Builders and Contractors on Hit List of Service Tax AIT News Network NEW DELHI. Builders and Contractors who are misusing the provisions of service tax while discharging service tax liability are under service tax scanner and the service tax Department has decided to investigate and issue demands to those Developers who are adopting a unique modus operandi of not including the value of the raw materials i.e. steel and cement supplied free of cost by the recipient of services in the gross value of taxable service of construction rendered by them. Commissioner of Service Tax, New Delhi has confirmed demands of more than rupees three Crores against two major contractors namely M/s. Krishna Construction Company Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi and M/s. Unibuild Engineering and Construction Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, who provided the "construction services" to the Top Real Estate Developers like DLF Group, Unitech Group etc. in Delhi and NCR. Service Tax Notification No. 1/2006, dated 1.3.2006 applicable to "commercial or industrial construction services" and also to "construction of complex services", provides an abatement of 67 percent on the value of service tax payable in case of composite contracts, where the value of service provided was not ascertainable. Thus, the service tax is payable on 33 percent of the assessable value i.e. gross amount charged. According to the provisions of these notifications, the assessable value i.e. gross amount charged includes the cost of free supply goods by the service receivers to the service providers. The abovesaid contractors did not include the value of the raw materials i.e. steel and cement supplied free of cost by the recipient of services i.e. DLF Group, Unitech Group etc. to the contractors (service providers).
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