Finance ministry to initiate a new service tax refund scheme on exported goods

22 Aug 2011 Evaluate

The Ministry of Finance is expected to introduce new scheme to refund services tax to exporters on the line of duty drawback scheme for tangible imports used to produce goods. The new scheme to refund services tax to exporters is based on the structure recommended by a panel headed by Panning Commission member Suamitra Chaudhary, which will allow quick return of service tax to big exporters such as Bajaj Auto, Reliance Industries, Welspun.

The draft of services tax refund scheme is ready and will be introduced after finance ministry receiving comments from the industry.  In his Budget speech, the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had announced that government is planning to have such scheme. The ministry of finance repays tax paid on 17 services consumed in exports and two services are exempted.

The new service tax refund scheme, drafted by the apex indirect taxes body CBEC, will repay service tax to exporters on the same lines like the duty drawback scheme for goods or choose for refund on actual basis after export of goods. However, exporters have to mention the aim of exports on the shipping bill at the time of exports. The rates of duty drawback are fixed by an expert panel every year based on the changes in the tax rates in the annual budget. The tax will be funded by Indian Customs EDI System via customs houses.

The experts from industry have welcomed this move of government, as this would reduce the detailed paperwork, audit and follow up for tax refund. The issue of service tax refund has been a major concern with hundreds of crores locked up in tax refunds. The ministry of finance has been trying to make the service tax refund less cumbersome and faster, however the ministry’s efforts have been failed to satisfy the industry. The present system is cumbersome for the smaller exporters and exporters’ body has given several representations to government for simplifying the existing system. 

The department of commerce had appointed a committee to look into transaction costs of exports suggested that service tax paid on input services used by the exporters be repaid on the lines of duty drawback. The committee pegged the transaction costs at 7-10% of the India’s exports. It also noted that the embedded tax and duties paid on inputs dent the competitiveness of Indian exporters.

The services which are eligible for the new service tax refund scheme are banking and other financial services, port services, transport of goods by road and railways, general insurance, technical testing and analysis, storage and warehousing, business exhibition services and specialized cleaning services.

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