Case Study
Blog Oceaneering Section 44bb GST Excluded
Landmark Court Judgment Analysis
Blog Oceaneering Section 44bb GST Excluded needs detailed legal review and fact-matching before you rely on it. Compare top compliance and legal experts on the WorkIndex work index.
Post Your Requirement - FreeLast fact-checked: 2026-06-27
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India specific
Dispute Details
Facts & Lower Court History
- Facts: Oceaneering International GmbH — non-resident company providing offshore oilfield services to ONGC. Taxed on presumptive basis under Section 44BB (10% of gross receipts as income). Revenue included GST collected from ONGC in "gross receipts" for computation.
- Lower Court: Provide transaction records and contracts confirming business intent.
- Key Issue: Provide transaction records and contracts confirming business intent.
Court Ratio
Legal Principles & Ratio Decidendi
- Ratio 1: GST collected = NOT part of gross receipts for Section 44BB computation.
- Ratio 2: GST is a pass-through: collected by service provider and deposited with government — not income of the assessee.
- Ratio 3: Including GST in gross receipts would inflate presumptive income by 18% of service value — contrary to legislative intent.
Key Evidence
Agreements & Filings Evaluated
- Contracts & Deeds: Primary agreement records and audited financial statements.
- Bank & Tax Ledgers: Bank transaction trails, ITR copies, and invoice filings.
- Board & Audit Records: Board resolutions and external audit validation documents.
Action Points
Practical Mitigation & Compliance Steps
- Mitigation 1: Audit files must contain complete transaction trails, contract copies, and bank statements.
- Mitigation 2: Ensure timely filings under correct forms to prevent jurisdictional challenges by the revenue.
- Mitigation 3: Consult qualified tax advocates when addressing repeat or arbitrary assessment notices.