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Levy of service tax on services provided by a Resident Welfare Association (RWA) to its own members

Services provided by Resident Welfare Society are taxable foo Rs.5000/- ,Recently CBEC has issued a circular for clarification of the some issues,these doubts & clarifications are given below:-

 Circular No.175 /01 /2014 – ST
Government of India Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue
Central Board of Excise& Customs
Tax Research Unit
North Block, New Delhi
10th January, 2014

Subject: Levy of service tax on services provided by a Resident Welfare Association
(RWA) to its own members – regarding.

Service tax on ‘club or association service’ which covers Resident Welfare Association (RWA) was introduced with effect from 16.06.2005, vide section 65(105)(zzze) read with section 65(25a)[(25a) was later renumbered as (25aa)]. Under the positive list approach which was followed prior to 1st July 2012, exemption was available under notification No.
8/2007-ST dated 01.03.2007, if the total consideration received from an individual member by  the RWA for the services does not exceed three thousand rupees per month. This
notification was rescinded vide notification No. 34/2012-ST dated 20th June 2012, with effect from 1st July, 2012.

2.  Under  the  negative  list  approach,  with  effect  from  1st July,  2012,  notification No.25/2012-ST [sl.no.28 (c)] provides for  exemption to service by a RWA to its own members by way of reimbursement of charges or share of contribution up to five thousand rupees per month per member for sourcing of goods or services from a third person for the common use of its members.

Certain doubts have been raised regarding the scope of the present exemption extended to RWAs under the negative list approach. These doubts have been examined and clarifications are given below:

Sl. No.
Doubt
Clarification
1.
(i) In a residential complex, monthly
contribution collected from members is used by the RWA for the purpose of  making  payments   to  the  third parties, in respect of commonly used services   or   goods   [Example:   for providing  security  service  for  the residential complex, maintenance or upkeep of common  area and common facilities like lift, water sump, health and  fitness  centre,  swimming  pool, payment  of  electricity  Bill  for  the common   area   and   lift,   etc.].   Is
Exemption at Sl. No. 28 (c) in notification
No.  25/2012-ST  is  provided  specifically with reference to service provided by an unincorporated   body   or   a   non–profit entity registered under any law for the time being in force such as RWAs, to its own members.

However,  a  monetary  ceiling  has  been prescribed for this exemption, calculated in the  form  of five thousand rupees per month  per  member  contribution  to  the RWA, for  sourcing  of goods or services



service tax leviable?

(ii)    If    the    contribution    of    a member/s  of  a  RWA  exceeds  five thousand   rupees   per   month,   how should        the        service        tax liability be calculated?
from third person for the common use of
its members.

If per month per member contribution of any or some members of a RWA exceeds five     thousand     rupees,    the     entire contribution of such members whose per month contribution exceeds five thousand rupees   would   be   ineligible   for   the exemption  under   the  said  notification. Service tax would then be leviable on the aggregate amount of monthly contribution of such members.
2.
(i)  Is  threshold  exemption  under
notification       No.       33/2012-ST
available to RWA?

(ii)  Does  aggregate  value’  for  the pusrpose   of   threshold   exemption, include the value of exempt service?
Threshold    exemption    available    under
notification No. 33/2012-ST is applicable to    a    RWA,    subject    to    conditions
prescribed in the notification. Under this notification,      taxable      services      of aggregate  value  not  exceeding  ten  lakh rupees in any financial year is exempted from service tax. As per the definition of
‘aggregate value’ provided in Explanation B of the notification, aggregate value does not include the value of services which are
exempt from service tax.
3.
If a RWA provides certain services
such  as  payment  of  electricity  or water bill issued by third person, in the name of its members, acting as a
‘pure   agent’   of   its   members,   is exclusion   from   value   of   taxable service available for the purposes of exemptions provided in Notification
33/2012-ST or 25/2012-ST ?
In   Rule   5(2)   of   the   Service   Tax
(Determination of Value) Rules, 2006, it is provided   that   expenditure   or   costs incurred by  a service provider as a pure
agent of the recipient of service shall be excluded   from   the   value   of   taxable service,    subject    to    the    conditions specified in the Rule.
For illustration, where the payment for an electricity  bill  raised  by  an  electricity transmission or distribution utility in the name  of  the  owner  of  an  apartment  in respect of  electricity consumed thereon, is collected and paid by the RWA to the utility, without charging any commission or a consideration by any other name, the RWA is acting as a pure agent and hence exclusion   from   the   value   of   taxable service would be available. However, in the case of electricity bills issued in the name of   RWA,   in   respect   of   electricity

consumed for common use of lifts, motor pumps for water supply, lights in common area, etc., since there is no agent involved in these transactions, the exclusion from the value of taxable service would not be available.
4.
Is CENVAT credit available to RWA
for payment of service tax?
RWA may avail cenvat credit and use the same  for  payment  of  service  tax,  in accordance with the Cenvat Credit Rules.
3. Trade Notice/ Public Notice to be issued. Hindi version to follow.
F. No.354/237/2013-TRU
[Raj Kumar Digvijay]
Under Secretary to the Government of India

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