it is trite law that general rule is strict interpretation while special rule in the case of beneficial and promotional exemption is liberal interpretation.
Both the rules go very well with each other because they relate to two different sets of circumstances.
That when it comes to beneficial or promotional exemption like notification no. 12/2012-C.E which has substantial focus on benefits for a particular industry say fertiliser, a liberal interpretation has to be applied as held by the Honourable Apex Court in the matter of Commnr. Of Central Excise, … vs M/S. Favourite Industries – 2012 (278) E.L.T. 145 (S.C.) as under :
31. Moreover, a liberal construction requires to be given to a beneficial notification. This Court in Commissioner of Customs (Preventive) Mumbai v. M. Ambalal and Company, (2011) 2 SCC 74 = 2010 (260) E.L.T. 487 (S.C.), (in which one of us was the party) has observed that the beneficial notification providing the levy of duty at a concessional rate should be given a liberal interpretation :
“16. It is settled law that the notification has to be read as a whole. If any of the conditions laid down in the notification is not fulfilled, the party is not entitled to the benefit of that notification. The rule regarding exemptions is that exemptions should generally be strictly interpreted but beneficial exemptions having their purpose as encouragement or promotion of certain activities should be liberally interpreted. This composite rule is not stated in any particular judgment in so many words. In fact, majority of judgments emphasise that exemptions are to be strictly interpreted while some of them insist that exemptions in fiscal statutes are to be liberally interpreted giving an apparent impression that they are contradictory to each other. But this is only apparent. A close scrutiny will reveal that there is no real contradiction amongst the judgments at all. The synthesis of the views is quite clearly that the general rule is strict interpretation while special rule in the case of beneficial and promotional exemption is liberal interpretation. The two go very well with each other because they relate to two different sets of circumstances.”
32. In Commissioner of Sales Tax v. Industrial Coal Enterprises, (1999) 2 SCC 607, this Court has observed thus :
“11. In CIT v. Straw Board Mfg. Co. Ltd. this Court held that in taxing statutes, provision for concessional rate of tax should be liberally construed. So also in Bajaj Tempo Ltd. v. CIT it was held that provision granting incentive for promoting economic growth and development in taxing statutes should be liberally construed and restriction placed on it by way of exception should be construed in a reasonable and purposive manner so as to advance the objective of the provision.”
33. In Commissioner of Central Excise, Shillong v. North-Eastern Tobacco Co. Ltd., (2003) 1 SCC 161 = 2002 (146) E.L.T. 490 (S.C.), this Court has observed thus :
“10. The other important principle of interpreting an exemption notification is that as far as possible liberal interpretation should be imparted to the language thereof, provided no violence is done to the language employed. See State Level Committee v. Morgardshammar India Ltd.”
Leave a Reply