Shimla: The Department of State Taxes and Excise, lucrative scheme Himachal Pradesh Legacy Cases Resolution Scheme, 2019 is bearing results as a recovery worth Rs 71.69 crore, has been made so far since its launch.
“The department on Wednesday, recovered an amount of Rs 9.62 crore from M/S Blue Star Limited, Kala Amb, Sirmaur under the scheme. The company had filed an appeal against the provisions of HP Tax on Entry of Goods into Local Area Act, 2010 in the High Court of Himachal Pradesh,” said Rohan Chand Thakur Commissioner of State Taxes and Excise.
The scheme is for those dealers whose assessments have been framed and additional demand/arrears have not been deposited and for those whose assessments are pending under the enactments which have been subsumed in GST Act, he added.
The field staff of the district Sirmaur apprised the company of benefits of the scheme who thereafter withdrew the appeals from High Court and deposited an amount of Rs 9.62 crore as tax and settlement fee on 29 December.
Earlier, the department had recently recovered around Rs 27.85 Crore as a settlement fees under the Himachal Pradesh Legacy Resolution Scheme 2019 from M/s ITC Limited, Parwanoo, District Solan.
The firm had challenge the applicability of the HP Tax on Entry of Goods into Local Area Act, 2010 in the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in the year 2010. The company deposited a part of tax liability and furnished Bank Guarantee worth Rs. 25,32,31,084 as per the directions of the High Court. Since the Government of Himachal Pradesh has bought out a very lucrative scheme by the name of Himachal Pradesh Legacy Cases (Resolution) Scheme, 2019 with the motive to liquidate all old arrears and pending assessment cases under subsumed enactments such as HP VAT Act, 2005, CST Act, HP Tax on Luxury in Hotel and Lodging Houses Act and HP Tax on Entry of Goods into Local Area Act, 2010.
The company management was persuaded by the field Authorities to withdraw their cases and opt for settlement of dues under the scheme since this would save them on the huge cost associated with the bank charges, liability that may arise out of the final outcome of the petitions, if any, legal costs and time and human effort involved in the entire process.
The department had organized wide publicity and awareness camps among various stakeholders about the benefits/incentives involved in the scheme.
The scheme is valid up to 21 January 2021.
