Discount given to stamp vendors on purchase of stamp papers not to be treated as ‘commission or brokerage’ for TDS
“Commission or brokerage” includes any payment received or receivable, directly or indirectly, by a person acting on behalf of another person for services rendered, or for any services in the course of buying or selling of goods, or in relation to any transaction relating to any asset, valuable article or thing, other than securities.
Fact of the Case: (CIT v. Ahmedabad Stamp Vendors Association)
The principal issue in this case is whether stamp vendors are agents of the State Government who are being paid commission or brokerage or whether the sale of stamp papers by the Government to the licensed vendors is on “principal-to-principal” basis involving a “contract of sale”.
Gujarat High Court observation:
On this issue, the Gujarat High Court had in, Ahmedabad Stamp Vendors Association v. Union of India (2012) 348 ITR 378, observed that the crucial question is whether the ownership in the stamp papers passes to the stamp vendor when the treasury officer delivers stamp papers on payment of price less discount.
The Gujarat Stamp Supply and Sales Rules, 1987 contemplates that the licensed vendor, while taking delivery of the stamp papers from the Government offices, is purchasing the stamp papers. The Rules also indicate that the discount which the licensed vendor has obtained from the Government is on purchase of the stamp papers.
If the licensed stamp vendors were mere agents of the State Government, no sales tax would have been leviable when the stamp vendors sell the stamp papers to the customers, because it would have been sale by the Government “through” stamp vendors.
However, entry 84 in Schedule I to the Gujarat Sales Tax Act, 1969 specifically exempts sale of stamp papers by the licensed vendors from sales-tax. The very basis of the State Legislature enacting such exemption provision in respect of sale of stamp papers by the licensed vendors makes it clear that the sale of stamp papers by the licensed vendors to the customers would have, but for such exemption, been subject to sales tax levy.
The question of levy of sales tax arises only because the licensed vendors themselves sell the stamp papers on their own and not as agents of the State Government. Had they been treated as agents of the State Government, there would be no question of levy of sales tax on sale of stamp papers by them, and consequently, there would have been no necessity for any exemption provision in this regard.
Therefore, although the Government has imposed a number of restrictions on the licensed stamp vendors regarding the manner of carrying on the business, the stamp vendors are required to purchase the stamp papers on payment of price less discount on “principal to principal” basis and there is no “contract of agency” at any point of time. The definition of “commission or brokerage” under clause (i) of the Explanation to section 194H indicates that the payment should be received, directly or indirectly, by a person acting on behalf of another person, inter alia, for services in the course of buying or selling goods.
Therefore, the element of agency is required in case of all services and transactions contemplated by the definition of “commission or brokerage” under Explanation (i) to section 194H. When the licensed stamp vendors take delivery of stamp papers on payment of full price less discount and they sell such stamp papers to the retail customers, neither of the two activities (namely, buying from the Government and selling to the customers) can be termed as service in the course of buying and selling of goods.
The High Court, therefore, held that discount on purchase of stamp papers does not fall within the expression “commission or brokerage” to attract the provisions of tax deduction at source under section 194H.
Supreme court Decision:
The Supreme Court affirmed the above decision of the High Court holding that the given transaction is a sale and the discount given to stamp vendors for purchasing stamps in bulk quantity is in the nature of cash discount and consequently, section 194H has no application in this case.
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