of preservation of stem cells or any other service in relation to such preservation;
5. Services provided by operators of the Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility to a clinical establishment by way of treatment or disposal of bio-medical waste or the processes incidental thereto;
6. Services by a veterinary clinic in relation to health care of animals or birds;;
7.  Services by an entity registered under section 12AA of the Income tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961) by way of charitable activities;
8. Services by a person by way of-

• renting of precincts of a religious place meant for general public; or
• conduct of  any religious ceremony;

9. Services by a specified organization in respect of a religious pilgrimage facilitated by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, under bilateral arrangement; 
10. Services provided by-

1. an arbitral tribunal to -

1. any person other than a business entity; or
2. a business entity with a turnover up to rupees ten lakh in the preceding financial year;

2. an individual as an advocate or a partnership firm of advocates by way of   legal services to,-

1. an advocate or partnership firm of advocates providing legal services ;
2. any person other than a business entity; or
3. a business entity with a turnover up to rupees ten lakh in the preceding financial  year; or

      c.  person represented on an arbitral tribunal to an arbitral tribunal;

11. Services by way of training or coaching in recreational activities relating to arts, culture or sports;;
12.  Services provided,-

• by an educational institution to its students, faculty and staff;
• to an educational institution, by way of,-

• transportation of students, faculty and staff;
• catering, including any mid-day meals scheme sponsored by the Government;
• security or cleaning or house-keeping services performed in such educational institution;
• services relating to admission to, or conduct of examination by, such institution

13.  Any services provided by, -

• the National Skill Development Corporation set up by the Government of India;
•  a Sector Skill Council approved by the National Skill Development Corporation;
• an assessment   agency approved by the Sector Skill Council or the National Skill Development Corporation;
• a training partner approved by the National Skill Development Corporation or the Sector Skill Council

in relation to (a) the National Skill Development Programme implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation; or (b) a vocational skill development course under the National Skill Certification and Monetary Reward Scheme; or (c) any other Scheme implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation.

14. Services provided to a recognized sports body by-

• an individual as a player, referee, umpire, coach or team manager for participation in a sporting event organized by a recognized sports body;
• another recognized sports body;

15. Services by way of sponsorship of sporting events organized,-

•  by a national sports federation, or its affiliated federations, where the participating teams or individuals represent any ¹⁶[district, State, zone or Country
•  by Association of Indian Universities, Inter-University Sports Board, School Games Federation of India, All India Sports Council for the Deaf, Paralympic Committee of India or Special Olympics Bharat;
• by Central Civil Services Cultural and Sports Board;
• as part of national games, by Indian Olympic Association; or
• under Panchayat Yuva Kreeda Aur Khel Abhiyaan (PYKKA) Scheme;

16. Services provided to the Government, a local authority or a governmental authority by way of construction, erection, commissioning, installation, completion, fitting out, repair, maintenance, renovation, or alteration of -

• a historical monument, archaeological site or remains of national importance, archaeological excavation, or antiquity specified under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (24 of 1958;
• canal, dam or other irrigation works;
• pipeline, conduit or plant for (i) water supply (ii) water treatment, or (iii) sewerage treatment or disposal;

17.  Services provided by way of construction, erection, commissioning, installation, completion, fitting out, repair, maintenance, renovation, or alteration of,-

• a road, bridge, tunnel, or terminal for road transportation for use by general public;
• a civil structure or  any other original works pertaining to a scheme under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission or Rajiv Awaas Yojana;
• a building owned by an entity registered under section 12 AA of the Income tax Act, 1961(43 of 1961)and meant predominantly for religious use by general public;
• a pollution control or effluent treatment plant, except located as a part of a factory; or
• a structure meant for funeral, burial or cremation of deceased;

18.  Services by way of construction, erection, commissioning, or installation of original works pertaining to,-

• railways, including monorail or metro;
•  a single residential unit otherwise than as a part of a residential complex;
• low- cost houses up to a carpet area of 60 square meters per house in a housing project approved by competent authority empowered under the ‘Scheme of Affordable Housing in Partnership’ framed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India;
• post- harvest storage infrastructure for agricultural produce including a cold storages for such purposes; or
•  mechanized food grain handling system, machinery or equipment for units  processing  agricultural produce as food stuff excluding alcoholic beverages;

19. Services provided by way of temporary transfer or permitting the use or enjoyment of a copyright,-

• covered under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 13 of the Copyright Act, 1957 (14 of 1957), relating to original literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works; or
• of cinematograph films for exhibition in a cinema hall or cinema theatre.

20. Services by an artist by way of a performance in folk or classical art forms of (i) music, or (ii) dance, or (iii) theatre, if the consideration charged for such performance is not more than one lakh rupees:

Provided that the exemption shall not apply to service provided by such artist as a brand ambassador.

21. Services by way of collecting or providing news by an independent journalist, Press Trust of India or United News of India;
22. Services by a hotel, inn, guest house, club or campsite, by whatever name called, for residential or lodging purposes, having declared tariff of a unit of accommodation below one thousand rupees per day or equivalent
23. Services provided in relation to serving of food or beverages by a restaurant, eating joint or a mess, other than those having the facility of air-conditioning or central air-heating in any part of the establishment, at any time during the year;
24. Services provided in relation to serving of food or beverages by a canteen maintained in a factory covered under the Factories Act, 1948 (63 of 1948), having the facility of air-conditioning or central air-heating at any time during the year;
25. Services by way of transportation by rail or a vessel from one place in India to another of the following goods -

• relief materials meant for victims of natural or man-made disasters, calamities, accidents or mishap;
•  defence  or military equipments;
• newspaper or magazines registered with the Registrar of Newspapers;
• railway equipments or materials;
• agricultural produce;
• milk, salt and food grain including flours, pulses and rice;
• chemical fertilizer, organic manure and oil cakes;
• cotton, ginned or baled.

26. Services provided by a goods transport agency, by way of transport in a goods carriage of,-

• agricultural produce;
• goods, where gross amount charged for the transportation of goods on a consignment transported in a single carriage does not exceed one thousand five hundred rupees;
• goods, where gross amount charged for transportation of all such goods for a single consignee does not exceed rupees seven hundred fifty;
• milk, salt and food grain including flours, pulses and rice
• chemical fertilizer, organic manure and oil cakes; ]
• newspaper or magazines registered with the Registrar of Newspapers;
• relief materials meant for victims of natural or man-made disasters, calamities, accidents or mishap; or
• defence or military equipments
• cotton, ginned or baled.

27. Services by way of giving on hire -

• to a state transport undertaking, a motor vehicle meant to carry more than twelve passengers; or
•  to a goods transport agency, a means of transportation of goods;

28. Transport of passengers, with or without accompanied belongings, by -

•  air, embarking from or terminating in an airport located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, or Tripura or at Bagdogra located in West Bengal;
• non-air-conditioned contract carriage other than radio taxi, for transportation of passengers, excluding tourism, conducted tour, charter or hire; or
• ropeway, cable car or aerial tramway;

29. Services provided to Government, a local authority or a governmental authority by way of -

• water supply, public health, sanitation conservancy, solid waste management or slum improvement and up-gradation; or
• repair or maintenance of a vessel;

30.  Services of general insurance business provided under following schemes -

•  Hut Insurance Scheme;
• Cattle Insurance under Swarnajaynti Gram Swarozgar Yojna (earlier known as Integrated Rural Development  Programme
• Scheme for Insurance of Tribals
• Janata Personal Accident Policy and Gramin Accident Policy;
• Group Personal Accident Policy for Self-Employed Women;
• Agricultural Pump set and Failed Well Insurance;
• premia collected on export credit insurance;
• Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme or the Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme, approved by the Government of India and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture;
• Jan Arogya Bima Policy;
• National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojana);
• Pilot Scheme on Seed Crop Insurance;
• Central Sector Scheme on Cattle Insurance;
• Universal Health Insurance Scheme;
• Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana; or
• Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme;

31. services of life insurance business provided under following schemes -

• Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY); or
• Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY)
• life micro-insurance product as approved by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, having maximum amount of cover of fifty thousand rupees
• Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana;

32. Services provided by an incubatee up to a total turnover of fifty lakh rupees in a financial year subject to the following conditions, namely:-

• the total turnover had not exceeded fifty lakh rupees during the preceding financial year; and
•  a period of three years has not been elapsed  from the date of entering  into an agreement as an incubatee;

33. Service by an unincorporated body or a non- profit entity registered under any law for the time being in force, to its own members by way of reimbursement of charges or share of contribution -

• as a trade union;
•  for the provision of carrying out any activity which is exempt from the levy of service tax; or
• up to an amount of five thousand rupees per month per member for sourcing of goods or services from a third person for the common use of its members in a housing society or a residential complex;

34. Services by the following persons in respective capacities -

• sub-broker or an authorized person to a stock broker;
• authorized person to a member of a commodity exchange;
•  selling agent or a distributer of SIM cards or recharge coupon vouchers;
• business facilitator or a business correspondent to a banking company or an insurance company, in a rural area; or
•  sub-contractor providing services by way of works contract to another contractor providing  works contract services which are exempt;

35. Carrying out an intermediate production process as job work in relation to -

• agriculture, printing or textile processing;
•  cut and polished diamonds and gemstones; or plain and studded jewellery of gold and other precious metals, falling under Chapter 71 of the Central Excise Tariff Act ,1985 (5 of 1986);
• any goods excluding alcoholic liquors for human consumption,] on which appropriate duty is payable by the principal manufacturer; or
• processes of electroplating, zinc plating, anodizing, heat treatment, powder coating, painting including spray painting or auto black, during the course of manufacture of  parts of  cycles or sewing machines up to an aggregate value of taxable service of the specified processes of  one hundred and fifty lakh rupees in a financial year subject to the condition that such  aggregate value had not exceeded  one hundred and fifty lakh rupees during the preceding financial year;

36. Services by an organizer to any person in respect of a business exhibition held outside India;
37.  Services by way of slaughtering of animals;
38. Services received from a  provider of service  located in a non- taxable territory by -

• Government, a local authority, a governmental authority or an individual in  relation to any purpose other than commerce, industry or any other business or profession;
•  an entity registered under section 12AA of the Income tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961) for the purposes of providing charitable activities; or
• a person located in a non-taxable territory;

39. Services of public libraries by way of lending of books, publications or any other knowledge- enhancing content or material;
40. Services by Employees’ State Insurance Corporation  to persons governed    under the Employees’ Insurance Act, 1948 (34 of 1948);
41. Services by way of transfer of a going concern, as a whole or an independent part thereof;
42. Services by way of public conveniences such as provision of facilities of bathroom, washrooms, lavatories, urinal or toilets;
43. Services by a governmental authority by way of any activity in relation to any function entrusted to a municipality under article 243 W of the Constitution.
44.  Services by way of loading, unloading, packing, storage or warehousing of rice, cotton, ginned or baled;
45.  Services received by the Reserve Bank of India, from outside India in relation to management of foreign exchange reserves;
46. Services provided by a tour operator to a foreign tourist in relation to a tour conducted wholly outside India
47. Services by operator of Common Effluent Treatment Plant by way of treatment of effluent;
48. Services by way of pre-conditioning, pre-cooling, ripening, waxing, retail packing, labeling of fruits and vegetables which do not change or alter the essential characteristics of the said fruits or vegetables;
49. Services by way of admission to a museum, national park, wildlife sanctuary, tiger reserve or zoo;
50. Service provided by way of exhibition of movie by an exhibitor to the distributor or an association of persons consisting of the exhibitor as one of its members;
51. Services by way of right to admission to,-

• exhibition of cinematographic film, circus, dance, or theatrical performance including drama or ballet;
• recognized sporting event;  
• award function, concert, pageant, musical performance or any sporting event other than a recognized sporting event, where the consideration for admission is not more than ₹ 500 per person.

Discussions to this article

[ARJUN PRAJAPATI]

Can you explain point number 19 in detail?