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Malay Dutta (NA)     07 March 2013

Service tax liability on purchase of flat

Dear members,

I had booked a flat in March'12 in Kolkata and made the payments in installments partly through bank loan and rest from self. I registered the flat in Nov'12 and have been provided the possession of the property by the builder and have been paying my utility bills ever since.
The builder has now contacted me saying that I need to pay an addditional 3.1% of the total amount as service tax. Nothing about this was mentioned in the agreement. I need an advice about my liability in this case. Am I really liable to pay this amount or is the builder trying to pass off his liability on to me. All other buyers of flats on that land have similarly been contacted by him.

Thanks and regards,
Malay.



Learning

 20 Replies

Rama chary Rachakonda (Secunderabad/Telangana state Highcourt practice watsapp no.9989324294 )     08 March 2013

 

The Finance Bill 2010 has received presidential assent on 8th May 2010 and therefore a new chapter in taxing flat sale has started .In the definition of the taxable services of  ‘Construction of Complex service’ [section 65 (105) (zzzh)], and ‘Commercial or industrial construction service’ [section 65 (105) (zzq)] given in the Finance Act 1994 now  stipulates that construction of house (in any form – apartment / flat / row house / etc) by a builder in a complex is a “service”, and introduced the service tax of 10.3% on such a services .

There would be no levy of the service tax, if the entire amount for the property purchase is paid after the receipt of a completion certificate

The low-cost housing segment (property worth less than Rs. 20 lakh) will be totally exempt from service tax.

This tax would not be applicable to resale properties, as resale properties would essentially have obtained a completion certificate

Since, 75% of the amount charged by the builder is considered to be cost of land, materials,  you would pay 10.3% service tax only on 25% of the amount that you have paid.

Service tax will be applicable for only under-construction properties and not for completed units.

Special services provided by a builder etc. to the prospective buyers such as providing preferential location or external or internal development of complexes on extra charges [Section 65 (105) (zzzzu)] have also been brought as new service under service tax net.Service tax of 10.3% has also been levied on any payment made by you to the builder for getting a preferential location for your house / flat.

  • Any amount paid for getting an apartment on a higher floor
  • Any amount paid to get a flat / house with a specific number
  • Any amount paid to get a flat / house facing a specific amenity, say a swimming pool, lake, park, sea, etc
  • Any amount paid to get an apartment / house facing a specific direction (maybe as per vaastu)

No service tax on amount paid for parking garage.

Malay Dutta (NA)     08 March 2013

Thank you for your kind reply Mr. Rama Chary. I am aware that a Service Tax is payable on this sale. My question is regarding my liability. My agreement states that the gross amount payable is XXXX with no mention of service tax (whether inclusive or exclusive). The property is registered to me and I already have the possession. Who pays the Srvice Tax to the Govt.? Is it the builder or the individual? I am not talking about whose pocket it goes out of but who makes the transaction.

 

Regards,

Malay.

Neha Sharma (Student)     12 March 2013

The buyer is liable to pay the builder Service Tax at the time of purchase of property, which the builder will inturn deposit with the Govt...

 

And if the Builder does not collect Service Tax separately, it would imply that the amount paid by the buyer is inclusive of Service Tax... so if you dont pay additional service tax to the builder and the sale deed has been registered, he would have to pay out of his own pocket..

Rama chary Rachakonda (Secunderabad/Telangana state Highcourt practice watsapp no.9989324294 )     16 March 2013

Neha sharma suggestion is correct

Malay Dutta (NA)     17 March 2013

Thank you Neha for your insight.

Biswanath Nag (AGM)     21 March 2013

Dear members,

 I am going to purchase a flat at Asansol, West Bengal for which I made an agreement late Feb'13 and handed over a DD. I already made that agreement. The flat is going to be registered on 16'th Aprl. I have not paid any installment so far. The builder is now claiming a sevice tax at the rate of 3.09% of the total value of flat. I need an advice wheather I shall be bound to pay or not? 

Cartoos (c.crime@yahoo.com)     29 April 2013

Dear Members,

I had purched a commercial unit in IT park for Rs.15 Lakhs in April 2009, construction is still incomplete.

Builder is asking for service tax at rate rs 200 per sq. Ft. the 600 sq. ft.

Is this valid or I can challange the same and where ?

Thanks

Pragnesh (Finance Executive)     16 May 2013

Dear Expert team,

I booked a flat in the month of May'12. Now the time has come to make it registered. Builder told me to make payment of service tax to him (without any receipt to me) on total white payment of Rs 15 Lacs at the rate of 4.10% ( here, 1% is extra due to builder is developer of this site & they are directly not owner of this land as explained by him). Service tax amt roughly comes to Rs 60,000. Kindly advise on the following :

1. Howmuch i should pay legally...?

2. Should we get any receipt against this payment ?

3. Can we take any tax benefit ( for salaried employee) for this payment...?

4. On which legal clause , i should take up the matter with builder on this ?

Request your kind advise & thanks for devoting your valuable time. 

Regards, Pragnesh Gandhi

Pragnesh (Finance Executive)     16 May 2013

Dear Expert team,

I booked a flat in the month of May'12. Now the time has come to make it registered. Builder told me to make payment of service tax to him (without any receipt to me) on total white payment of Rs 15 Lacs at the rate of 4.10% ( here, 1% is extra due to builder is developer of this site & they are directly not owner of this land as explained by him). Service tax amt roughly comes to Rs 60,000. Kindly advise on the following :

1. Howmuch i should pay legally...?

2. Should we get any receipt against this payment ?

3. Can we take any tax benefit ( for salaried employee) for this payment...?

4. On which legal clause , i should take up the matter with builder on this ?

Request your kind advise & thanks for devoting your valuable time. 

Regards, Pragnesh Gandhi

sanjay mishra (service)     18 May 2013

Dear experts,

              Let me know about the rules of paying service tax in purchasing flat.

        thanking you...

sanjay

Alesh (Senior Software Engineer)     08 August 2013

This is my first post on this forum and I would to say "Hello" to all.

I have a query regarding service on a house (Land + Construction) which me and my father purchased last year in Indore (MP), but did not get possession till now. 

As i understand that, service tax should be paid on under constructed properties and such properties are registered on the basis of valuation at construction stage but my question is our builder let us registered the property on full amount of house but it was only 40% completed and showed 100% on paper (which we did not want) in March 2013 and now asking for service tax before handover.

So in this case Am i liable to pay service tax ?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

Best Regards,

-Alesh

s.ramanathan (auditor)     29 April 2014

My query is whether service tax applicable for the amount collected by the builder for club house, swimming pool?

Nitin Gupta (Senior Solution Integrator)     13 May 2014

Dear Expert Team,
I have bought flat in 2011 as under construction property.I have paid service tax at 3.71% because of the unit size over 2000 sq ft.
Recently Builder has sent the final demand along with intimation of possession of letter for my unit. The final amount comprises of following :
Club Membership
External Electrification
Charges Fire Fightings
Power Backup

Now on all above building builder is charging me service tax @ 12.26% instead of 3.71%.I have refferred the following link before posting my query on this forum

Link : https://www.charteredclub.com/service-tax-on-under-construction-property-3-09/

My query : Is it correct on part of builder to charge me 12.36% service tax on above or can I challenge his claim.

If Answer to my query is , Yes I can challenge the builder incorrect demand of service tax, I need to know what should be most appropriate response which I must write to him in order to reduce my service tax liability from 12.36% to 3.71%.

Apprecite and thanks in advance for helping me out in this matter.

Regards

Nitin Gupta

Mallikarjun (Manager)     25 May 2014

Dear Experts,

I bought a flat under construction in Bengaluru with Super Buit Up area(SBU) is 900 SFT.

Came to know that, buyer need not to pay any Service Tax , if the CARPET area is less than 650 SFT

In my case CARPET area is around 630 SFT (70% of 900),  do I need to pay Service Tax ?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Mallikarjun


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