In the Hindustan Zinc case - 2008-TIOL-1149-CESTAT-DEL-LB, a Larger Bench of the Tribunal headed by the President held that, "the taxable service provided by a non-resident or from outside India, who does not have any office in India, having been specified as 'taxable service' with effect from 1.1.2005, under notification No.36 /2004, recipient of such service could not be held liable for paying service tax prior to 1.1.2005 notwithstanding the amendment in rule 2(1)(d) of the Service Tax Rules under notification no. 12/2004."

The Department had challenged this in the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court had dismissed the Government's appeal - 2009-TIOL-87-SC-ST.

This, many in the Government, take as a reason to state that the Supreme Court had confirmed that Service Tax on import of services is payable from 1.1.2005 and not 18.4.2006 as held by the Bombay High Court in Indian National Shipowners Association - 2008-TIOL-633-HC-MUM-ST

The Supreme Court had not held that the tax is payable from 1.1.2005, but only dismissed the Revenue appeal against the CESTAT order holding that it was not payable before 1.1.2005. And there is a lot of difference in the two concepts.

Anyway not satisfied with the dismissal of its appeal by the Supreme Court, the Government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court in the Hindustan Zinc case. The Supreme Court found no merit in the prayer for Review and dismissed the Review Petition. - 2009-TIOL-117-SC-ST

You will remember that in Indian National Shipowners Association - 2008-TIOL-633-HC-MUM-ST the Bombay High Court held that the tax is payable only from 18.04.2006 and this decision had been widely followed.

But the litigation loving government does not keep quiet. It has filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court judgement.