93. SITE FORMATION AND CLEARANCE, EXCAVATION AND
EARTHMOVING AND DEMOLITION SERVICES
A. Date of introduction: 16.06.2005 vide Notification No.15/2005-ST
dt.07.06.2005.
B. Definition and scope of service:
“Site formation and clearance, excavation and earthmoving and
demolition” includes,-
(i) Drilling, boring and core extraction services for construction,
geophysical, geological or similar purposes; or
(ii) Soil stabilization; or
(iii) Horizontal drilling for the passage of cables or drain pipes; or
(iv) Land reclamation work; or
(v) Contaminated top soil stripping work; or
(vi) Demolition and wrecking of building, structure or road,
but does not include such services provided in relation to agriculture,
irrigation, watershed development and drilling, digging, repairing,
renovating or restoring of water sources or water bodies.
(Section 65(97 a) of Finance Act, 1994 as amended)
“Taxable service” means any service provided or to be provided to any person,
by any person, in relation to site formation and clearance, excavation and
earthmoving and demolition and such other similar activities.
(Section 65(105)(zzza) of Finance Act, 1994 as amended)
C. Rate of Tax & Accounting Code:
Rate of Tax Accounting
Code
Service Tax 10% of the value of services 00440306
Education Cess 2% of the service tax payable 00440298
Secondary and H.
Education Cess
1% of the service tax payable. 00440426
Other –
Penalty/interest
As levied or applicable 00440307
(Rate of tax is effective from 24.02.2009.)
D. Classification of Taxable Services:
(1) The classification of taxable services shall be determined according to the
terms of the sub-clauses (105) of section 65;
(2) When for any reason , a taxable service is prima facie, classifiable under
two or more sub-clauses of clause (105) of section 65, classification shall be
effected as follows :-
(a) the sub-clause which provides the most specific descripttion shall
be preferred to sub-clauses providing a more general descripttion;
(b) composite services consisting of a combination of different services which
cannot be classified in the manner specified in clause (a), shall be
classified as if they consisted of a service which gives them their essential
character, in so far as this criterion is applicable;
(c) when a service cannot be classified in the manner specified in clause (a)
or clause (b), it shall be classified under the sub-clause which occurs
first among the sub-clauses which equally merits consideration.
(Sec.65A of Finance Act, 1994)
E. Valuation of taxable services for charging Service tax
(1) Service tax chargeable on any taxable service with reference to its value
shall,—
(i) in a case where the provision of service is for a consideration in money,
be the gross amount charged by the service provider for such service
provided or to be provided by him;
(ii) in a case where the provision of service is for a consideration not wholly
or partly consisting of money, be such amount in money, with the addition
of service tax charged, is equivalent to the consideration;
(iii) in a case where the provision of service is for a consideration which is
not ascertainable, be the amount as may be determined in the prescribed
manner.
(2) Where the gross amount charged by a service provider, for the service
provided or to be provided is inclusive of service tax payable, the value of such taxable service shall be such amount as, with the addition of tax payable, is
equal to the gross amount charged.
(3) The gross amount charged for the taxable service shall include any amount
received towards the taxable service before, during or after provision of such
service.
(4) Subject to the provisions of sub-sections (1), (2) and (3), the value shall be
determined in such manner as may be prescribed.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,—
(a) “consideration” includes any amount that is payable for the taxable
services provided or to be provided;
(b) “money” includes any currency, cheque, promissory note, letter of credit,
draft, pay order, travellers cheque, money order, postal remittance and
other similar instruments but does not include currency that is held for its
numismatic value;
(c) “gross amount charged” includes payment by cheque, credit card,
deduction from account and any form of payment by issue of credit notes or
debit notes and ‘book adjustment, and any amount credited or debited, as
the case may be, to any account, whether called “Suspense account” or by
any other name, in the books of account of a person liable to pay service
tax, where the transaction of taxable service is with any associated
enterprise.
(Sec.67 of Finance Act, 1994)
Inclusion in or Exclusion from value of certain expenditure or cost:
(1) Where any expenditure or costs are incurred by the service provider in
the course of providing taxable service, all such expenditure or costs shall be
treated as consideration for the taxable service provided or to be provided and
shall be included in the value for the purpose of charging service tax on the
said service.
[Rule 5(1) of Service Tax (Determination of Value) Rules, 2006]
(2) The expenditure or costs incurred by the service provider as a pure agent
of the recipient of service shall be excluded from the value of the taxable service
if all the following conditions are satisfied, namely:- (i) the service provider acts as a pure agent of the recipient of service
when he makes payment to third party for the goods or services
procured;
(ii) the recipient of service receives and uses the goods or services so
procured by the service provider in his capacity as pure agent of the
recipient of service;
(iii) the recipient of service is liable to make payment to the third party;
(iv) the recipient of service authorizes the service provider to make
payment on his behalf;
(v) the recipient of service knows that the goods and services for which
payment has been made by the service provider shall be provided by
the third party;
(vi) the payment made by the service provider on behalf of the recipient of
service has been separately indicated in the invoice issued by the
service provider to the recipient of service;
(vii) the service provider recovers from the recipient of service only such
amount as has been paid by him to the third party; and
(viii) the goods or services procured by the service provider from the third
party as a pure agent of the recipient of service are in addition to the
services he provides on his own account.
[Rule 5(2) of Service Tax (Determination of Value) Rules, 2006)]
F. Clarifications issued by Board/Ministry:
The definition of site formation and clearance, excavation and earthmoving and
demolition is an inclusive definition and the activities specifically mentioned
are indicative and not exhaustive. Prior to construction of buildings, factory or
any civil structure, activity of mining or laying of cables or pipes, preparation
services of site formation and clearance, excavation and earth moving or
leveling are normally undertaken for a consideration who make the land
suitable for such activities. Such services include blasting and a rock removal
work, clearance of under growth, drilling and boring, overburden remover and
other development and preparation services of mineral properties and sites,
and other similar excavating and earthmoving services. Demolition of
structures, buildings, street or highways is also undertaken for a consideration
as a preparatory activity for subsequent construction activity or for clearing
the site for any other purpose. All such activities all under the scope of this
service.
However, site formation and clearance, excavation and earthmoving and
demolition services when provided in relation to agriculture, irrigation,
watershed development and drilling, digging, repairing, renovating or restoring
of water sources or water bodies are specifically excluded and not within the
scope of this service.
Notification No.17/2005-ST dated 07.06.2005 exempts this service provided in
the course of construction of roads, airports, railways, transport terminals,
bridges, tunnels, dams major and minor ports.
{Please refer M.F.(D.R.) letter F.No.B1/6/2005-TRU dated 27.07.2005}
G. Exemption & Exclusion:
1. Exemption to Small Scale Service Providers:
In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 93 of the
Finance Act, 1994 (32 of 1994) (hereinafter referred to as the said Finance Act),
the Central Government, on being satisfied that it is necessary in the public
interest so to do, hereby exempts taxable services of aggregate value not
exceeding Ten lakh* rupees in any financial year from the whole of the service
tax leviable thereon under section 66 of the said Finance Act:
Provided that nothing contained in this notification shall apply to,-
(i) taxable services provided by a person under a brand name or trade
name, whether registered or not, of another person; or
(ii) such value of taxable services in respect of which service tax shall be
paid by such person and in such manner as specified under sub-section (2)
of section 68 of the said Finance Act read with Service Tax Rules,1994.
2. The exemption contained in this notification shall apply subject to the
following conditions, namely:-
(i) the provider of taxable service has the option not to avail the exemption
contained in this notification and pay service tax on the taxable services
provided by him and such option, once exercised in a financial year, shall
not be withdrawn during the remaining part of such financial year;
(ii) the provider of taxable service shall not avail the CENVAT credit of
service tax paid on any input services, under rule 3 or rule 13 of the
CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004 (herein after referred to as the said rules), used
for providing the said taxable service, for which exemption from payment of
service tax under this notification is availed of;
(iii) the provider of taxable service shall not avail the CENVAT credit under
rule 3 of the said rules, on capital goods received in the premises of provider
of such taxable service during the period in which the service provider avails
exemption from payment of service tax under this notification;
(iv) the provider of taxable service shall avail the CENVAT credit only on
such inputs or input services received, on or after the date on which the
service provider starts paying service tax, and used for the provision of
taxable services for which service tax is payable;
(v) the provider of taxable service who starts availing exemption under this
notification shall be required to pay an amount equivalent to the CENVAT
credit taken by him, if any, in respect of such inputs lying in stock or in
process on the date on which the provider of taxable service starts availing
exemption under this notification;
(vi) the balance of CENVAT credit lying unutilised in the account of the
taxable service provider after deducting the amount referred to in subparagraph (v), if any, shall not be utilised in terms of provision under subrule (4) of rule 3 of the said rules and shall lapse on the day such service
provider starts availing the exemption under this notification;
(vii) where a taxable service provider provides one or more taxable services
from one or more premises, the exemption under this notification shall
apply to the aggregate value of all such taxable services and from all such
premises and not separately for each premises or each services; and
(viii) the aggregate value of taxable services rendered by a provider of taxable
service from one or more premises, does not exceed rupees *ten lakhs in
the preceding financial year.
3. For the purposes of determining aggregate value not exceeding ten*lakh
rupees, to avail exemption under this notification, in relation to taxable service
provided by a goods transport agency, the payment received towards the gross
amount charged by such goods transport agency under section 67 for which
the person liable for paying service tax is as specified under subsection (2) of
section 68 of the said Finance Act read with Service Tax Rules, 1994, shall not
be taken into account.
Explanation.- For the purposes of this notification,-
(A) “brand name” or “trade name” means a brand name or a trade name,
whether registered or not, that is to say, a name or a mark, such as symbol,
monogram, logo, label, signature, or invented word or writing which is used
in relation to such specified services for the purpose of indicating, or so as
to indicate a connection in the course of trade between such specified services and some person using such name or mark with or without any
indication of the identity of that person;
(B) “aggregate value not exceeding *ten lakh rupees means the sum total of
first consecutive payments received during a financial year towards the
gross amount, as prescribed under section 67 of the said Finance Act,
charged by the service provider towards taxable services till the aggregate
amount of such payments is equal to ten lakh rupees but does not include
payments received towards such gross amount which are exempt from
whole of service tax leviable thereon under section 66 of the said Finance
Act under any other notification.
4. This notification shall come into force on the 1st day of April, 2005.
[Notification No. 6/2005-ST, dated 1-3-2005. *Amended by Notfn.No.
8/2008-ST dated 01.03.2008]
2. Services to UN Agencies
Services provided to United Nations or an International Organizations are
exempt.
[Notification No. 16/2002-ST, dated 2-8-2002]
3. Export of service: Any service which is taxable under clause 105 of
Section 65 may be exported without payment of service tax.
(Rule 4 of Export of Services Rules,2005)
4. Exemption to services provided to a developer of SEZ or a unit of SEZ:
Exempts the taxable services specified in clause (105) of section 65 of the said
Finance Act, which are provided in relation to the authorized operations in a
Special Economic Zone, and received by a developer or units of a Special
Economic Zone, whether or not the said taxable services are provided inside
the Special Economic Zone, from the whole of the service tax leviable thereon
under section 66 of the said Finance Act subject to certain conditions. ( Refer
notification for details)
{ Notification No. 09/2009ST dated 03.03.2009 (Prior to 03.03.2009
Notfn.No4/2004-ST dated 31.03.2004)}
5. Exemption to value of goods & material sold by service provider: In
exercise of the powers conferred by section 93 of the Finance Act, 1994 (32 of
1994), the Central Government, being satisfied that it is necessary in the
public interest so to do, hereby exempts so much of the value of all the taxable services, as is equal to the value of goods and materials sold by the service
provider to the recipient of service, from the service tax leviable thereon under
section (66) of the said Act, subject to condition that there is documentary
proof specifically indicating the value of the said goods and materials.
(Notification No. 12/2003-ST dated 20.06.2003 effective from 01.07.2003)
6. Exemption to taxable services provided by TBI and STEP: All taxable
services, provided by a Technology Business Incubator (TBI) or a Science and
Technology Entrepreneurship Park (STEP) recognized by the National Science
and technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) of the
Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India from the whole of the
service tax leviable thereon subject to certain conditions and procedures. (
Refer notification for details)
(Notification No.09/2007 ST dated 01.03.2007)
7. Exemption to taxable services provided by entrepreneurs located
within the premises of TBI or STEP: All taxable services, provided by an
entrepreneur located within the premises of a Technology Business Incubator
(TBI) or a Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Park (STEP) recognized by
the National Science and technology Entrepreneurship Development Board
(NSTEDB) of the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India from
the whole of the service tax leviable thereon subject to certain conditions and
procedures. ( Refer notification for details)
(Notification No.10/2007 ST dated 01.03.2007)
8. Exemption to services provided to Foreign Diplomatic Missions or
Consular Post in India: All services provided by any person, for the official
use of a Foreign Diplomatic Mission or Consular Post in India are exempted
from service tax subject to certain conditions and procedures. (Refer
notification for details)
(Notification No. 33/2007-ST dated 23.05.2007)
9. Exemption to services provided for personal use of a family member of
Diplomatic Agent or Career Consular Officers posted in Foreign
Diplomatic Mission/Consular Post in India: All services provided by any
person, for personal use of family member of Diplomatic Agents or Career
Consular officers posted in a Foreign Diplomatic Mission or Consular Post in
India are exempted from service tax subject to certain conditions and
procedures. (Refer notification for details)
(Notification No. 34/2007-ST dated 23.05.2007) 10. Exemption to site formation and clearance, excavation and
demolition etc. when provided in the course of construction of Roads,
airports, railways, transport terminals, bridges, tunnels, dams and ports
(w.e.f.16.06.2005): exempts the site formation and clearance, excavation and
earthmoving and demolition and such other similar activities, referred to in
sub-clause (zzza) of clause (105) of section 65 of the Finance Act, provided to
any person by any other person in the course of construction of roads, airports,
railways, transport terminals, bridges, tunnels, dams, ports or other ports,
from the whole of service tax leviable thereon under section 66 of the said
Finance Act.
(Notification No. 17/2005-ST dated 07.06.2005)
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