Government seeks review of Supreme Court's Vodafone verdict
Friday February 17, 2012 11:06:24 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi: The Indian
tax authorities Friday filed a review petition in the Supreme
Court on its verdict in a Rs.11,218 crore ($2.2 billion) tax
dispute favouring telecom service provider Vodafone.
The case involved a levy on a 2007 transaction in which Vodafone
Plc had paid $11.2 billion to Hong Kong-based Hutchison for
acquiring a 67-percent stake in Indian telecom services major
Hutch Essar.
The Supreme Court last month had ruled in favour of Vodafone
saying that Indian tax officials did not have jurisdiction over a
deal between two global companies even if assets involved in that
deal were located in India.
A bench of Chief Justice S.H.Kapadia, Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan
and Justice Swatanter Kumar in their judgment on Jan 20 had set
aside an earlier Bombay High Court order that had upheld the tax
demand by income tax authorities on account of the said
acquisition.
The finance ministry in its review petition said the Jan 20
judgment erred in saying that the transaction between Vodafone Plc
and Hong Kong-based Hutchison was a bonafide FDI investment in the
country. In the said transaction, there was no inflow of the
foreign investment in the country, it said.
The petition said that by its very nature, the transaction was
off-shore and described the apex court finding as patently and
inherently flawed.
Holding as totally inconsequential that group contributed
Rs.20,0000 crore as direct and indirect taxes, the review petition
said that the taxes paid by the domestic users were totally
unrelated to the core of the matter - the tax liability arising
from the overseas transaction relating to Indian operations of
Hutch Essar.
The petition sought the setting aside of Jan 20 judgment on the
ground of non-consideration of the 15 contentions raised by it.
The review petition said that judgment has not appreciated the
various clauses of the sale purchase agreement (SPA).
Vodafone had appealed against the 2008 high court verdict, arguing
that India could not impose taxes because the transaction was made
between non-Indian companies outside the country. The deal was
between Vodafone International Holdings BV, a Dutch subsidiary of
the British firm and CGP Investments., a Cayman Islands company
which held the Indian telecom assets of Hutchison.
In its review petition, the income tax department has asked the
apex court to reconsider its judgment saying the tax act "has not
been correctly interpreted".
Vodafone, meanwhile, said the Supreme Court in its January verdict
had clearly and unambiguously ruled out any tax obligation and
that the review petition will be evaluated by the same bench that
ruled in the case.
"Vodafone notes the filing of the tax authority's review petition,
which will be evaluated by the same bench that ruled on the
Vodafone-Hutchison case, and has no further comment to make at
this stage," the company said in a statement.
Earlier this month a three-member committee set up by the finance
ministry had suggested possible options before the Central Board
of Direct Taxes (CBDT) following the Vodafone verdict.
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