Tag: #CESTATOrders

  • CESTAT New Delhi- SVB Loading Rejected as Legally Unsustainable

    CESTAT New Delhi- SVB Loading Rejected as Legally Unsustainable

    Date: 02.05.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Principal Bench, New Delhi, allowed the appeal of M/s Rays Engineering Works against the re-assessment of customs duty on imported goods. The Tribunal held that the enhancement of assessable value based on 13% “SVB loading” was illegal and violative of Section 17(5) of the Customs Act, 1962.

    • The appellant declared the value of goods at US$ 1.25/kg for slew gear and US$ 0.67/kg for bucket tooth.
    • The Assessing Officer enhanced the declared value by 13% citing SVB loading, without issuing a speaking order under Section 17(5).
    • Appellant paid the enhanced duty but did not provide written acceptance of the reassessment.

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  • CESTAT Bangalore held that there was no justification to reject the transaction value

    CESTAT Bangalore held that there was no justification to reject the transaction value

    Date: 02.05.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Regional Bench Bangalore, has allowed the appeal filed by M/s K V Joshy & C K Paul against the re-determined customs valuation of imported refillable plastic gas lighters from China. In Final Order No. 20531/2025 dated 30 April 2025, the Tribunal ruled that the rejection of transaction value was unjustified due to lack of comparable imports and procedural lapses.

    • The appellants imported refillable plastic gas lighters under Bill of Entry No. 8950081 dated 17.04.2015.
    • Customs authorities alleged undervaluation based on email communications and proforma invoices showing higher values for different branded products.
    • The Adjudicating Authority re-determined the value and imposed penalties. The Commissioner (Appeals) later upheld the reassessment but set aside penalty under Section 114AA.
    • The matter reached CESTAT challenging the basis for rejecting declared values.

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  • CESTAT Mumbai Partially Relieves Appellants in Cigarette Smuggling Case: Penalty Under Section 112(a) Quashed, Retained Under Section 112(b)

    CESTAT Mumbai Partially Relieves Appellants in Cigarette Smuggling Case: Penalty Under Section 112(a) Quashed, Retained Under Section 112(b)

    Date: 01.05.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Mumbai Bench, delivered a nuanced verdict in Customs Appeal Nos. 87171 and 87172 of 2019 involving allegations of illegal import and distribution of foreign-origin cigarettes in violation of the Customs Act, 1962 and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA), 2003.

    • The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), CSI Airport Customs, intercepted a consignment containing 3 lakh cigarette sticks branded as β€œNew Light Cigarettes WIN” valued at β‚Ή15 lakhs.
    • The consignment, imported from Myanmar via the North-East, did not comply with packaging norms under COPTA and lacked valid import documents.
    • Investigation revealed a network involving multiple individuals, including Appellant (owner of M/s Megha Collection) and his employee Appellant, who were implicated in receiving and further distributing such consignments.

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  • CESTAT Kolkata quashing a demand notice for recovery of a SAD refund

    CESTAT Kolkata quashing a demand notice for recovery of a SAD refund

    Date: 30.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Kolkata Bench, in Final Order No. 76020/2025 dated 24 April 2025, delivered a significant ruling in favour of KEC International Ltd., quashing a demand notice for recovery of a Special Additional Duty (SAD) refund.

    • KEC International Ltd., a major manufacturer of power transmission equipment, had entered into an agreement with Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. for setting up fibre optic cabling infrastructure.
    • In order to fulfil contractual obligations, KEC imported OPGW fibre optic cables and accessories and cleared the same for home consumption on 22 January 2014.
    • The company paid all applicable duties including SAD and subsequently sold the goods to Power Grid, discharging VAT/CST, and filed for a SAD refund under Notification No. 102/2007-Cus.
    • The refund claim was sanctioned on 26 September 2014 after due verification by Customs.

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  • CESTAT Allahabad Quashes Penalty on R-22 Gas Smuggling

    CESTAT Allahabad Quashes Penalty on R-22 Gas Smuggling

    Date: 30.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Allahabad Bench, allowed the appeal of Appellant and set aside penalties imposed in a case related to the smuggling of R-22 gas cylinders.

    • Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) investigations revealed that R-22 gas cylinders were smuggled from Dubai concealed under consignments of heavy melting scrap.
    • The impugned imports were attributed to Indian entitiesβ€”M/s Ramesh & Company and M/s Vipan & Companyβ€”using fake partitions in containers.
    • The appellant was accused of abetting the operation from Dubai and was penalized β‚Ή20 lakh under Section 112(a)(i) and β‚Ή15 lakh under Section 114AA of the Customs Act, 1962.

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  • CESTAT Kolkata Rules in Favor of La Opala RG Ltd. on SHIS Duty Benefit Dispute

    CESTAT Kolkata Rules in Favor of La Opala RG Ltd. on SHIS Duty Benefit Dispute

    Date: 29.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Kolkata, ruled in favor of M/s. La Opala RG Ltd., quashing a duty demand of nearly Rs. 58 lakh raised by Customs for imports made under the Status Holder Incentive Scrip (SHIS) scheme.

    M/s. La Opala RG Ltd., a prominent glassware manufacturer, imported key manufacturing inputs such as Crucible Pots, Pot Rings, Abrasive Belts, PVA Wheels, Bevelling Cones, and Refractories between December 2012 and February 2015. These imports were made under 12 SHIS scrips via 14 Bills of Entry.

    Subsequently, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) issued a Show Cause Notice alleging that:

    • The imported items were not capital goods or directly related to previously imported capital goods.
    • SHIS scrips were misused to debit duty beyond the permissible 10% of the total scrip value.

    The adjudicating authority confirmed a customs duty demand of Rs. 57,94,958 with interest and equal penalty under Section 114A of the Customs Act, 1962.

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  • CESTAT Kolkata emphasized that minor administrative errors without dishonest intent should not result in penal consequences

    CESTAT Kolkata emphasized that minor administrative errors without dishonest intent should not result in penal consequences

    Date: 28.04.2025

    The Eastern Zonal Bench of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Kolkata, delivered an important ruling on 17th April 2025, dismissing an appeal filed by the Revenue against M/s. Nalini Bandhu Ray & Sons, a licensed Customs Broker.

    • M/s. Nalini Bandhu Ray & Sons filed a Bill of Entry for the importer M/s Lalwani Ferro Alloys based on instructions and documentation provided by their client.
    • Later, it emerged that the consignee name had been changed by the overseas supplier to M/s QVC International Pvt. Ltd., but this change was not communicated to the Customs Broker.
    • The Revenue alleged a violation of Regulation 10(e) of the Customs Broker Licensing Regulations, 2018 for failing to exercise due diligence.

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  • CESTAT Hyderabad Upholds IGST Refund Claim Despite Delay

    CESTAT Hyderabad Upholds IGST Refund Claim Despite Delay

    Date: 28.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) Hyderabad, in Final Order Nos. A/30134-30135/2025 dated 24th April 2025, delivered a significant ruling favoring M/s Shabeer Enterprises concerning refund of Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) paid on re-exported goods.

    • M/s Shabeer Enterprises imported 18.030 metric tons of Sri Lankan Areca Nuts through Krishnapatnam Port.
    • The goods failed quality standards under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) Regulation, 2011, leading to a re-export order dated 30.09.2021.
    • IGST of Rs.2,82,808/- was paid on 31.03.2021.
    • The appellant filed a refund application for the IGST amount on 12.04.2022.

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  • CESTAT Allahabad Quashes Gold Confiscation Orders of Customs

    CESTAT Allahabad Quashes Gold Confiscation Orders of Customs

    Date: 28.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) Allahabad, in its Final Order Nos. 70205-70210/2025 dated 24th April 2025, allowed multiple appeals against the confiscation of nearly 4 kilograms of gold and penalties imposed by the Commissioner, Customs (Preventive), Lucknow.

    • Gold weighing 3998.83 grams valued at approximately Rs. 2.12 crore was seized from two individuals traveling by bus from Gorakhpur to Delhi.
    • The seizure was made on a “reasonable belief” of smuggling under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962.
    • Penalties were imposed under Section 112 of the Customs Act, 1962 against six individuals including employees of M/s Bajrang Bullion Traders.

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  • CESTAT Kolkata Rejects Customs Value Enhancement Based on NIDB Data

    CESTAT Kolkata Rejects Customs Value Enhancement Based on NIDB Data

    Date: 26.04.2025

    The Customs, Excise, and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Eastern Zonal Bench, Kolkata, has recently dismissed an appeal filed by the Revenue challenging the decision of the Commissioner (Appeals) to reject the enhancement of import values based on National Import Database (NIDB) data.

    M/s Radha Engineering Company imported “LED/NON-LED Christmas Lights” and “LED Strip Light/LED Rope Light,” declaring specific transaction values. Following an investigation by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Revenue alleged undervaluation and enhanced the declared import values based on NIDB data.

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