LAW FOR ALL

Karnataka Sales Tax Act,= (i) Is the assessee liable to turnover tax under Section 6-B of the Karnataka Sales Tax Act, 1957 on the payment made to the sub-contractor in spite of the fact that the sub-contractor had declared the turnover and paid taxes? (ii) Since the payment made to the sub-contractor does not amount to turnover within Section 2(i)(v) of the Karnataka Sales Tax Act, 1957, can such payment be part of total turnover as per Section 2(1)(u-2) of the Karnataka Sales Tax Act, 1957? = since the transfer of property involved in such execution had already been taxed, the appellant cannot be taxed again under Section 6-B of the Karnataka Act there being only one taxable event for the purpose of Article 366(29A)(b) of the Constitution of India.= the assessee had assigned parts of the construction work to sub- contractors who were registered dealers. These sub-contractors had purchased goods and chattels like bricks, cement and steel and, where necessary, supply and erect equipments such as lifts, hoists, etc. The materials were brought to the site and they remain the property of the sub- contractor. The site was occupied by the sub-contractor and the materials were erected by the sub-contractor. In this backdrop, after taking note of some provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Act, the Court explained the legal position in the following manner: “16. By virtue of Article 366(29-A)(b) of the Constitution, once the work is assigned by the contractor (L&T), the only transfer of property in goods is by the sub-contractor(s) who is a registered dealer in this case and who claims to have paid taxes under the Act on the goods involved in the execution of the works. Once the work is assigned by L&T to its sub- contractor(s), L&T ceases to execute the works contract in the sense contemplated by Article 366(29-A)(b) because property passes by accretion and there is no property in goods with the contractor which is capable of a retransfer, whether as goods or in some other form. 17. The question which is raised before us is whether the turnover of the sub-contractors (whose names are also given in the original writ petition) is to be added to the turnover of L&T. In other words, the question which we are required to answer is whether the goods employed by the sub- contractors occur in the form of a single deemed sale or multiple deemed sales. In our view, the principle of law in this regard is clarified by this Court in Builders' Assn. of India as under: (SCC p. 673, para 36) “36 … Ordinarily unless there is a contract to the contrary in the case of a works contract, the property in the goods used in the construction of a building passes to the owner of the land on which the building is constructed, when the goods or materials used are incorporated in the building.” (emphasis supplied by us) 18. As stated above, according to the Department, there are two deemed sales, one from the main contractor to the contractee and the other from sub-contractor(s) to the main contractor, in the event of the contractee not having any privity of contract with the sub-contractor(s). 19. If one keeps in mind the above quoted observation of this Court in Builders' Assn. of India the position becomes clear, namely, that even if there is no privity of contract between the contractee and the sub- contractor, that would not do away with the principle of transfer of property by the sub-contractor by employing the same on the property belonging to the contractee. This reasoning is based on the principle of accretion of property in goods. It is subject to the contract to the contrary. Thus, in our view, in such a case, the work executed by a sub- contractor, results in a single transaction and not as multiple transactions. This reasoning is also borne out by Section 4(7) which refers to the value of goods at the time of incorporation in the works executed. In our view, if the argument of the Department is to be accepted, it would result in plurality of deemed sales which would be contrary to Article 366(29-A)(b) of the Constitution as held by the impugned judgment of the High Court. Moreover, it may result in double taxation which may make the said 2005 Act vulnerable to challenge as violative of Articles 14, 19(1)(g) and 265 of the Constitution of India as held by the High Court in its impugned judgment.” This raison d'etre shall apply, in full force, while answering the question even in the context of the Karn5ataka Act. We, therefore, hold that the value of the work entrusted to the sub- contractors or payments made to them shall not be taken into consideration while computing total turnover for the purposes of Section 6-B of the Karnataka Act. As a consequence, the two appeals which are filed by the assessee are allowed and the appeal preferred by the Revenue is dismissed. In the facts and circumstances of the case, there shall be no order as to costs.