EPRESS Prepaid Recharge Services India P. Ltd. v. ITO (Pune)(Trib), www.itatonline.org

S. 40(a)(ia) : Amounts not deductible-Deduction at source –Payment to web hosting charges to Amazon Web Services LLC (USA) (AWS) is not laible to deduct tax at sourcr- Web hosting chrgescanot constitutes “royalty” under Explanation 2 to s. 9(1)(vi) read with the India USA DTAA- Not liable to deduct tax at souce -DTAA-India –USA. [S. 9(1)(vi), 195]

Allowing the appeal of the assessee the Tribunal held that ,the assessee in the present case did not use or acquire any right to use any industrial, commercial or scientific equipment while using the technology services provided by Amazon and hence, the payment made by assessee cannot be said to be covered under clause (iva) to Explanation 2 of section 9(1)(vi) of the Act. In other words, even if the retrospective amendment is held to be applicable, the case of assessee of payment to Amazon being outside the scope of said Explanation 2(iva) to section 9(1)(vi) of the Act, cannot make the assessee liable to deduct tax at source. In other words, the assessee is not liable to deduct withholding tax and such non deduction of withholding tax does not render the assessee in default and consequently, no disallowance of amount paid as web hosting charges is to be made in the hands of assessee for such non deduction of withholding tax and hence, provisions of section 40(a)(i)of the Act are not attracted.   (ITA No.828/PUN/2016, ITA No.1204/PUN/2016, dt. 24.10.2018) (AYs. 2010-11, 2011-12)