Service tax levy on goods transport by road services

Circular No. 104/ 07 /2008-ST

F.No. 137/175/2007-CX4

 Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Excise & Customs

***

New Delhi, dated the 6th August, 2008

To

Chief Commissioners of Central Excise & Customs (All)

Chief Commissioners of Central Excise (All)

Director General of Service Tax

Director General of Central Excise Intelligence

Commissioners of Service Tax (All)

Commissioner (DPPR)

webmaster@cbec.gov. in

Sir/ Madam,

Subject: - Service tax levy on goods transport by road services -reg.

          The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) has represented to government regarding the difficulties being faced by the goods transport agency in respect of service tax levy on goods transport by road service. In this regard, a number of meetings were held between the representatives of AIMTC with the government and a joint statement by the government and AIMTC, dated 4.7.08, was issued laying down the principles to be followed in respect of the issues raised by AIMTC.

2.       The issues raised by AIMTC and the clarifications with respect to those issues are given below:

3.    Issue:  GTA provides service to a person in relation to transportation of goods by road in a goods carriage.  The service provided is a single composite service which may include various intermediary and ancillary services such as loading/unloading, packing/unpacking, transshipment, temporary warehousing.  For the service provided, GTA issues a consignment note and the invoice issued by the GTA for providing the said service includes the value of intermediary and ancillary services. In such a case, whether the intermediary or ancillary activities is to be treated as part of GTA service and the abatement should be extended to the charges for such intermediary or ancillary service?

 Clarification: GTA provides a service in relation to transportation of goods by road which is a single composite service.  GTA also issues consignment note.  The composite service may include various intermediate and ancillary services provided in relation to the principal service of the road transport of goods.  Such intermediate and ancillary services may include services like loading/unloading, packing/unpacking, transshipment, temporary warehousing etc., which are provided in the course of transportation by road.  These services are not provided as independent activities but are the means for successful provision of the principal service, namely, the transportation of goods by road. The contention that a single composite service should not be broken into its components and classified as separate services is a well-accepted principle of classification.  As clarified earlier vide F.No. 334/4/2006-TRU dated 28.2.2006 (para 3.2 and 3.3) and F. No. 334.1/2008-TRU dated 29.2.2008 (para 3.2 and 3.3),  a composite service, even if it consists of more than one service, should be treated as a single service based on the main or principal service and accordingly classified.   While taking a view, both the form and substance of the transaction are to be taken into account. The guiding principle is to identify the essential features of the transaction. The method of invoicing does not alter the single composite nature of the service and classification in such cases are based on essential character by applying the principle of classification enumerated in section 65 A. Thus, if any ancillary/intermediate service is provided in relation to transportation of goods, and the charges, if any, for such services are included in the invoice issued by the GTA, and not by any other person, such service would form part of GTA service and, therefore, the abatement of 75% would be available on it.

 4.      Issue 2: GTA providing service in relation to transportation of goods by road in a goods carriage also undertakes packing as an integral part of the service provided.  It may be clarified whether in such cases service provided is to be classified under GTA service.

Clarification: Cargo handling service [Section 65 (105) (zr)] means loading, unloading, packing or unpacking of cargo and includes the service of packing together with transportation of cargo with or without loading, unloading and unpacking.  Transportation is not the essential character of cargo handling service but only incidental to the cargo handling service.  Where service is provided by a person who is registered as GTA service provider and issues consignment note for transportation of goods by road in a goods carriage and the amount charged for the service provided is inclusive of packing, then the service shall be treated as GTA service and not cargo handling service.

5.    Issue 3: Whether time sensitive transportation of goods by road in a goods carriage by a GTA shall be classified under courier service and not GTA service?

Clarification: On this issue, it is clarified that so long as, (a) the entire transportation of goods is by road; and (b) the person transporting the goods issues a consignment note, it would be classified as ‘GTA Service’.  

6.    Pending disputes on the above issues may accordingly be decided expeditiously.

7       Trade & field formations may be informed suitably.

8.      Hindi version will follow.

Yours faithfully,

(Gautam Bhattacharya)

Commissioner (Service Tax)