Some assesse misusing service tax provisions: Revenue Dept

Such incidents of assesse not paying service tax account to the tune of Rs 200-400 cr

Amid flak received for the arrest provisions in the finance bill for not paying service tax over Rs 50 lakh, the Revenue Department today said the service tax provisions were blatantly misused by some assesses.

These assesses take service tax from the  people and don't give it to the government, Revenue Secretary Sumit Bose said at post-budget interactions with industry chamber FICCI.

Central Board of Excise and Customs Praveen Mahajan said incidents of the assesse not paying service tax to the tune of Rs 200 crore, Rs 400 crore have been detected and the assesses have also admitted to the duty evasion.

The arrest provisons were already there in customs and excise duty Acts, she said .This time the government made these provisions non-bailable.  But, then it also raised the limit of duty evasion to over Rs 50 lakh from the present Rs 30 lakh.