By TIOL News Service

MUMBAI, SEPT 30, 2015: THE appellants (EOU) filed a claim under rule 5 of CCR, 2004 for refund of accumulated credit.

One of the conditions in notification 5/2006 CE-(NT), namely condition (h) prescribes that the amount that is claimed as a refund under rule 5 shall be debited by the claimant from his CENVAT account at the time of making the claim.

The appellants filed a claim under rule 5 on 25.04.2013 but did not debit the amount in the CENVAT account at the time of filing the refund claim. They, however, debited the amount on 13.08.2013.

This was considered enough reason to reject the refund claim.

Incidentally, the amount claimed as refund was debited prior to issue of show-cause notice by the adjudicating authority. This is as per the reported submitted by the AR.

Moreover, even from the date of debit, the claim was not time barred.

The Commissioner (Appeals) was not impressed and he too denied the refund claim on the same grounds. He further stated that the appellants had not submitted any documentary proof evidencing debiting of the said amount on the later date.

The matter is before the CESTAT and the Bench held -

"3. … The short question to be decided is if the refund can be granted to the appellant's when they have debited the amount not on the date of filing refund claim but on a later date. It is seen that the conditions prescribed in the notification having met although on a later date. The failure to debit on the date of filing the refund claim is not such a lapse that it would debar the appellants from the refund. On the day of debiting the CENVAT account they have fulfilled the conditions of the notification. In that event they become entitled to refund on that date. In view of above the impugned order is set aside, the appeal is allowed with consequential benefit. The matter is remanded for the limited matter of verification of arithmetical accuracy of refund. The same is directed to be completed within a period of 30 days from the receipt of this order and refund issued."

In passing: Time and tide wait for none…not always!

(See 2015-TIOL-2076-CESTAT-MUM)