Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

Apprehensions on service tax allayed

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUPATI, JAN. 6. The Commissionerate of Customs and Central Excise has sought to clear the air on the intricacies involved in the levy of Service tax and to enlighten the public on the year's budgetary changes.

Allaying apprehensions of service providers at a programme organised at the commissionerate here on Thursday, the Chief Commissioner (Visakhapatnam zone), T.V. Sairam, made it clear that the scope of the nine-year old tax was now being widened to accommodate 71 items. He also reminded that it was the people's responsibility to pay taxes promptly to provide finances to the Government exchequer .

It was in this context that he informed that all economic activities, be they trade, distribution or services, ought to be taxed. On the role of IT revolution in introducing a higher degree of responsiveness by reducing the gap between citizens and the tax administration, Mr. Sairam said that computerisation minimised individual discretion and enhanced rationality to give a transparent and judicious system.

On VAT

The chief commissioner also used the forum to drive home the benefits in store for consumers in the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime over the existing Turnover Tax system.

The power-point presentation and the English deliberations on the complex Tax Laws and their implications meant little for the shamiana suppliers, photographers, transport operators etc. in the audience.

A section of chartered accountants wanted to know if the professional opinion provided by them would attract service tax, for which the reply came in the affirmative. The commissioner, P.N.Vittal Das, and the Joint Commissioner, M. Sridhar Reddy, also took part.

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