What is the meaning of agriculture for Service Tax ?
As per Section 65 B (3) of Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994 ( inserted (w.e.f. 1.7.2012) by s.143 of the Finance Act.. 2012 ( 23 of 2012) ) :-
“agriculture” means the cultivation of plants and rearing of all life-forms of animals, except the rearing of horses, for food, fibre, fuel, raw material or other similar products;
What is the meaning of agricultural extension for Service Tax ?
As per Section 65 B (4) of Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994 ( inserted (w.e.f. 1.7.2012) by s.143 of the Finance Act.. 2012 ( 23 of 2012) ) :-
“agricultural extension” means application of scientific research and knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education or training;
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What is the meaning of agricultural produce for the purpose of Service Tax ?
As per Section 65 B (5) of Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994 ( inserted (w.e.f. 1.7.2012) by s.143 of the Finance Act.. 2012 ( 23 of 2012) ) :-
“agricultural produce” means any produce of agriculture on which either no further processing is done or such processing is done as is usually done by a cultivator or producer which does not alter its essential characteristics but makes it marketable for primary market;
What is the meaning of Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee or Board for the purpose of Service Tax ?
As per Section 65 B (5) of Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994 ( inserted (w.e.f. 1.7.2012) by s.143 of the Finance Act.. 2012 ( 23 of 2012) ) :-
“Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee or Board” means any committee or board constituted under a State law for the time being in force for the purpose of regulating the marketing of agricultural produce;
Whether there is any service tax on services relating to agriculture ?
No,
Following services relating to agriculture are covered under section 66D (d) (Negative list of Services) of Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994 and hence no service tax is levied on these services.
services relating to agriculture by way of—
(i) agricultural operations directly related to production of any agricultural produce including cultivation, harvesting, threshing, plant protection or testing;
(ii) supply of farm labour;
(iii) processes carried out at an agricultural farm including tending, pruning, cutting, harvesting, drying, cleaning, trimming, sun drying, fumigating, curing, sorting, grading, cooling or bulk packaging and such like operations which do not alter the essential characteristics of agricultural produce but make it only marketable for the primary market;
(iv) renting or leasing of agro machinery or vacant land with or without a structure incidental to its use; (v) loading, unloading, packing, storage or warehousing of agricultural produce;
(vi) agricultural extension services;
(vii) services by any Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee or Board or services provided by a commission agent for sale or purchase of agricultural produce;
Is there any exemption for carrying out an intermediate production process as job work in relation to agriculture ?
Yes as per Notification No. 25/2012-Service Tax dated 20th June, 2012 entry no 30 (a) , Carrying out an intermediate production process as job work in relation to agriculture,is exempt from taxable services.
If Seed testing liable for Service Tax , as only word “testing” is used in Section 66D(d)(1) (negative list of services which are not liable for service tax)?
No seed testing is not liable for Service Tax , as per Circular No.189/8/2015-Service Tax dated 26th November, 2015 “Clarification regarding leviability of service tax in respect of Seed Testing with effect from 01.07.2012-reg.”
- The matter has been examined. In this regard, Negative list entry under Clause (d) of section 66D of the Finance Act, 1994 is reproduced as under :
(d) services relating to agriculture or agricultural produce by way of
(i) agricultural operations directly related to production of any agricultural produce including cultivation, harvesting, threshing, plant protection or testing;
Term agriculture has been defined under section 65B clause (3) as under:-
(3) agriculture means the cultivation of plants and rearing of all life-forms of animals, except the rearing of horses, for food, fibre, fuel, raw material or other similar products;
Term agriculture produce has been defined under section 65B clause (5) as under:-
(5) agricultural produce means any produce of agriculture on which either no further processing is done or such processing is done as is usually done by a cultivator or producer which does not alter its essential characteristics but makes it marketable for primary market;
There is no doubt that seed is not covered under the definition of agriculture produce. All services relating to agriculture by way of agriculture operations directly relating to production of agriculture produce including testing is covered. Testing and certification can be done as per the Act and rules made there under in this regard. Testing cannot stand in isolation of certification and other ancillary activities. Testing cannot be random, somebody has to register for testing. If certificate is not received and seeds are not tagged, testing is irrelevant. Therefore, all processes are a part of the composite process and cannot be separated from testing.
Agricultural operations have not been defined in the Chapter V of the Finance Act, 1994 and an inclusive and indicative list of such operations has been given. Thus it has been defined as Agricultural operations directly related to production of any agricultural produce including cultivation, harvesting, threshing, plant protection or testing. The exemption is thus not limited to the specified operations. The word seed from testing in agricultural operations was deleted so as to broaden the scope of coverage of the negative list entry and to cover any testing in agricultural operations in negative list, which are directly linked to production of agriculture produce and not to limit its scope only to seeds.
It may be recalled that prior to introduction of Negative List, the services [technical testing and analysis and technical inspection and certification of seeds], rendered by notified Central/ State Seed Testing Laboratories /Agency were exempt from Service Tax [notification No.10/2010-Service Tax]. This notification was rescinded by another notification [No.34/3012-Service Tax, dated 20-06-2012], w.e.f. 01-07-2012, when the Negative List entry came into force. The intent of rescinding the said notification was not to withdraw the above stated exemption but the said exemption was being subsumed elsewhere. The relevant entry in the Negative list as on 01.07.2012 read as under:-
(d) services relating to agriculture or agricultural produce by way of
(i) agricultural operations directly related to production of any agricultural produce including cultivation, harvesting, threshing, plant protection or seed testing;
Further, in the subsequent Budget 2013-14, the word seed prefixed to seed testing was omitted w.e.f. 10.05.2013. The intent was clarified by the Joint Secretary (Tax Research Unit) vide Budget D.O.F. No. 334/3/2013-TRU, New Delhi, dated February 28, 2012, in para 1 (iii) of the letter that the negative list entry in sub-clause (i) of clause (d) of section 66D is being modified by deleting the word seed. This will allow the benefit to all other testing in relation to agriculture or agricultural produce.
In view of the above, it is clarified that all testing and ancillary activities to testing such as seed certification, technical inspection, technical testing, analysis, tagging of seeds, rendered during testing of seeds, are covered within the meaning of testing as mentioned in sub-clause (i) of clause (d) of section 66D of the Finance Act, 1994. Therefore, such services are not liable to Service Tax under section 66B of the Finance Act, 1994.