Auctions, right of way, licence fees & development rights to attract 15% tax Indian companies will have to pay service tax on any service they avail from the government or local authority from the next fiscal year, broadening the scope of the levy to include not just spectrum but all auctions, right of way , licence fees and development rights. These will all attract service tax, now applied at 15%, inclusive of two cesses. The government has notified a provision of the last Budget that will kick in on April 1. This will bring almost every service provided by it to companies under the tax net. “This is in line with (proposed) goods and services tax (GST) wherein everything is taxed,“ a senior government official said, putting the move in context. “Some business support services provided by the government were already under the tax net and this now completes the whole package. Globally, similar regimes are followed as it enables seamless flow of credit.“ According to the Bud...