Government of India
Ministry of Finance
(Department of Revenue)

Notification No. 12/2017- Central Tax (Rate)

New Delhi, the 28^th June, 2017

G.S.R......(E).- In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 11 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (12 of 2017), the Central Government, on being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, on the recommendations of the Council, hereby exempts the intra-State supply of services of description as specified in column (3) of the Table below from so much of the central tax leviable thereon under sub-section (1) of section 9 of the said Act, as is in excess of the said tax calculated at the rate as specified in the corresponding entry in column (4) of the said Table, unless specified otherwise, subject to the relevant conditions as specified in the corresponding entry in column (5) of the said Table, namely:-

2. Definitions. - For the purposes of this notification, unless the context otherwise requires, -

(a) “advertisement” means any form of presentation for promotion of, or bringing awareness about, any event, idea, immovable property, person, service, goods or actionable claim through newspaper, television, radio or any other means but does not include any presentation made in person;

(b) “advocate” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Advocates Act, 1961 (25 of 1961);

(c) “agricultural extension” means application of scientific research and knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education or training;

(d) “agricultural produce” means any produce out of cultivation of plants and rearing of all life forms of animals, except the rearing of horses, for food, fibre, fuel, raw material or other similar products, on which either no further processing is done or such processing is done as is usually done by a cultivator or producer which does not alter its essential characteristics but makes it marketable for primary market;

(e) “Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee or Board” means any committee or board constituted under a State law for the time being in force for the purpose of regulating the marketing of agricultural produce;

(f) “aircraft” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (1) of section 2 of the Aircraft Act, 1934 (22 of 1934);

(g) “airport” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (b) of section 2 of the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 (55 of 1994.);

(h) “approved vocational education course” means, -

(i) a course run by an industrial training institute or an industrial training centre affiliated to the National Council for Vocational Training or State Council for Vocational Training offering courses in designated trades notified under the Apprentices Act, 1961 (52 of 1961); or

(ii) a Modular Employable Skill Course, approved by the National Council of Vocational Training, run by a person registered with the Directorate General of Training, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship;

(i) “arbitral tribunal” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (d) of section 2 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (26 of 1996);

(j) “authorised dealer of foreign exchange” shall have the same meaning assigned to “Authorised person” in clause (c) of section 2 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999);

(k) “authorised medical practitioner” means a medical practitioner registered with any of the councils of the recognised system of medicines established or recognised by law in India and includes a medical professional having the requisite qualification to practice in any recognised system of medicines in India as per any law for the time being in force;

(l) “banking company” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (a) of section 45A of the Reserve Bank of India Act,1934(2 of 1934);

(m) “brand ambassador” means a person engaged for promotion or marketing of a brand of goods, service, property or actionable claim, event or endorsement of name, including a trade name, logo or house mark of any person;

(n) “business entity” means any person carrying out business;

(o) “business facilitator or business correspondent” means an intermediary appointed under the business facilitator model or the business correspondent model by a banking company or an insurance company under the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India;

(p) “Central Electricity Authority” means the authority constituted under section 3 of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 (54 of 1948);

(q) “Central Transmission Utility” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (10) of section 2 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003);

(r) “charitable activities” means activities relating to -

(i) public health by way of ,-

(A) care or counseling of

(I) terminally ill persons or persons with severe physical or mental disability;

(II) persons afflicted with HIV or AIDS;

(III) persons addicted to a dependence-forming substance such as narcotics drugs or alcohol; or

(B) public awareness of preventive health, family planning or prevention of HIV infection;

(ii) advancement of religion , spirituality or yoga;

(iii) advancement of educational programmes or skill development relating to,-

(A) abandoned, orphaned or homeless children;
(B) physically or mentally abused and traumatized persons;
(C) prisoners; or
(D) persons over the age of 65 years residing in a rural area;
(iv) preservation of environment including watershed, forests and wildlife;

(s) “clinical establishment” means a hospital, nursing home, clinic, sanatorium or any other institution by, whatever name called, that offers services or facilities requiring diagnosis or treatment or care for illness, injury, deformity, abnormality or pregnancy in any recognised system of medicines in India, or a place established as an independent entity or a part of an establishment to carry out diagnostic or investigative services of diseases;

(t) “contract carriage” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (7) of section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988);

(u)“courier agency” means any person engaged in the door-to-door transportation of time-sensitive documents, goods or articles utilising the services of a person, either directly or indirectly, to carry or accompany such documents, goods or articles;

(v) “Customs station” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (13) of section 2 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962);

(w) “declared tariff” includes charges for all amenities provided in the unit of accommodation (given on rent for stay) like furniture, air-conditioner, refrigerators or any other amenities, but without excluding any discount offered on the published charges for such unit;

(x) “distributor or selling agent” means an individual or a firm or a body corporate or other legal entity under law so appointed by the Organising State through an agreement to market and sell lotteries on behalf of the Organising State;

(y) “educational institution” means an institution providing services by way of,-

(i) pre-school education and education up to higher secondary school or equivalent;

(ii) education as a part of a curriculum for obtaining a qualification recognised by any law for the time being in force;

(iii) education as a part of an approved vocational education course;

(z) “electricity transmission or distribution utility” means the Central Electricity Authority; a State Electricity Board; the Central Transmission Utility or a State Transmission Utility notified under the Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003); or a distribution or transmission licensee under the said Act, or any other entity entrusted with such function by the Central Government or, as the case may be, the State Government;

(za) “e-rickshaw” means a special purpose battery powered vehicle of power not exceeding 4000 watts, having three wheels for carrying goods or passengers, as the case may be, for hire or reward, manufactured, constructed or adapted, equipped and maintained in accordance with such specifications, as may be prescribed in this behalf;

(zb) “general insurance business” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (g) of section 3 of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, 1972 (57 of 1972);

(zc) “general public” means the body of people at large sufficiently defined by some common quality of public or impersonal nature;

(zd) “goods carriage” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (14) of section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988);

(ze) “goods transport agency” means any person who provides service in relation to transport of goods by road and issues consignment note, by whatever name called;

(zf) “governmental authority” has the same meaning as assigned to it in the Explanation to clause

(16) of section 2 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (13 of 2017);

(zg) “health care services” means any service by way of diagnosis or treatment or care for illness, injury, deformity, abnormality or pregnancy in any recognised system of medicines in India and includes services by way of transportation of the patient to and from a clinical establishment, but does not include hair transplant or cosmetic or plastic surgery, except when undertaken to restore or to reconstruct anatomy or functions of body affected due to congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, injury or trauma;

(zh) “incubatee” means an entrepreneur located within the premises of a Technology Business Incubator or Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Park recognised by the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and who has entered into an agreement with the Technology Business Incubator or the Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Park to enable himself to develop and produce hi-tech and innovative products;

(zi) “inland waterway” means national waterways as defined in clause (h) of section 2 of the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985 (82 of 1985) or other waterway on any inland water, as defined in clause (b) of section 2 of the Inland Vessels Act, 1917 (1 of 1917);

(zj) “insurance company” means a company carrying on life insurance business or general insurance business;

(zk) “interest” means interest payable in any manner in respect of any moneys borrowed or debt incurred (including a deposit, claim or other similar right or obligation) but does not include any service fee or other charge in respect of the moneys borrowed or debt incurred or in respect of any credit facility which has not been utilised;

(zl) “intermediary” has the same meaning as assigned to it in sub-section (13) of section 2 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017;

(zm) “legal service” means any service provided in relation to advice, consultancy or assistance in any branch of law, in any manner and includes representational services before any court, tribunal or authority;

(zn) “life insurance business” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (11) of section 2 of the Insurance Act, 1938 (4 of 1938);

(zo) “life micro-insurance product” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (e) of regulation 2 of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Micro-insurance) Regulations, 2005;

(zp) “metered cab” means any contract carriage on which an automatic device, of the type and make approved under the relevant rules by the State Transport Authority, is fitted which indicates reading of the fare chargeable at any moment and that is charged accordingly under the conditions of its permit issued under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988) and the rules made thereunder (but does not include radio taxi);

(zq)“national park” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (21) of the section 2 of theWild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (53 of 1972);

(zr) “online information and database access or retrieval services” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (17) of the section 2of the Integrated goods and Services Tax Act,2017(13 of 2017);

(zs) “original works” means- all new constructions;

(i) all types of additions and alterations to abandoned or damaged structures on land that are required to make them workable;

(ii) erection, commissioning or installation of plant, machinery or equipment or structures, whether pre-fabricated or otherwise;

(zt) “print media” means,—

(i) ‘book’ as defined in sub-section (1) of section 1 of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 (25 of 1867), but does not include business directories, yellow pages and trade catalogues which are primarily meant for commercial purposes;

(ii) ‘newspaper’ as defined in sub-section (1) of section 1 of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 (25 of 1867);

(zu) “port” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (q) of section 2 of the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 (38 of 1963) or in clause (4) of section 3 of the Indian Ports Act, 1908 (15 of 1908);

(zv) “radio taxi” means a taxi including a radio cab, by whatever name called, which is in two-way radio communication with a central control office and is enabled for tracking using the Global Positioning System or General Packet Radio Service;

(zw) “recognised sporting event” means any sporting event,-

(i) organised by a recognised sports body where the participating team or individual represent any district, state, zone or country;

(ii) organised -

(A) by a national sports federation, or its affiliated federations, where the participating teams or individuals represent any district, state or zone;

(B) by Association of Indian Universities, Inter-University Sports Board, School Games Federation of India, All India Sports Council for the Deaf, Paralympic Committee of India or Special Olympics Bharat;

(C) by Central Civil Services Cultural and Sports Board;
(D) as part of national games, by Indian Olympic Association; or
(E) under Panchayat Yuva Kreeda Aur Khel Abhiyaan (PYKKA) Scheme;
(zx) “recognised sports body” means –

(i) the Indian Olympic Association;

(ii) Sports Authority of India;

(iii) a national sports federation recognised by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs of the Central Government, and its affiliate federations;

(iv) national sports promotion organisations recognised by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs of the Central Government;

(v) the International Olympic Association or a federation recognised by the International Olympic Association; or

(vi) a federation or a body which regulates a sport at international level and its affiliated federations or bodies regulating a sport in India;

(zy) “religious place” means a place which is primarily meant for conduct of prayers or worship pertaining to a religion, meditation, or spirituality;

(zz) “renting in relation to immovable property” means allowing, permitting or granting access, entry, occupation, use or any such facility, wholly or partly, in an immovable property, with or without the transfer of possession or control of the said immovable property and includes letting, leasing, licensing or other similar arrangements in respect of immovable property;

(zza) “Reserve Bank of India” means the bank established under section 3 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934);

(zzb) “residential complex” means any complex comprising of a building or buildings, having more than one single residential unit;

(zzc) “rural area” means the area comprised in a village as defined in land revenue records, excluding-

the area under any municipal committee, municipal corporation, town area committee, cantonment board or notified area committee; or any area that may be notified as an urban area by the Central Government or a State Government;

(zzd) “senior advocate” has the same meaning as assigned to it in section 16 of the Advocates Act, 1961 (25 of 1961);

(zze) “single residential unit” means a self-contained residential unit which is designed for use, wholly or principally, for residential purposes for one family;

(zzf) “special category States” shall mean the States as specified in sub-clause (g) of clause (4) of article 279A of the Constitution,

(zzg) “specified organisation” shall mean,-

(i) Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited, a Government of Uttarakhand Undertaking; or
(ii) ‘Committee’ or ‘State Committee’ as defined in section 2 of the Haj Committee Act,
2002 (35 of 2002);

(zzh) “stage carriage” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (40) of section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988);

(zzi) “State Electricity Board” means the Board constituted under section 5 of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 (54 of 1948);

(zzj) “State Transmission Utility” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (67) of section 2 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003);

(zzk) “state transport undertaking” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (42) of section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988);

(zzl) “tiger reserve” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (e) of section 38K of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (53 of 1972);

(zzm) “tour operator” means any person engaged in the business of planning, scheduling, organizing, arranging tours (which may include arrangements for accommodation, sightseeing or other similar services) by any mode of transport, and includes any person engaged in the business of operating tours;

(zzn) "trade union" has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (h) of section 2 of the Trade Unions Act,1926(16 of 1926);

(zzo) “vessel” has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (z) of section 2 of the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 (38 of 1963);

(zzp) “wildlife sanctuary” means a sanctuary as defined in the clause (26) of the section 2 of The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (53 of 1972);

(zzq) “zoo” has the same meaning as assigned to it in the clause (39) of the section 2 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (53 of 1972).

3. Explanation.- For the purposes of this notification,-

(i) Reference to “Chapter”, “Section” or “Heading”, wherever they occur, unless the context otherwise requires, shall mean respectively as “Chapter, “Section” and “Heading” in the scheme of classification of services.

(ii) Chapter, Section, Heading, Group, or Service Code mentioned in Column (2) of the Table are only indicative.

4. This notification shall come into force on the 1st day of July, 2017.

[F. No.334/1/2017 -TRU]

(Ruchi Bisht)
Under Secretary to the Government of India