In Brief
J.K. Lakshmi Cement Ltd., a cement manufacturer, sought to avail dual tax benefits for inter-State sales under two separate State notifications: partial exemption under a 1986 notification and a concessional 6% tax rate under a 2000 notification. The High Court and Tax Board held that the 2000 notification's explicit condition barred simultaneous use of both benefits. The Supreme Court affirmed the interpretation, holding that Condition 3 of the 2000 notification is plain and unambiguous: a dealer claiming benefits under that notification cannot claim partial exemption under the 1986 notification in the same financial year. Dual benefits were disallowed because the 1986 notification's calculation method is based on total turnover, and bifurcation would cause distortion. The appeal was dismissed.
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