No VAT on free supply of
medicines - State Government isn’t competent to levy tax on the basis of
Maximum retail price or any other notional value
Mapra Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. Vs. Commercial Tax Officer [2015 (9) TMI 1274 - PATNA HIGH COURT]
Mapra
Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. and others (“the Petitioners”) were engaged in
manufacture and sale of
medicines and had been regularly filing returns
to the concerned Authorities. The Petitioners were claiming an exemption
in respect of free of cost supply of medicines to its dealer under a
scheme, which was in the nature of quantitative or trade discount on the
purchase of certain quantity of medicines. The Department had denied
the exemption claim on the ground that such transactions would be liable
to VAT in terms of Section 15(5)(b) of Bihar Value Added Tax Act, 2005
(“the Bihar VAT Act”) which provides an option under Compounding Scheme
to certain class of registered dealers to pay in lieu of the tax payable
by them, tax at the rate specified in Section 14, on the maximum retail
price of such goods in the manner prescribed.
Being aggrieved, the Petitioners had filed a writ petition before the Hon’ble High Court of Patna.
The
Hon’ble High Court of Patna relied upon the judgment of Hon’ble Apex
court in the case of State of Rajasthan & Anr. Vs. Rajasthan Chemist
Association [2006 (7) TMI 17 - SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] wherein it has
been held that the Notification to the extent it intends to levy tax on
first point sale with reference to price which could be charged in
respect of a subsequent sale which has not come into existence at the
time liability of tax arises and is determined ex hypothesis is
unsustainable on that basis.
Relying
upon the aforesaid judgment, the Hon’ble High Court held that the State
Government isn’t competent to levy tax on the basis of Maximum retail
price or any other notional value and further held that the State
Government can’t provide an option to the concerned dealer to pay VAT in
such manner. Accordingly, held that Section 15(5)(b) of the Bihar VAT
Act is ultra vires.