Govt exempts tax on hotel goods, office furniture

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 27: Governor N N Vohra today gave exemption on the entry tax on goods for construction, expansion and modernization of  hotels and also on replacement of furniture, office equipment and goods destroyed due to floods of 2014.
On the directions of the Governor,  the Finance Department  issued an SRO 21 exempting payment of Entry Tax levied under “Entry Tax on Goods Act 2000”, (Act No. IV of 2000) for goods imported for construction, expansion and modernization of hotels. This exemption shall be available only in respect of goods not available locally and SRO 21 has been issued in supersession of SRO 88 of  March 25, 2008.
A Raj Bhavan spokesman said that the Hoteliers seeking exemption under this notification may apply to the Director Tourism of concerned Division along with a list of the items and the quantities to be imported for the construction, expansion and modernization of their hotels. The concerned Directors, after satisfying themselves that such goods are not locally available, shall submit their recommendations to Commissioner, Commercial Taxes with in seven days of the receipt of application from the Hoteliers. The Commissioner Commercial Taxes, on receipt of recommendations shall dispose the issue on merits within 7 days.
It is envisaged that the availability of this exemption will facilitate early revival of the tourism infrastructure which was severally damaged during the recent floods, the spokesman added.
As ordered by the Governor, the Finance Department has also issued SRO 22 exempting payment of Entry Tax levied under “Entry Tax on Goods Act, 2000”, (Act No. IV of 2000) on furniture, office equipment and goods imported into the State by Hoteliers to replace for such goods as were destroyed during the recent floods. The exemption shall be available up to  February 28, 2015.
The spokesman added that this exemption shall be available only in respect of hoteliers who shall apply to Director Tourism of the concerned Division with a list of the goods and the quantities damaged during the floods in 2014. The concerned Director, after satisfying himself, shall verify the Insurance claims and other relevant documents in support of the claims made by the applicants, within seven days from the receipt of the applications  and furnish his recommendations to Commissioner, Commercial Taxes who, in turn, shall settle the issue on merits within three days.

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