Ramesh Kumar Patodia vs City Bank N.A. And Ors
2023 Latest Caselaw 1661 Cal/2

                IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA
                    Civil Appellate Jurisdiction
                           Original Side

Present :-     Hon'ble Mr. Justice I. P. Mukerji
               Hon'ble Mr. Justice Biswaroop Chowdhury

                              APO 10 of 2023
                                   With
                              WPO 547 of 2019

                          Ramesh Kumar Patodia
                                    Vs.
                          City Bank N.A. and Ors.


 For the appellant                :-     Mr. Ramesh Kumar Patodia,
                                         Appearing in person.


 For the respondent No.1          :-     Mr. Prabhat Kr. Srivastava,

Ms. Ankita Singh, Advs.

 For the respondent No.4          :-     Mr. K. K. Maiti,
                                         Mr. Tapan Bwanja, Advs.


 For the Union of India           :-     Mr. Rajesh Kr. Shah, Adv.


 Judgment on                      :-     25.07.2023.


 I. P. Mukerji, J.:-

This case is not of the ordinary kind. Most interesting points are involved in

it.

The appellant writ petitioner (the appellant) has argued this case

remarkably well in person.

The facts are these.

At the material time, the appellant had a credit card provided by Citi Bank

(the respondent bank). On 21st February and 28th February, 2019 the

respondent bank offered a loan of Rs.6,50,000/- being "increased pay lite

loan" to him for 12 months with interest @ 13% per annum payable in 12

equated monthly instalments. The loan amount was disbursed by the bank

by an account payee cheque. The date of advancement of loan was 2nd March, 2019. The equated monthly instalment (EMI) amount was

Rs.58,050/-. From the statement enclosed by the appellant at Pg. 68A of

the paper book, it appears that with the payment of EMIs, the interest

amount in each EMI gradually reduced. At the start, the interest amount in

the first EMI was Rs.7,041.44/-. In the last EMI, the interest amount was

Rs.621.98/-. The principal amount was adjusted accordingly so that in the

last EMI the principal amount was shown as Rs.57,434.02/-, interest

Rs.621.98/- resulting in the last EMI of Rs.58,056/-. In respect of the

appellant's credit card, monthly statements were issued where this loan

and the EMI payable thereon were indicated. On 16th May, 2019 the bank

received a letter dated 13th May, 2019 from the appellant challenging the

deduction of the said amount on account of IGST.

The entire amount of loan has been repaid to the bank by him together

with interest and IGST.

By this writ application, the appellant has sought a declaration that the

transaction between him and the bank was exempted from the levy of IGST

and that no amount on that account should have been charged and if

charged refunded.

What calls for interpretation and adjudication in this writ application is

Notification No. 9/2017- Integrated Tax (Rate) issued by the Department of

Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India dated 28th June, 2017

in exercise of its powers conferred by sub-section 1 of Section 6 of the

Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. It exempted certain

categories of service from tax. In Sl. No. 28 of the said notification, against

heading 9971, except tax levied on interest in credit card services, the

services specified in Column-III were exempt from the said tax.

Now, the question which arises is whether the tax charged by the bank on

each instalment of interest together with the loan amount paid by the

appellant was exigible to the said tax?

Mr. Patodia, appearing in person very strongly argued that it may be true

that possession of the bank's credit card by him entitled him to be offered

the loan. But that was all. The advancement of loan by the bank had

nothing to do with the credit card or the service which the bank was

rendering in relation to it. The bank and he entered into an independent

agreement under which the former advanced Rs.6,50,000/- to him by

cheque to be repaid along with 13% interest in 12 equated monthly

instalments. Hence, the interest charged on the loan was not interest which

is usually charged by the bank on account of loan advanced by use of the

credit card. Therefore, the interest charged by the bank and paid by the

appellant could not be subject to IGST.

Mr. Patodia added that only for the purpose of payment of equated monthly

instalments, each instalment amount was reflected in the credit card

statement. There was reference to the loan as Loan Ref. No. 479832. On

this basis, the bank treated the interest as credit card service charge

exigible to Integrated Service Tax, he argued. He showed us the Finance

Act, 1994. In Section 65(12) which defined banking and other financial

services, credit card service was not specifically included within those

services. However, by the Finance Act of 2006, the credit card services were

separately defined in Section 65(33A) of the Finance Act, 1994 as follows:-

"1. Sec 65(33a)- "credit card, debit card, charge card or other payment service card" includes a service provided -

(i) by a banking company, financial institution including non- banking financial company or any other person (hereinafter referred to as the issuing bank), issuing such card to a card holder;

(ii) by any person to an issuing bank in relation to such card business, including receipts and processing of application, transfer of embossing data to issuing banks personalisation agency, automated teller machine personal identification number generation, renewal or replacement of card, change of address, enhancement of credit limit, payment updation and statement generation;

(iii) by any person, including an issuing bank and an acquiring bank, to any other person in relation to settlement of any amount transacted through such card.

Explanation- For the purpose of this sub-clause, "acquiring bank" means any banking company, financial institution including non- banking financial company or any other person, who makes the payment to any person who accepts such card

(iv) in relation to joint promotional cards or affinity cards or co- branded cards

(v) in relation to promotion and marketing of goods and services through such card: (vi) by any person, to an issuing bank or the holder of such card, for making use of automated teller machines of such person; and

(vii) by the owner of trade mark or brand name to the issuing bank under an agreement, for use of the trade mark or brand name and other services in relation to such card, whether or not such owner is a club or association and the issuing bank is a member of such club or association.

Explanation- For the purpose of this sub clause, an issuing bank and the owner of trade marks or brand names shall be treated as separate persons."

He submitted that by credit card services a particular type of service was

indicated. The card had to be used at the place of business of the merchant

either by swiping it through a machine or by contacting the card with it.

The value or consideration for the transaction which is entered in the

machine, is charged on the card. This charge is transmitted to the issuer of

the card which has an independent contract with the merchant. The

transaction is honoured by the bank by making payment of the charged

sum to the merchant. The issuer having a separate contract with the holder

of the card, then charges that amount to the holder of the card who is

obliged to make payment thereof. Usually, a time period is fixed for

payment of the charged sum by the holder of the card, failing which, he has

to pay interest thereon. Normally, the merchant pays some commission to

the issuer of the card for facilitating the transaction between the card

holder and the merchant. There is another type of transaction which is

online where when authorized by the card issuer merchandise or service

can be bought by use of the card by an online method, by making a

transaction with a merchant or service provider indicating the card

number, the CVV number and so on.

The issuer of the card could also advance loan to the card holder by use of

the credit card in the above manner.

Mr. Patodia contended that for this type of service the bank or the issuer of

the card charges an annual fee or interest in case of deferred payment by

the holder of the card. This kind of service rendered can be called card

services. Only on this kind of service could IGST be charged, levied and

paid.

On the basis that the appellant was the holder of the bank's card the

subject loan was advanced by the bank to Mr. Patodia which had nothing

to do with card service. The loan was advanced by cheque, without the use

of the card. Only payment had to be made on the basis of bills raised in the

card statements of account.

The following contentions were made by the respondent bank:

The bank had entered into a contract with the appellant where it was

provided that there would be levy of Integrated Goods and Service Tax on

the interest charged. This condition regarding levy of the said tax was

accepted by the appellant. He had accepted the equated monthly

instalments, the number of instalments and the amount in each

instalment, monthly interest and the said tax thereon. The appellant was

granted loan because he was a credit card holder. Granting of this loan was

part of the credit card services being rendered by the bank to the appellant.

The respondent No. 4, the Central Government made the following

submissions:-

Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) is payable on rendering of inter

State goods and service. The particular service of grant of loan was made

by the respondent bank from Tamil Nadu to the appellant in Kolkata for

which IGST is leviable. Thereafter, learned counsel placed the IGST Act,

2017 in the greatest detail to show how this kind of service of providing

loan was exigible to service tax. He referred to the notification dated 28th

June, 2017 which exempted service except credit card services from tax. An

illustration was drawn from Section 65(105)(zzzw) of the Finance Act, 1994

which stipulated that service in relation to inter alia card service was

taxable. Therefore, the exemption notification of 28th June, 2017 did not

exempt card service. The loan granted by the bank to the petitioner

constituted card service and was exigible to IGST calculated on the interest

charged.

DISCUSSION

Section 65(105)(zzzw) of the Finance Act, 1994 defined taxable service as

one by one person to any other person in relation to inter alia credit card or

card service.

The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 received the assent of the

President on 12th April, 2017 and was published in the gazette of India on

the same day.

The preamble to the Act makes a provision for the levy and collection of tax

on inter state supply of goods or service or both by the Central government

and for matters connected thereto and incidental therewith. Section 2(12)

defines "integrated tax" as the integrated goods and services tax levied

under the Act.

Section 5 is the charging section which provides for levy of this tax on an

interstate supply of goods or service or both on the value of goods or service

under Section 15 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.

In Section 15(d) value would include interest or late fee or penalty.

Section 2(102) defines service as "anything" other than goods, money and

securities but including activities "relating to the use of money" and at

rates not exceeding 40% to be notified by the government to be paid by a

taxable person.

Section 6 grants power to the Central government to exempt generally or

absolutely or subject to such conditions the levy of this tax.

By Sections 73 and 74 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017,

inter alia Chapter 5 of the Finance Act, 1994 dealing with service tax was

omitted.

Grant of loan and charging interest on it by a lender situated in one state

to a borrower situated in another state is an inter state transaction. It is

recognized as service for the purpose of imposition of the Integrated Goods

and Service Tax. The respondent bank is situated in Tamil Nadu and the

appellant in West Bengal. The latter availed of loan from the bank which

was repayable with interest. This was considered as service rendered by the

bank. The interest charged by the bank was viewed as a kind of service

charge for advancing loan to the appellant. Hence, the said tax was payable

thereon.

Now, by the 28th June, 2017 notification this kind of service with one

exception "Interest involved in credit card services" was exempted from

imposition of this tax.

The terms and conditions on which the loan was granted to the appellant

inter alia stated that it was only available to holders of Citi bank credit

cards issued in India. Further, it was exigible to IGST. Mr. Patodia applied

for this loan according to those terms and conditions.

The question is whether this transaction was a credit card service?

Whether the IGST charged by the bank was rightly done? If not, is the

appellant entitled to refund?

Credit card service has not been defined in the IGST Act, 2017.

A good way to proceed would be to apply the definition of "credit card

services" in the Finance Act, 2006 amending Section 65(33A) of the Finance

Act, 1994.

It was conceived of a service provided by a banking company or a financial

institution or a non-banking financial company or institution issuing a

card to a card holder. It also extended to such institutions settling any

amount "transacted through such card".

It is quite plain that to constitute credit card service, the service should be

between the issuer of the card and the holder of the card and that the

service should have some relationship or nexus with the holding, operation

or use of such card including transactions made with it. Otherwise, a bank

may be an issuer of a card to a card holder. The same card holder may be

an ordinary savings account holder with the bank. The service rendered by

the bank in relation to such ordinary account holding does not have any

relationship with the service rendered by the bank to the same customer as

a card holder in transactions concerning the card.

If the loan was advanced to the appellant through use of the card, then one

could have understood that the service was related to the card. In this case,

the bank declared the appellant card holder to be eligible to receive loan.

His loan amount was advanced by a cheque or draft issued by the bank.

That is to say, the loan amount was not generated by charging the

appellant's card. It appears in the monthly statement issued in relation to

use of the card, that the loan amount was shown and the equated monthly

instalment payable indicated. In my opinion, it was only a statement of

account. The loan transaction had to be taken as an altogether separate

transaction. It had no relationship with the relationship between the

appellant and the bank arising out of issue, holding or operation of the

credit card.

Hence, the appellant's above transaction with the bank was a service which

could not be termed as a credit card service and was not exigible to the

Integrated Goods and Service Tax under the notification dated 28th June,

2017.

The appeal succeeds. It is allowed. The impugned judgment and order

dated 24th June, 2022 of the learned single judge is set aside. The

respondent Nos. 2, 3 and 4 are directed to immediately refund the IGST

paid by the respondent bank on account of the above loan transaction of

the appellant to the respondent bank which in turn will refund the amount

on furnishing proper accounts to the appellant. The entire exercise is to be

completed within three months of communication of this order.

(I. P. MUKERJI, J.)

Biswaroop Chowdhury, J.

I have perused the judgment of my learned brother and accept the grounds

assigned therein. However I add the following grounds.

The base of the present dispute is whether the loan granted to credit card

holder is loan simpliciter or an additional facility provided with the credit

card. It is the contention of the Appellant that loan granted has no relation

with credit card services. It is further contended by the Appellant that he

did not utilize the loan but while making the payment of loan he did the

same through credit card. It is contended by the respondent City Bank that

the Appellant had accepted the condition of payment of Goods and Service

Tax at the time of accepting the Loan, thus he cannot retreat from such

acceptance.

It is a well settled principle of law that mere acceptance of a condition

prohibited by law does not make the said condition, enforceable in law.

Thus at the very outset it is necessary to decide as to whether loan granted

to a holder of credit card is a facility annexed to the credit card or a loan

simpliciter.

Upon reading of the definition of Credit Card Services as provided in

Section 65 (33A) of the Finance Act 1994 no where it will appear that credit

card services include loan given to a Credit Card holder. Further upon

perusal, of the Notification No. 9/2017. Integrated Tax (Rate) issued by the

Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India dated

28th June, 2017 in exercise of its powers conferred by sub-section 1 of

Section 6 of the Integrated Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017, it is clear that

loan transactions are excluded from Integrated Goods and Service Tax Act

2017, without any exception that loan given to credit card holder is outside

the purview. Although credit card Services fall outside the purview of

exemptions but there is no mention of loan given to Credit Card holder.

Lending of money by banks to people existed from the date of formation of

banks in ancient India. Thus granting of Loan by Banking Institutions is a

welfare Scheme formulated by banks as per guidelines of Central

Government and Reserve Bank of India. Banking Institutions lent money

against personal as well as other securities such as ornaments goods and

immovable property.

Loans are granted for different purposes, namely house building Education,

Medical treatment Agriculture e.t.c. similarly personal loans are also given.

Hence to fulfil certain objectives in society and pave the way for

development in different fields loans are advanced. At times policy

decisions are taken to waive loans or to give relaxation in payments when

there is exigency and borrowers suffer hardship. Thus loan is a matter of

necessity and not luxury. As granting of loan is a welfare scheme rigid view

causing hardship to borrower should not be taken unless it is expressly

provided by statute. When two views are available in case of loan dispute

the one which favours the borrower should be accepted. When goods and

service Tax are exempted in case of loan transaction it is applicable to all

transactions coming under the category of loan. Any exceptions made with

regard to category of loan namely credit card holder or other borrowers will

go against the letter and spirit for which loan schemes are made and it will

be violative of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. A Banking

Institution has a discretion whether to give loan to a Credit Card holder but

once it chooses to grant loan to a Credit Card holder it has to treat the loan

similar to other types of loan, and cannot treat the same as Credit Card

facility and charge goods and service tax on it.

As respondent City Bank granted Loan to the appellant repayable with

interest it is to be treated as loan simpliciter and cannot be equated with

Credit Card. The basic difference between loan and credit Card is that the

former is granted as a necessity and is a welfare scheme and the later is a

facility granted to customers to get goods and services on credit from 3rd

parties by availing the Credit Card Services of the Bank regarding payment.

Thus loan and Credit Card Services cannot be equated. Thus loan to a

Credit Card holder is to be treated as a loan and nothing else. Hence this

Appeal stands allowed and the order passed by the learned trial judge is set

aside.

Certified photocopy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties

upon compliance with all requisite formalities.

(BISWAROOP CHOWDHURY, J.)