Note : Any Appeal against the Advance Ruling order shall be filed before the Tamil Nadu State Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling, Chennai under Subsection (1) of Section 100 of CGST ACT/TNGST Act 2017 within 30 days from the date on which the ruling sought to be appealed against is communicated.
At the outset, we would like to make it clear that the provisions of both the Central Goods and Service Tax Act and the Tamil Nadu Goods and Service Tax Act are the same except for certain provisions. Therefore, unless a mention is specifically made to such dissimilar provisions, a reference to the Central Goods and Service Tax Act would also mean a reference to the same provisions under the Tamil Nadu Goods and Service Tax Act.
M/s. Tata Projects Limited , No.9, First Floor, AF Block, 8th Street, 11th Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai-600040 (hereinafter called the Applicant or TPL) are engaged in the process, design, detailed engineering, procurement, shop fabrication & inspection, supply, storage, site fabrication, erection, inspection & commissioning of fluid servicing system of Semi Cryo Integrated Engine Test Facility. They are registered under GST with GSTIN 33AAACT4119L1ZF. They have preferred an application seeking Advance Ruling on :
1. “Whether supply of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for establishment of Fluids Servicing System where in both goods and services are supplied can be construed to be a composite supply in terms of Section 2(30) of CGST Act, 2017”.
2. Yes, Whether the Principal Supply in such case can be said to be “Establishment of Fluids Servicing System (FSS)” can be taxable at 5% GST vide Notification No.45/2017- Central Tax (Rate) dated 14/11/2017”.
3. If principal Supply taxable at 5%, whether the entire transaction in the contract is taxed as per the rate applicable to Principal Supply?
The Applicant has submitted the copy of application in Form GST ARA-01 and also submitted the copy of Challan evidencing payment of application fees of ₹ 5,000/-each under sub-rule (1) of Rule 104 of CGST rules 2017 and SGST Rules 2017.
2.1 The Applicant in the Statement of Facts has stated that, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has planned for a launch vehicle with heavy payload capability powered by Semi Cryogenic Engine which uses rocket grade refined kerosene(ISROSENE) as fuel and Liquid Oxygen as Oxidizer. ISRO Propulsion Complex(IPRC), Mahendragiri has been entrusted with the task of ground testing of Semi Cryogenic Engine for which a dedicated test facility called Fluid Servicing System of Semi Cryo Integrated Engine Test Facility (SIET) is being realized. For the above cited work a contract for Establishment of Fluids Servicing System(FSS) of SIET has been awarded to the applicant.
2.2 The Applicant, has further informed that the contract awarded is only for Establishment of Fluid Servicing System of SIET which comprises ISROSENE system, Liquid Oxygen System, Liquid Nitrogen system, Gaseous Nitrogen System, Gaseous Helium System, Water System and Filed Instrumentation system. ISRO has carried out Process Design and Basic Engineering work of FSS. The duration of project is for 27 months.
2.3 Brief scope of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) works to be carried out by the applicant comprises the following.
Major Civil Works: Major Civil works are not in their Scope. The following major Civil works will be provided by ISRO- Test-bays with foundation; Pavement and approach roads; Buildings and Sheds; Blast wall & spillage protection walls; Foundation for equipment.
Minor Civil Works: The minor civil works are in the scope of the applicant which covers providing Plain cement concrete, Reinforced cement concrete, brick masonry, grouting, anchor bolts.
The composition of the price breakup of contract price is as below:
Sl.No. | Particulars | Payment in INR | Payment in INR equivalent to the extent of USD | Total in INR | Percentage of contract rice | |
1. | Engineering Cost | 31,811,000 | 287,857 | 19,507,590 | 51,318,590 | 1.89% |
2. | Material Cost (Supply of equipment, flow components, instruments, pipes and pipe fittings etc. | 1,600,030,050 | 10,969,915 | 742,802,977 | 2,342,833,027 | 86.48% |
3. | Erection cost | 266,625,950 | 150,000 | 10,165,250 | 276,791,200 | 10.22% |
4. | Commissioning Cost | 33,136,000 | 75,000 | 5,082,625 | 38,218,625 | 1.41% |
| Total Basic for items and services | 1,931,603,000 | 11,473,772 | 777,558,443 | 2,709,161,443 | 100.00% |
The supply of materials from M/s. CGM, foreign supplier , to ISRO shall be on High Seas Sales basis through TPL and paid in USD.
2.4 The Applicant has stated that
(a). Two or more supplies of goods or services or both;
(b) Taxable supplies should be naturally bundled;
(c) The taxable supplies should be supplied in conjunction with each other; and
(d) One taxable supply should be principal supply
In light of the above, the Applicant has sought ruling on whether their supply to the ISRO under contract for establishment of FSS can be construed to be a Composite supply; on the applicability of Notification No. 45/2017-Central Tax (Rate) dated 14/11/2017 to the supply provided to ISRO; and the rate of GST applicable to the entire transaction.
3.1 The Authorized Representative of the Applicant was heard in the matter on 19.11.2018. The applicant stated that they are providing scientific equipments which are to be erected and commissioned. The materials supplied constitute the major cost involved in the supply and major civil works is done by ISRO itself. It would be composite supply involving erection and commission of the same. They further stated that they will provide a write-up of the Supply of the Goods and Services and Commissioning, Annexures of the Contracts, any invoices issued, and Payment terms in 2 weeks and requested for one more hearing after submission of the documents.
3.2 The Applicant furnished the Technical Write-up, Annexures of the Contract and Payment terms of the contract vide their letter dated 07.12.2018. In the Technical Write-up, the applicant stated:
3.3 The Applicant was again heard on 22.02.2019 and stated that they are constructing various fuel tanks along with heat exchange pipelines, valves, switches connecting to the test bed of the Cryogenic Engine. The test bed is built by ISRO. The Civil work involved is minor civil work of RCC foundation for pipeline. The applicant has to do commissioning of tanks and fluid pipelines and testing in standalone for the structure and not for the whole system They stated that it is a composite supply where Principal Supply is supply of goods which is Scientific/ equipments and hence it is eligible under Notification No.45/2017 Central tax (Rate) Sl.No. 1.
4. The State authority appeared in Person and submitted a written submission along with a copy of advance Ruling by A.P. The State Tax Authority regarding the question raised by the applicant has furnished the following Comments:
5. We have carefully examined the statement of facts, Supporting documents filed by the Applicant. It is seen from the contract submitted that
The issues to be decided are
1. Whether supply of Engineering, Procurement and Construction(EPC) contract for establishment of Fluids Servicing System where in both goods and services are supplied can be construed to be a composite supply in terms of Section 2(30) of CGST Act, 2017.
2. If Yes, Whether the Principal Supply in such case can be said to be “Establishment of Fluids Servicing System (F*” can be taxable at 5% GST vide notification No.45/2017- Central Tax(Rate) dated 14/11/2017.
3. If Principal Supply taxable at 5%, whether the entire transaction in the contract is taxed as per the rate applicable to Principal Supply?
6.1 From the various submissions before us, we find that TPL is contracted with IPRC to provide Fluid Servicing systems to supply propellants (ISROSENE, Liquid Oxygen) and service fluids (Liquid Nitrogen, Gaseous Nitrogen, Gaseous Helium, Water) to the test bed facility for semi-cryogenic engine at IPRC , Mahendragiri. Each of these systems (for each fluid) involves various tanks, pressure, and venting, cooling/heating, circulation, collection & drain circuit. TPL should erect these fluid systems at the site along with their piping circuits and instrumentations by means of minor civil works done with concrete, brick masonry, grouting, bolts etc. TPL should fabricate and procure the relevant materials, instruments and equipment as defined in the contract. Along with these, TPL should also manage the complete project, plan, review the design, and give detailed engineering drawing for all these systems. They should also ensure inspection, transportation, construction and commissioning of the FSS, though various activities are to be done with assistance of IPRC.
From the listed summary, it is seen that TPL supplies Goods and Services as required in the contract. It is to determine if the supply of goods and services by the applicant under contract to ISRO can be considered as a composite supply.
6.2 Section 2(30) of CGST Act, 2017 defines Composite Supply as:
“composite supply” means a supply made by a taxable person to a recipient consisting of two or more taxable supplies of goods or services or both, or any combination thereof, which are naturally bundled and supplied in conjunction with each other in the ordinary course of business, one of which is a principal supply;
In the case at hand, TPL supplies Non Cryogenic Tanks, Heat exchanger and Pumps for cooling ISROSENE, Ejector System, LN2 Bath Type Heat Exchanger For Cooling GN2 and GHe, Vaporizers, Chilling Water Plant, Steel Pipes, Pipe Fittings including Flanges, Super-insulated Pipelines, Flexible Hoses, Electro-Pneumatic Valves, Control Valves, Non-return Valves, Safety Relief valves, Rupture Disc Devices, Filters, Pressure Regulators, Pressure Gauges. All the above materials are to be designed, engineered, tested and then erected at the site. Erection or Construction involves planning, installation of the civil, structural, electrical, insulation, piping circuits, equipment, instruments and the fluid systems using grouting, masonry, concrete work for installing the same at test bed facility often semi-cryogenic engine. Mere supply of the equipment, instruments, pipes and fluid tanks is not enough, the same has to be integrated and erected and finally commissioned at the test – bed facility. The Contract itself shows that the supply of these equipment and instruments are necessarily to be given with a host of services such as designing, engineering, inspection, construction, commissioning. Further, the payment schedule in the contract also shows that the billing / invoicing is indivisible. Thus, the whole contract for ‘Establishment of Fluid Servicing System(FSS) of Semi-Cryo Integrated Engine Test (SIET) Facility’ at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri is a composite contract as various supplies of goods and services are naturally bundled together.
6.3 Works Contract is a “composite supply”.
Section 2(119) of CGST Act defines works contract as:
(119) “works contract” means a contract for building, construction, fabrication, completion, erection, installation, fitting out, improvement, modification, repair, maintenance, renovation, alteration or commissioning of any immovable property wherein transfer of property in goods (whether as goods or in some other form) is involved in the execution of such contract;
In the case at hand, the applicant has a contractual obligation to supply the materials and also to Erect the entire FSS including the various tanks, piping systems, instruments, electrical circuits etc. Such erection and installation is to be done to the test bed facility for testing the semi cryogenic engine system by means of minor civil works done with concrete, brick masonry, grouting, bolts etc. It involves the transfer of ownership of these goods involved in the erection, construction and installation of the fluid systems. The test-bed facility itself is an immovable structure erected at the site in Mahendragiri. The fluid systems and piping circuits provided by TPL are to erected, fixing them to the test-bed facility which is embedded in earth.
Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Commissioner of C.Ex. Ahmedabad Vs. Solid & Correct engineering works [2010 (252) E.L.T. 481 (S.C.)], has stated
“33. It is noteworthy that in none of the cases relied upon by the assessee referred to above was there any element of installation of the machine for a given period of time as is the position in the instant case. The machines in question were by their very nature intended to be fixed permanently to the structures which were embedded in the earth. The structures were also custom made for the fixing of such machines without which the same could not become functional. The machines thus becoming a part and parcel of the structures in which they were fitted were no longer moveable goods. It was in those peculiar circumstances that the installation and erection of machines at site were held to be by this Court, to be immovable property that ceased to remain moveable or marketable as they were at the time of their purchase. Once such a machine is fixed, embedded or assimilated in a permanent structure, the movable character of the machine becomes extinct. The same cannot thereafter be treated as moveable so as to be dutiable under the Excise Act. But cases in which there is no assimilation of the machine with the structure permanently, would stand on a different footing. In the instant case all that has been said by the assessee is that the machine is fixed by nuts and bolts to a foundation not because the intention was to permanently attach it to the earth but because a foundation was necessary to provide a wobble free operation to the machine. An attachment of this kind without the necessary intent of making the same permanent cannot, in our opinion, constitute permanent fixing, embedding or attachment in the sense that would make the machine a part and parcel of the earth permanently……….”
Applying the above to the case at hand, the erection of the System at site makes the system a permanent fixture, i.e. immovable property. Thus it is clear that in the case at hand, the applicant supplies materials and in conjunction provides the service of erection of the System into at the test-bed facility making all the FSS together as an immovable property. Therefore, the whole contract for ‘Establishment of Fluid Servicing System (FSS) of Semi-Cryo Integrated Engine Test (SIET) Facility’ at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri is also a ‘Works Contract’.
6.4 Schedule II to CGST Act states
6. Composite supply
The following composite supplies shall be treated as a supply of services, namely:-
(a) works contract as defined in clause (119) of section 2;
Therefore, the present supply is a composite supply to be treated as a supply of services. As it is a supply of service, Notification No .45/2017- Central Tax (Rate) dated 14/ I I / 2017 and corresponding SGST notification G.O. (Ms) No. 161, dated 14.11.2017 which provides for concessional rate of tax for a supply of goods is not applicable. The applicable rate of tax for the supply will be the rate of tax of applicable for this supply of works contract.
7. In view of the above, we rule as under:
RULING
1. The Supply of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for establishment of Fluids Servicing System between the applicant and IPRC is a composite supply in terms of Section 2(30) of CGST and TNGST Act, 2017.
2. This supply is a works contract in terms of Section 2(119) of CGST and TNGST Act, 2017 and hence Notification No.45/2017- Central Tax(Rate) dated 14/11/2017 and corresponding SGST Notification vide G.O. (Ms) No. 161, dated 14.11.2017 is not applicable
3. The complete transaction is taxable at the rate applicable to this supply of works contract.