Key Summary of Union Budget F.Y. 2015-16 : Indirect Tax

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUDGET


 

  • Rate of Basic Excise Duty shall be increased to 12.5%.
  • Rate of Service Tax shall be increased to 14%.
  • Education cess and Secondary and Higher secondary cess now omitted.
  • Education cess and secondary and higher secondary education cess is exempt from CVD on Imported goods. It means CVD shall be 12.5%.
  • There is no change in education cess on imported goods under section 91 read with section 94 of Finance Act 2004.
  • The tax shall be leviable on 30% of the Value of service involved on goods transported by Rail, Road and Vessel

Introduction:


 

  • The Union Budget 2015-2016 is here, with new targets, with new motives, with new vision with “minimum government and maximum governance to improve the ease of doing business”.
  • The budget as presented by our Finance Minister, Sh. Arun Jaitley, has focused mainly on Job creation through revival of growth and investment and promotion of domestic “manufacturing” and “Make in India” for the youth of the country.
  • Also, with huge relevance to meet the common man needs, various reforms has been brought for the purpose of increasing the affordability power of the common man by simplifying the rate of duty on various products & introducing various exemptions.

Here, is the budget summary presented by us containing issues related to INDIRECT TAXES.

Changes under Budget – Non Tariff


 

  • Education Cess (Both) leviable on excisable goods are being subsumed in basic excise duty. Now the Basic Excise Duty is increased from 12% to 12.5%. Hence there is no need to charge Education cess on goods.
  • Time limit for taking CENVAT Credit on input and input service is being increased form six months to twelve months/one year.
  • Facility of direct dispatch of goods by registered dealer form seller to customer’s premises or job workers are now allowed. Registered Importer can also send the goods directly to customer from the port of imposition.
  • 30% abatement with respect to Retail Sale Price now allowed on Goods falling under chapter sub-heading 2101 20 i.e. ‘Extracts, essences and concentrates, of coffee and preparations with a basic of these extract, essences or concentrates or with a basis of coffee’ including iced tea, are being notified under section 4A of central excise.
  • 35% abatement with respect to Retail Sale Price now allowed on Goods, such ‘lemonade and other beverages’ Extracts, essences and concentrates, of coffee and preparations with a basic of these extract, essences or concentrates or with a basis of coffee’ including iced tea, are being notified under section 4A of central excise.
  • The dealer is now issue digitally signed Invoice and maintain records electronically under Central Excise and Service Tax.
  • Basic Excise duty now increased from 12% to 18% on entry “waters, including mineral water and aerated waters, containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or flavored”. The additional excise duty @5% on above goods shall be omitted.

Changes under Budget – Tariff

PARTICULARSNEW Rate (%)OLD Rate (%)
Wafers for use in the manufacture of integrated circuit (IC) modules for smart cards612
Inputs for use in the manufacture of LED drivers and MCPCB for LED lights, fixtures and LED lamps612
Excise Duty Structure on Mobile Handsets including Cellular Phones Without CENVAT credit.11
Excise Duty Structure on Mobile Handsets including Cellular Phones With CENVAT credit.12.56
Tablet computers Without CENVAT Credit212
Tablet computers With CENVAT credit12.512
Solar water heater and system Without CENVAT credit.012
Solar water heater and system with CENVAT credit.12.512
Excise duty on leather footwear (footwear with uppers made of leather of heading 4107 or 4112 to 4114) of Retail Sale Price of more than Rs. 1000 per pair612
Duty on Chassis for Ambulances12.524
Duty on sacks and bags of polymers of ethylene other than for industrial use1512
Raw materials for use in the manufacture of pacemakersNil12
Pig iron SG Grade and Ferro-silicon-magnesium for use in manf. Of Wind operated electricity generatorsNil12

Customs

Changes under Budget – Tariff

Reduction in duty on certain inputs to address the problem of duty inversion:

  • ‘Metal parts’ for use in the manufacture of electrical insulators.
  • Ethylene-Propylene-non-conjugated-Diene Rubber (EPDM), Water blocking tape and Mica glass tape for use in the manufacture of insulated wires and cables.
  • Magnetron up to 1 KW for use in the manufacture of microwave ovens.
  • C- Block for Compressor, Over Load Protector (OLP) & Positive thermal co-efficient and Crank Shaft for compressor, for use in the manufacture of Refrigerator compressors.
  • Zeolite, ceria zirconia compounds and cerium compounds for use in the manufacture of wash coats, which are further used in manufacture of catalytic converters.
  • Anthraquinone for manufacture of hydrogen peroxide.
  • Sulphuric acid for use in the manufacture of fertilizers.
  • Parts and components of Digital Still Image Video Camera capable of recording video with minimum resolution of 800×600 pixels, at minimum 23 frames per second, for at least 30 minutes in a single sequence, using the maximum storage (including the expanded) capacity.
PARTICULARSNEW Rate (%)OLD Rate (%)
Ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and styrene monomer (SM)22.5
Isoprene and Liquefied butanes2.55
Butyl acrylate57.5
Ulexite oreNil2
Antimony metal, antimony waste and scrap2.55
Specified components for use in the manufacture of specified CNC lathe machines and machining centers2.57.5
Certain specified inputs for use in the manufacture of flexible medical video endoscopes2.55
HDPE for use in the manufacture of telecommunication grade optical fibre cablesNil7.5
Black Light Unit Module for use in the manufacture of LCD/

LED TV panels

Nil10
Organic LED (OLED) TV panels

 

Nil10
Digital Still Image Video Camera capable of recording video with minimum resolution of 800×600 pixels, at minimum 23 frames per second, for at least 30 minutes in a single sequence, using the maximum storage (including the expanded) capacity.
Parts of Digital Still Image Video
 

 

Nil

 

 

5

Parts of Digital Still Image Video Camera capable of recording video with minimum resolution of 800×600 pixels, at minimum 23 frames per second, for at least 30 minutes in a single sequence, using the maximum storage (including the expanded) capacity

 

 

 

Nil

 

 

5

Reduction in Basic Custom Duty to Reduce the Cost of Raw Materials:

  • CVD and SAD are being fully exempted on specified raw materials [battery, titanium, palladium wire, eutectic wire, silicone resins and rubbers, solder paste, reed switch, diodes, transistors, capacitors, controllers, coils (steel), tubing (silicone)] for use in the manufacture of pacemakers.
  • Evacuated Tubes with three layers of solar selective coating for use in the manufacture of solar water heater and system to Nil.
  • Active Energy Controller (AEC) for use in the manufacture of Renewable Power System (RPS) Inverters to 5%, subject to certification by MNRE.
  • Parts, components and accessories (falling under any Chapter) for use in the manufacture of tablet computers and their subparts for use in manufacture of parts, components and accessories are being fully exempted from BCD, CVD and SAD.
PARTICULARSNEW Rate (%)OLD Rate (%)
Metallurgical Coke52.5
Iron & Steel falling under chapter 72 and 731510
BCD on Import of Commercial Vehicles (Except commercial vehicles in CKD)10 to 2010


Reduction in SAD to address the problem of CENVAT credit accumulation

PARTICULARSNEW Rate (%)OLD Rate (%)
All goods except populated PCBs, falling under any Chapter of the Customs Tariff, for use in manufacture of ITA bound goodsNil4
Naphtha, ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and styrene monomer (SM) for manufacture of excisable goods24
Metal scrap of iron & steel, copper, brass and aluminium24
Inputs for use in the manufacture of LED drivers and MCPCB for LED lights, fixtures and LED lampsNil4

Service Tax

  • Education cess (Both) leviable on Services are being subsumed in Service Tax. Now he Service tax is increased from 12% to 14%. Hence there is no need to charge Education cess on services.
  • Exemption from Service Tax on following Services:
    • Services of pre-conditioning, pre-cooling, ripening, waxing, retail packing, labeling of fruits and vegetables are being exempted.
    • Life insurance service provided by way of Varishtha Pension Bima Yojna is being exempted.
    • Service provided by way of exhibition of movie by the exhibitor/theatre owner to the distributor or association of persons consisting of exhibitor as one of it’s member is being exempted.
    • All ambulance services provided to patients are being exempted.
    • Service provided by way of admission to a museum, zoo, national park, wild life sanctuary and a tiger reserve is being exempted.
    • Transport of goods for export by road from the factory to a land.
  • The aggregator of Brand Name shall liable to pay service tax.
  • Proportionate Reverse charge now applicable on the following services:
    • Life Insurance policy
    • Service of Air travel Agent
    • Money changing service provided by banks or authorized dealer
    • Service Provided by Lottery distributor and selling agent.
  • 100% Reverse charge is applicable on manpower and security services provided by an individual, HUF and Partnership firm to the Company. Now the service recipient shall liable to pay service tax with full rate.
  • Reverse charge now applicable on service provided by mutual fund agents, distributors and lottery agents due to withdrawal of exemption.
  • CENVAT Credit in case of partial reverse charge shall be allowed irrespective of payment of services to the service provider.

Abatements:

  • Value of Taxable Service shall include any reimbursable cost or expenditure incurred and charged by the service provider.
  • Change in Abatements of Goods Transport by following modes:
    • By Rail the abatement shall be 70% earlier it was 70%.
    • By Road the abatement shall be 70% earlier it was 75%.
    • By Vessel the abatement shall be 70% earlier it was 60%.
  • The abatement on travel by Air in Business Class shall be reduced form 60% to 40%. Now the service tax will be payable on 60% of the value of fare.
  • Abatement is being withdrawn in chit fund services because the Chit Fund services is covered under the definition of “Service”.

Review of General Exemptions:

  • Exemption presently available on specified services of construction, repair of civil structures, etc. when provided to Government shall be restricted only to,-
    • A historical monument, archaeological site
    • Canal, dam or other irrigation work;
    • Pipeline, conduit or plant for (i) water supply (ii) Water treatment, or (iii) sewerage treatment or disposal.
  • Exemption to construction, erection, commissioning or Installation of original works pertaining to an airport or port is being withdrawn.
  • Exemption to services provided by a performing artist in folk or Classical art form of (i) music, or (ii) dance, or (iii) theater, will be limited only to such cases where amount charged is upto Rs 1,00,000 per performance (except brand ambassador)
  • Exemption to transportation of ‘food stuff’ by rail, or vessels or road will be limited to transportation of food grains including rice and pulses, flours, milk and salt only. Transportation of agricultural produce is separately exempt which would continue.
  • Exemptions are being withdrawn on the following services:
    • Services provided by a mutual fund agent to a mutual fund or assets management company;
    • Distributor to a mutual fund or AMC; and
    • Selling or marketing agent of lottery ticket to a distributor of lottery.
  • Exemption is being withdrawn on the following services,-
    • Departmentally run public telephone
    • Guaranteed public telephone operating only local calls
    • Service by way of making telephone calls from free
  • Telephone at airport and hospital where no bill is issued
  • Existing exemption notification for service provided by a Commission agent located outside India to an exporter located in India is being rescinded, as this notification has become Redundant in view of the amendments made in law in the previous budget, whereby services provided by such agents have been excluded from the tax net.

Review of the Negative List

  • Service tax to be levied on the service provided by way of access to amusement facility such as rides, bowling alleys, amusement arcades, water parks, theme parks, etc.
  • Service tax to be levied on service by way of admission to entertainment event of concerts, non-recognized sporting events, pageants, music concerts and award functions, if the amount charged for admission is more than Rs. 500. Service by way of admission to exhibition of the cinematographic film, circus, dance, or theatrical performances including drama, ballets or recognized sporting events shall continue to be exempt.
  • Service tax to be levied on service by way of carrying out any processes as job work for production or manufacture of alcoholic liquor for human consumption.
  • An enabling provision is being made to exclude all services provided by the Government or local authority to a business entity from the Negative List. Once this amendment is given effect to, all service provided by the Government to business entities, unless specifically exempt, shall become taxable.

Download here

Budget IDT

Happy Reading!!!

Published by

Shushant mallik ( Chartered Accountant & Cost Accountant )

Shushant is a Chartered Accountant and a Cost Accountant. He has secured All India Rank-34 in CMA Final Exams. He is a Financial Controller at Mount Meru Soyco Limited, Rwanda. He is a administrator of this site . In his spare time he hang out with his friends and discuss about the current issues in market. You can find his latest blog posts at www.enrollmyexperience.com and at his facebook profile.

Leave a Reply