NATIONAL AGENCIES, ERNAKULAM v. COMMERCIAL TAX INSPECTOR, WALAYAR
2017-01-04
K.VINOD CHANDRAN
body2017
DigiLaw.ai
JUDGMENT : K. VINOD CHANDRAN, J. 1. The petitioner's goods were detained at the check post as is seen from Ext.P5 notice. The petitioner is a dealer inter-alia in plastic carry bags. The petitioner had purchased the goods from outside the State and had declared the same to be packing material in the declaration uploaded in Form 8F under the Kerala Value Added Tax Act, 2003 ("KVAT Act" for short). The detention was on account of the misclassification of the goods as packing material. 2. The contention raised by the learned Government Pleader in support of Ext.P5 is that the petitioner, obviously, is not using the material as packing material and in such circumstance there could be no claim raised of the concessional rate of 5% applicable only to packing materials. On facts, it is submitted that the petitioner is engaged in the sale of such material, which would attract tax at the higher rate of 20%. It is also submitted that, in such circumstance, there is discernible a clear attempt to evade tax. 3. The learned Counsel for the petitioner, however, submits that the petitioner had been paying tax at the rate of 20% as can be seen from the returns filed earlier. The alleged misclassification occurred only since the State, from which the materials were purchased, does not have a Schedule as available in Section 6(1)(a) of the KVAT Act. In the Schedule, inter-alia carry bags made of plastic, under item no. 3, is liable to be taxed at the rate of 20%. It is submitted that there was no attempt to evade tax and the misclassification, if at all, is a bona-fide mistake. 4. These are all issues which have to be considered in a properly initiated adjudication proceedings. At this point, the petitioner is concerned only with the release of his goods. Considering the fact that the petitioner is a registered dealer and that the petitioner has a prima facie case to refute the offence alleged, it is only proper that the petitioner be released with the goods on execution of a simple bond without solvent sureties. The same shall be done expeditiously on production of the certified copy of this judgment. The adjudication proceedings shall be proceeded with untramelled by any observation made herein above or the fact that this Court had directed release of the goods unconditionally. The writ petition would stand disposed of.