Government seeks review of Supreme Court’s Vodafone verdict
February 17th, 2012 - 7:59 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) Indian tax authorities Friday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on its verdict in a Rs.11,218 crore ($2.2 billion) tax dispute favouring telecom service provider Vodafone.
The case involved a levy on a 2007 transaction in which Vodafone Plc paid had $11.2 billion to Hong Kong-based Hutchison for acquiring a 67-percent stake in Indian telecom services major Hutch Essar.
The Supreme Court last month had ruled in favour of Vodafone saying that Indian tax officials did not have jurisdiction over a deal between two global companies even if assets involved in that deal were located in India.
A bench of Chief Justice S.H.Kapadia, Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar in their judgment on Jan 20 had set aside an earlier Bombay high court order that had upheld the tax demand by income tax authorities on account of the said acquisition.
Vodafone had appealed against the 2008 high court verdict, arguing that India could not impose taxes because the transaction was made between non-Indian companies outside the country. The deal was between Vodafone International Holdings BV, a Dutch subsidiary of the British firm and CGP Investments., a Cayman Islands company which held the Indian telecom assets of Hutchison.
In its review petition, the income tax department has asked the apex court to reconsider its judgment saying the tax act “has not been correctly interpreted”.
Vodafone, meanwhile, said the Supreme Court in its January verdict had clearly and unambiguously ruled out any tax obligation and that the review petition will be evaluated by the same bench that ruled in the case.
“Vodafone notes the filing of the tax authority’s review petition, which will be evaluated by the same bench that ruled on the Vodafone-Hutchison case, and has no further comment to make at this stage,” the company said in a statement.
Earlier this month a three-member committee set up by the finance ministry had suggested possible options before the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) following the Vodafone verdict.
- Government seeks review of Supreme Court's Vodafone verdict (Lead) - Feb 18, 2012
- Government's plea for Vodafone verdict review dismissed (Lead) - Mar 20, 2012
- Government plea on Vodafone tax verdict dismissed (Second Lead) - Mar 20, 2012
- Supreme Court dismisses petition in Vodafone case - Mar 02, 2012
- Apex court dismisses lawyer's petition in Vodafone case (Lead) - Mar 02, 2012
- Vodafone welcomes apex court's decision in tax case - Jan 20, 2012
- Government to amend law to tax Vodafone-type deals - Mar 16, 2012
- India's apex court saves Vodafone $2.2-bn tax burden (Roundup) - Jan 20, 2012
- On Vodafone ruling, father-son Bhushans don't see eye to eye - Mar 23, 2012
- Government studying court ruling on Vodafone tax dispute - Jan 25, 2012
- Apex court adjourns Vodafone plea on income tax order (Lead) - Oct 25, 2010
- Tax law change may yield Rs.40,000 crore: Government - Apr 24, 2012
- Vodafone files petition against tax authorities move - Oct 15, 2010
- Vodafone was told about tax liability in Hutchison deal - May 02, 2012
- Proposed tax law change 'clarificatory', says Pranab - Apr 20, 2012
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