53. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE SERVICES
(A) Date of Introduction: 16.05.2008 vide Notification No. 18/2008-
S.T., dated 10.05.2008
(B) Definition and scope of service:
“Information technology software” means any representation of instruction,
data, sound or image, including source code and object code, recorded in a
machine readable form, and capable of being manipulated or providing
interactivity to a user, by means of a computer or an automatic data processing
machine or any other device or equipment.
(Section 65 (53a) of Finance Act, 1994 as amended)
“Taxable Service” means any service provided or to be provided to any
person, by any other person in relation to information technology software,
including,-
(i) development of information technology software,
ii) study, analysis, design and programming of information
technology software,
(iii) adaptation, upgradation, enhancement, implementation and other
similar services related to information technology software,
(iv) providing advice, consultancy and assistance on matters related to
information technology software, including conducting feasibility studies on
implementation of a system, specification for a database design, guidance and
assistance during the start up phase of a new system, specifications to secure
a database, advice on proprietary information technology software,
(v) providing the right to use information technology software for
commercial exploitation including right to reproduce, distribute and sell
information technology software and right to use software components for the
creation of and inclusion in other information technology software products,
(vi) providing the right to use information technology software
supplied electronically.
(Section 65 (105) (zzzze) 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
00440452
Education Cess 2% of the service tax
payable
00440298
Secondary and
Higher
Education cess
1% of the service tax
payable.
00440426
Other –
Penalty/interest
As levied or applicable 00440450
( 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 the Board/Ministry:
Scope of Information Technology Software services.-
(1) Information Technology (IT) software service includes,-
. Development (study,analysis, design and programming) of software.
. Adaptation, up-gradation, enhancement, implementation and other similar
services in relation to IT software.
. Provision of advice and assistance on matters related to IT software,
including.
(i) Conducting feasibility studies on the implementation of a system,
(ii) Providing specifications for a database design,
(iii) Providing guidance and assistance during the start up phase of a
new system,
(iv) Providing specifications to secure a database, or providing advice
on proprietary IT software.
. Acquiring the right to use,-
(i) IT software for commercial exploitation including right to reproduce,
distribute and sell,
(ii) Software components for the creation of and inclusion in other IT
software products,
(iii) IT software supplied electronically.
(2) Software consists of carrier medium such as CD, Floppy and coded data.
Software are categorized as “normal software’ and ‘specific software’.
Normalized software is mass market product generally available in packaged form off the shelf in retail outlets. Specific software is tailored to the
specific requirement of the customer and is known as customized software.
(3) Packaged software sold off the shelf, being treated as goods, leviable to
excise duty @ 8%. In this budget, it has been increased from 8% to 12%
vide notification No. 12/2008 C.E., dated 1.3.2008. Number of IT services
and IT enabled services (ITeS) are already livable to service tax under
various taxable services:
. Consulting engineer’s service- advice, consultancy or technical assistance
in the discipline of hardware engineering [section 65(105)(g)].
.Management or business consultant’s service-procurement and
management of information technology resources [section 65(65)].
. Management, maintenance or repair service-maintenance of software, both
packaged and customized and hardware [section 65(64).
. Banking and other financial services- ‘provision and transport of
information and date processing’ [Section 65(12)]
. Business support service- various outsourced IT and IT enabled services
[section 65(105)(zzzq)]
. Business auxiliary service- services provided on behalf of the client such
as call centres [section 65(19)]
(4) IT software services provided for use in business or commerce are covered
under the scope of the proposed services. Said services provided for use,
other than in business or commerce, such as services provided to individuals
for personal use, continue to be outside the scope of service tax levy. Service
tax paid shall be available as input service under Cenvat Credit Scheme.
(5) Software and upgrades of software are also supplied electronically, known
as digital delivery. Taxation is to be neutral and should not depend on forms
of delivery. Such supply of IT software electronically shall be covered
within the scope of the proposed service.
(6) With the proposed levy on IT software services, information technology
related services will get covered comprehensively.
(7) Following consequential amendments in other taxable services are also
being made:
. At present, ‘Information Technology service’ is specifically excluded from
the scope of Business auxiliary service [section 65(105)(zzb)]. Consequent
on the proposed IT software service, information technology services get
covered comprehensively for the purpose of levy of service tax and,
therefore, specific exclusion of ‘Information technology service’ under
Business auxiliary service is being deleted.
. To include ‘testing and analysis of IT software’ services under Technical
testing and analysis service [section 65(105)(zzh)].
. To include ‘Certification of IT software’ services under Technical
inspection and certification service [section 65(105)(zzi)].
. To clarify as removal of doubts that ‘Management, maintenance or repair
of properties’ includes Management, maintenance or repair of IT software
[section 65(105)(zzg)]. Maintenance of packaged software (being goods) is
also leviable to service tax under the said service.
. Services provided in relation to advice, consultancy and assistance on
matters related to IT software shall be leviable to service tax under the IT
software service. Consulting engineer’s service [section 65(105)(g)] in the
discipline of compute hardware engineering is leviable to service tax
whereas consulting engineer’s service in the discipline of computer
software engineering is not leviable to service tax by way of specific
exclusion. Specific exclusion of ‘consultancy in the discipline of computer
software engineering’ from the scope of ‘consulting engineer’s service’ is
not necessary and, therefore, being deleted.
. To clarify that a consultancy service, covering both hardware and software
consultancy, shall be classifiable under ‘Consulting engineer’s service’.
[Based on M.F. (D.R) Letter D.O.F.No. 334/1/2008-TRU, dated 29.2.2008]. Budget 2009-10 changes.- A correction has been carried out in the
definition of the taxable service by replacing the word ‘acquiring’ by the
word ‘providing’, considering the fact that it is the providing of ‘right to
use’ and not the acquiring of ‘right to use’ is a taxable service. This
amendment would have retrospective effect from 16.5.2008, where the
service came in to effect.
[Based on M.F. (D.R) Letter D.O.F.No. 334/13/2009-TRU, dated
07.07.2009].
Expansion of the scope of IT software service by Budget 2010-11-
(1) In Budget 2008, services provided in relation to Information
Technology (IT) software, such as development, designing,
programming, upgradation of IT software, providing advice,
consultancy and assistance on the mattes of IT software and providing
right to use IT software, whether supplied on a media or
electronically, were brought in the ambit of Service tax. However, the
tax was limited to cases where such IT software was to be used in the
course or furtherance of business or commerce. In other words, these
activities are taxable only when the receiver of service exploits them
for commercial or business purposes.
(2) The definition of this taxable service is being suitably amended to
extent this levy to cover the aforesaid IT software services provided in
all cases i.e. whether or not used in the course or furtherance of
business or commerce.
[Based on M.F. (D.R) Letter D.O.F.No. 334/1/2010-TRU, dated
26.2.2010].
(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 sub-paragraph (v), if any,
shall not be utilised in terms of provision under sub-rule (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 as amended by Notification No.
15/2009ST dated 20.05.2009
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 tio 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)
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