Case: Godrej &amp; Boyce Mfg.Co.Pvt.Ltd Vs. Commissioner Of Sales Tax

Common questions arise in this group of civil appeals, for which reason they were heard together and are being disposed of under a common judgment. The judgments under appeal were rendered on references mad under Section 61(2) of the Bombay Sales Tax Act, 1959. The High Court has answered the questions referred against the appellants-dealers and in favour of the Revenue. Hence, these appeals by them. Since the facts in all the appeals are identical, it is sufficient if we refer to the facts in Civil Appeal No. 803 (N.T.) of 1977 [Cadbury Fry (India) Private Limited v. CST]2. In Civil Appeal No. 803 of 1977, the following two questions were referred for the opinion of the High Court under Section 61(2) of theWhether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was correct in law in holding that for the purpose of reducing set-off under clause (iii) of the proviso to Explanation to Rule 41 of the Bombay Sales Tax Rules, 1959, one per cent should be calculated not on the entire sale price of the goods despatched by the appellants to their branches, but only on that part of the sale price of the goods sold outside the State which is attributable to the locally purchased raw material on which the appellants were claimingWhether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was correct in law in holding that for the purpose of reducing set-off under clause (iii) of the proviso to Explanation to Rule 41 and clause (y) of the proviso to the Explanation to Rule 41-A of the Bombay Sales Tax Rules, 1959, one per cent should be calculated not on the entire sales price of the goods despatched by the appellants to his branches, but only on the part of the sale price of the goods sold outside the State which is attribute to the locally purchased raw material on which the appellants were claimingThe appellant, a registered dealer under the Act, is engaged in the manufacture of various products such as chocolate, drinking chocolate, cocoa etc. During the assessment years concerned herein, it purchased raw material, packing material and containers both within the State of Maharashtra as well as outside. In respect of the raw material, packing material etc. purchased from registered dealers the appellant paid purchase tax to them. Insofar as such raw material etc. was purchased from unregistered dealers, the appellant was liable to and did pay the purchase tax directly to the Government. The goods manufactured by the appellant are liable to sales tax when sold within theIn exercise of the rule-making power conferred by Section 74 of the Act, Rules have been made by the Government of Bombay. We are concerned in this case with only two Rules namely 41 and 41-A. The purport of both the Rules, insofar as it is relevant for the purposes of these appeals is concerned, is practically the same notwithstanding a good amount of phraseological difference between them. Rule 41 applies an respect of purchase made by a manufacturing dealer like the appellant up to July 15, 1962. From this date onwards, it is Rule 41-A that operates. In respect of their assessment for the period January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1960 the appellant (manufacturing dealer) claimed set-off under Rule 41 whereas for the period January 1, 1962 to December 31, 1962 he claimed it under Rule 41-A5. Rules 41 and 41-A provide for set-off of the purchase tax paid by the manufacturing dealer on the raw material, packing material etc. as against the sales tax payable on the sale of the goods manufactured by him. It would be appropriate at this stage to read both these rules, insofar as they are relevant for ourDrawback, set-off, etc. of tax paid by a manufacturer (In respect of purchases up to 15-7-1962). - In assessing the amount of tax payable in respect of any period by a Registered Dealer, who manufactures taxable goods for sale (hereinafter in this rules referred to as the Manufacturing dealer) the Commissioner shall grant him a drawback, set-off or as the case may be, a refund of the aggregate of the following sums, that is toto (d) * * *(e) a sum recovered from the manufacturing dealer by another registered dealer by way of sales tax or general sales tax or both, as the case may be, on the purchase by him, of goods from such registered dealer, being goods specified in Schedule C to the Act other than in Entries 1 to 11 (both inclusive) and 15 therein and in Schedule D other than in Entries 1 to 4 (both inclusive) therein and in Schedule E other than in Entries 1 and 2 therein, when the purchasing dealer did not hold a recognition but effected the purchase otherwise than against a certificate under Section 12 of the Act, provided that such goods are used by him in the manufacture of taxable goods for sale or in the packing of taxable goods manufactured by him for saleExplanation. - For the purposes of this rule the word sale with all its grammatical variations, shall include the sale of manufactured goods (despatched by the dealers in his own place of business or to his agent outside the State and actually sold there)Provided that where such despatch has been made to his place of business or to his agent of outside the State but within India -(i) such despatch shall have taken place within nine months of the date of purchase of the goods so used;(ii) the dealer, or his manager or agent as the case may be, is registered under the Central Sales Tax Act, 1956, in respect of place of business of which the goods are so despatched; and(iii) the amount of drawback, set-off or refund as the case may be, shall be reduced by 1 per cent of the sale price of the goods so despatchedProvided further that if the dealer shows to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that not more than 1 per cent of the total value of the finished goods so despatched was comprised of goods in respect of which the drawback, set-off or refund is claimed, the Commissioner shall not so reduce the amount of drawback, set-off or refund41-A. (1) Drawback, set-off, etc. of tax paid by a manufacturer in respect of purchases made [during the period from 15th July, 1962 to the day immediately preceding the notified day (both days inclusive)]. - In assessing the amount of tax payable in respect of any period by the registered dealer (who manufactures taxable goods for sale or export) (hereinafter in this rule referred to as the manufacturing dealer), the Commissioner shall, in respect of the purchases made by such dealer [during the period from 15th July, 1962 to the day immediately preceding the notified day (both days inclusive)] of any goods specified in Schedule B, C, D or E and used by him within the State in the manufacture of taxable goods [which have, in fact, been exported by him (and not given away as samples or otherwise) or which have been exported by him or used by him in the packing of goods so manufactured] grant him a drawback, set-off, as the case may be, a refund of the aggregate of the following sums, that is to say(a) a sum recovered from the manufacturing dealer by other registered dealers by way of sales tax, or general sales or, as the case may be, both, on the purchase by him from such registered dealers, when the manufacturing dealer did not hold a Recognition or when the manufacturing or when he held a Recognition but effected or otherwise than against a certificate under Section 11 of the ActExplanation. - For the purpose of this rule, (the expression export shall include -)(i) a sale in the course of inter-State trade or commerce, or in the course of the export of the goods out of the territory of India, where such sale occasions the movement of the goods from the State of Maharashtra, and[(i-a) despatches made by the manufacturing dealer to a person outside the territory of India, with a view to selling the goods to the said person and the said goods have actually been sold to him within a period of three years from the date of despatch, and](ii) despatches made by the manufacturing dealer to his own place of business or to his agent outside the State and [which have, in fact been sold (and not given away as samples or otherwise) or used in the manufacture of goods which have in fact been sold (and not given away as samples or otherwise)]Provided that, where such despatch has been made to his own place of business or to his agent, outside the State but within India, -(y) the amount of drawback, set-off, or as the case may be refunds shall be reduced by a sum calculated in accordance with the following, namely(D multiplied by R)/100D means [the sale price of the goods despatched which have in fact, been sold (and not given away as samples or otherwise) or the value of the goods despatched for use in the manufacture of goods which have, in fact, been sold (and not given as samples or otherwise) and R means the rate of tax in force on the sale at the time of despatch of goods, in the course of inter-State trade or commerce, of the same goods under Section 8(1) or as the case may be, Section 8(2-A), of the Central Sales Tax Act,A reading of the Rules manifest the intention of the rule-making authority. It is to provide a relief to the dealers so that ultimately the benefit should percolate to the consumer public. A manufacturing dealer like the appellant pays purchase tax when he purchases raw material and he is again obliged to pay the sales tax when he sells the goods manufactured by him out of the said raw material. Tax on both the transactions has the inevitable effect of increasing the price to the consumers besides adversely affecting the trade. It is for this reason that the aforesaid Rules enable the manufacturing dealer to claim set-off of the tax paid by him on the purchase of raw materials from out of tax paid by him on the sale of goods manufactured from out of the said raw material. The Rule further provides - and it is aspect which is relevant in theses appeals - that in respect of manufactured goods despatched by the manufacturing dealer at his own place of business or to his agent outside the State and actually sold there, the amount of set-off shall be reduced by one per cent of the sale price of the goods so despatched. This is the result flowing from a combined reading of clause (e) of Rule 41 read with the Explanation and the proviso appended to the Explanation. Same is the position flowing from the relevant portions of RuleThe contention of the appellant - which found favour with the Sales Tax Tribunal - runs thus : The appellant purchases the raw material required by him partly within the State of Maharashtra and partly from other States. Similarly, only a portion of the goods manufactured by him is sold within the State of Maharashtra. Bulk of them is sold out-side the State of Maharashtra, though within the country. Rule 41 provides for setting off the purchases tax paid by the appellant on the raw material purchased by him within the State of Bombay. No set-off is given in respect of the tax paid by the appellant on the purchases of the raw material made by him outside the State of Maharashtra evidently for the reason that such tax is paid to such other States. In such a situation providing for deduction of one per cent of the sale price of the goods despatched to outside-State branches from out of the set-off amount is unjust and impermissible. The manufactured goods came out of the raw material purchased both within and outside Maharashtra and not exclusively out of raw material purchased within the State of Maharashtra. At any rate, the Rules properly interpreted would mean that "the percentage which was to be so deducted was one per cent of the sale price of the raw materials which had gone into the manufacture of the finished goods (and of the containers and packing materials used in marketing the finished goods) and such sale price was to be arrived at by a proportionate allocation of the percentage which such raw material (packing materials and containers) bore to the sale price of the finished goods". (This is how the appellants contention is set out in the judgment of the High Court.) Applying such a deduction to the entire sale price of the manufactured goods sent to out-State branches, in effect, amounts to levy of tax on the raw material purchased outside the State or in any event amounts to levy of tax on sales of finished goods effected outside the State of Maharashtra which is clearly beyond the competence of the StateThe High Court did not agree with the appellant. It was of the opiniona plain reading of the Explanation and the first proviso thereto, it is not possible to accept the contention advanced before us by the respondents. Even viewed from the angle of ordinary legal notions, it is obvious that what in fact are despatched by the manufacturing dealer are finished goods. The raw material which have gone into manufacture of the said goods are not despatched, some of them can no more be in existence having been consumed in the process of manufacture and others have completely altered in their composition, nature and form and are no more raw materials preserving their individuality in the form which they bore when they were purchased. Similarly in the case of packing materials and containers ..."The period concerned in this appeal (by Hindustan Lever Limited) is April 1, 1957 to March 31, 1958. During this period the rule in force was Rule 11, which to provided for a similar benefit accompanied by a deduction as is provided by Rule 41. Sub-rule (1-A), which alone is relevant for our purpose, reads asof drawback, set-off or refund of sales tax or general sales tax or purchase tax in certain cases(1-A) In assessing the amount of sales tax payable by a registered dealer who manufactures or processes any goods for sale in respect of any period, the collector shall grant him a drawback, set-off or refund as the case may be, of an amount equal to the aggregate of the sums(i) recovered from the dealer by other registered dealers by way of sales tax or general sales tax;(ii) calculated in the manner specified in sub-rule (1) of Rule 11-A; and(iii) payable as purchase tax under clause (a) of Section 10 on the purchase of such goods by the dealer;after deducting therefrom one per cent, and in the case of goods falling under Entry 23 or 24 Schedule B to the Act, one quarter per cent of the sale price of any goods manufactured or processed where the sale of the goods takes place at any place in India outside the state of Bombay, the goods having been transported to such place on or after the 1st day of July, 1957;Provided -(a) such goods have been used as raw materials, processing materials, fuel, lubricants, containers or packing materials in the manufacture or processing of any goods specified in Entries 19 to 80 (both inclusive) of Schedule B to the Act for sale;(b) and the goods so manufactured or processed are not the goods on the sale of which no sales tax is payable under Rule 5 or clause (i) or Rule 7.It is not suggested by Dr. Pal, the learned counsel for the petitioner that the position under Rule 11 (1-A) is in any manner different from the one obtaining under Rule 41. Besides reiterating the submission made by the counsel for the appellant in the aforesaid group of appeals, Dr. Pal submitted that in case the Rule is interpreted in the manner done by the High Court, it will expose it to the vice of unconstitutionality. According to Dr. Pal too, the said deduction in effect amounts to levy of sales tax on purchases made outside the State of Maharashtra and has the effect of impinging upon the charging provision of the Act.

Court's reasoning:
We cannot agree. Indeed, the whole issue can be put in simpler terms. The appellant (manufacturing dealer) purchases his raw material both within the Sate of Maharashtra and outside the State. Insofar as the purchases made outside the State of Maharashtra are concerned, the tax thereon is paid to other States. The State of Maharashtra gets the tax only in respect of purchases made by the appellant within the State. So far as the sales tax leviable on the sale of the goods manufactured by the appellants is concerned, the State of Maharashtra can levy and collect such tax only in respect of sales effected within the State of Maharashtra. It cannot levy or collect tax in respect of goods which are despatched by the appellant to his branches and agents outside the State of Maharashtra. It cannot levy or collect tax in respect of goods which are despatched by the appellant to his branches and agents outside the State of Maharashtra and sold there. In law (apart from Rules 41 and 41-A) the appellant has no legal right to claim set-off of the purchase tax paid by him on his purchases within the State from out of the sales tax payable by him on the sale of the goods manufactured by him. It is only by virtue of the said Rules - which, as stated above, are conceived mainly in the interest of public - that he is entitled to such set-off. It is really a concession and an indulgence. More particularly, where the manufactured goods are not sold within the State of Maharashtra but are despatched to out-State branches and agents and sold there, no sales tax can be or is levied by the State of Maharashtra. The State of Maharashtra gets nothing in respect of such sales effected outside the State. In respect of such sales, the rule-making authority could well have denied the benefit of set-off. But it chose to be generous and has extended the said benefit to such out-State sales as well, subject, however to deduction of one per cent of the sale price of such goods sent out of the State and sold there. We fail to understand how a valid grievance can be made in respect of such deduction when the very extension of the benefit of set-off is itself a boon or a concession. It was open to the rule-making authority to provide for a small abridgement or curtailment while extending a concession. Viewed from this angle, the argument that providing for such deduction amounts to levy of tax either on purchases of raw material effected outside the State or on sale of manufactured goods effected outside the State of Maharashtra appears to be beside the point and is unacceptable. So is the argument about apportioning the sale-price with reference to the proportion in which raw material was purchased within and outside the State.10. It is not necessary for us to discuss the position obtaining under Rule 41-A separately inasmuch as it is agreed by the learned counsel for the appellant Sri Bobde that the position obtaining under both the Rules, insofar as the aspect in controversy is concerned, is substantially the same, notwithstanding the phraseological difference between both theare, however, unable to see any unconstitutionality in the Rule apart from the fact that such a question may not be open in a reference made under Section 61(2) of the Act. To put the matter beyond any doubt, Mr. Dholakia appearing for the State of Maharashtra stated before us that the State would never demand or recover any tax, on the basis of or buy virtue of any of the said Rules, which is not otherwise due. Indeed, none of these Rules provide for levy of any tax as such. Their operation is limited to what theymay refer to the facts in Civil Appeal No. 1031 of 1979 wherein the respondent was Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. Its main activity was refining the crude oil which belonged to another company. The respondent-dealer agreed to refine the crude oil belonging to such other company and to deliver the kerosene derived out of it to it. That other company alone effected the sale of such kerosene, and not the respondent-dealer. Sulphuric acid was one of the raw material required by the respondent-dealer, on purchase of which it paid tax. The process of refining yielded acid sludge which was regularly sold by the respondent dealer to its won purchasers. The respondent dealer sought to set-off the purchase tax paid by it on purchase of sulphuric acid from out of the sales tax payable by it on the sale of acid sludge. This was denied by the Revenue. It is this controversy which came to this Court. On a literal reading of Rule 41 and having regard to the fact that acid sludge was regularly yielded by the manufacturing process undertaken by the respondent-dealer which was sold by it in its regular course of business, this Court held that the respondent-dealer was entitled to such set-off. We are unable to see any bearing the said principle has upon the issue in controversy in these appeals