Chartered Accountant
3652 Points
Joined September 2008
Printing (both on textile and paper) has been held as ‘works contract’ for the purpose of sales tax. However, it should fall outside the ambit of service tax. Since, teh same is exmpte vide entry no. 30(a) of N/N 25/2012-ST, which reads out as folows:
Carrying out an intermediate production process as job work in relation to agriculture, printing or textile processing
Thus, if printing is done on job work basis, it is out of purview of service tax.
At the same time, If entire printing work is done with material (e.g. letterheads, Invoice books, balance sheet etc.), the activity is ‘manufacture’. Any process amounting to manufacture or production of goods is not taxable service – Clause (f) of Negative List of services as per section 66D of Finance Act, 1994 introduced w.e.f. 1-7-2012.