Sales tax and cloud computing in India

Gautam, Khagesh (2014) Sales tax and cloud computing in India. The Tax Lawyer, 68 (4). pp. 671-713. ISSN 0040005X

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Abstract

This Article, the first of its kind, addresses the question of imposition of sales tax on Cloud Computing transactions in India. Several industry estimates show that the Cloud Computing market is growing in India and is poised to grow further. However, the question of how to tax these transactions remains to be addressed so far. This Article engages with this question albeit only in the context of sales tax. The India Constitution lays down in elaborate detail the taxes that can exclusively be levied by the Union Parliament and those that can exclusively be levied by the State Legislatures. Sales tax on intra-state transactions of sale (a local sales tax) can be levied exclusively by State Legislatures. Keeping in mind the elaborate constitutional arrangement, the history of the levy of sales tax on software sale transactions in India and the well-established jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of India on the point, this Article argues that local sales tax on cloud computing transactions cannot be levied by the State Legislatures. The Indian Constitution allows the State Legislatures to levy sales tax on certain transactions by a deeming fiction of law. In other words, certain transactions can be deemed to be a ‘sale’ even if they truly are not. Relying on the well-established interpretation of those constitutional provisions by the Supreme Court of India, this Article argues that such deeming fictions of law provided for in the Indian Constitution cannot be extended to Cloud Computing transactions. Article 366(29A) of the Indian Constitution provides that certain transactions, even if they are not ‘sales’ may be deemed to be ‘sale’ in order to State Legislatures to levy local sales tax. For example, a works contract or a hire purchase transaction.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: Constitution of India-Article 366(29A) | Taxation- Cloud Computing | Cloud Computing
Subjects: Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Law and Legal Studies
JGU School/Centre: Jindal Global Law School
Depositing User: Amees Mohammad
Date Deposited: 22 Apr 2022 06:00
Last Modified: 22 Apr 2022 06:00
Official URL: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/taxation/public...
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/2567

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