11 Audit
11.1 The selective audit of service taxpayers and other assessees like input service distributors, may be done by the jurisdictional central excise officer (authorized for the purpose) or by an audit party deputed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Rule 5 of the Rules makes it mandatory for every assessee to make available the records, on demand, for inspection and examination to such authorized person/audit party.
12. Adjudication of cases
12.1 Section 73 of the Act deals with adjudication of cases of short-levy or non-levy of service tax or service tax short paid or not paid or erroneously refunded. For quick settlement of disputes, this section prescribes that (i) in other cases involving fraud, collusions, wilful misstatement and suppression of facts etc., the dispute could be settled by making payment of the service tax amount specified in the notice along with interest and penalty equal to 25% of service tax amount, within thirty days of issue of show cause notice; (ii) and in any other case the person chargeable to service tax, or to whom service tax has been erroneously refunded, may make payment suo moto along with interest, as applicable, and, consequently no Show Cause Notice will be served in respect of the amount so paid.
12.2 Section 83A confers powers on the Central Excise Officer for adjudging a penalty under the provisions of the said Act or the rules made there under. Board has specified monetary limits for adjudication of cases under section 83A of the said Act vide notification No. 30/2005- Service Tax dated 10th August, 2005. The monetary limits are as follows:
S.No
|
Central Excise Officer
|
Amount of service tax or CENVAT credit specified in a notice for the purpose of adjudication under section 83A
|
(1)
|
(2)
|
(3)
|
(1).
|
Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise or Deputy Commissioner of Central Excise
|
Not exceeding Rs. 5 lakh
|
(2).
|
Joint Commissioner of Central Excise
|
Above Rs. 5 lakh but not exceeding Rs. 20 lakh
|
(3).
|
Additional Commissioner of Central Excise
|
Above Rs. 20 lakh but not exceeding Rs. 50 lakh
|
(4).
|
Commissioner of Central Excise
|
Without limit.
|
The monetary limits specified in the above tables for adjudication of service tax cases are irrespective of whether or not such cases involve fraud, collusion, wilful mis-statement, suppression of facts or contravention of any of the provisions of the Act or the rules made thereunder with an intent to evade payment of service tax and whether or not extended period has been invoked. Cases not involving non-payment of service tax or mis-utilization of CENVAT credit are to be adjudicated by the Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise or Deputy Commissioner of Central Excise.
12.3 Where different cases involving the same issue are due to be adjudicated in a Commissionerate, all such cases may be adjudicated by the Central Excise Officer competent to decide the case where the service tax or CENVAT credit involved is of the highest amount.
12.4 For cases where the appellate authority remands the case for de-novo adjudication, specifically mentioning the authority that has to adjudicate the case, then such authority specified in the said appellate order should adjudicate such cases. Where the appellate authority does not specifically mention any adjudicating authority, it should be decided by the authority competent in terms of the monetary limits mentioned in para 12.1.
12.5 Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) has directed that in respect of demands for an amount upto one thousand rupees towards short payment/non-payment of service tax, if the service provider, on the default being pointed out, pays the service tax along with interest within a period of one month of the default in payment, the penalty should be waived, taking recourse to the provisions under section 80 of the Act. In other cases, i.e. where amount of service tax involved is over Rs one thousand, penal action prescribed under sections 76, 77 and 79 would be attracted.