Saturday, September 10, 2016

Course launched by USA University in India isn't its business activity as it is registered as NPO

Facts:

a) The Regents of the University of California (‘UCLA’) entered into an agreement with Northwest Universal Education Private Ltd (‘NUEP’) to launch a Management Program in India which would train the senior executives of the companies.

b) It agreed to send its professors for training the senior executives working in India in respect of management techniques.

c) The applicant raised following questions:

- Whether program fee received by the Applicant is chargeable to tax in India as ‘fees for included services’ under Article 12 of the India-US DTAA?

- Whether the activities undertaken by it in India, viz., teaching would constitute its PE in India in terms of Article 5 of the India-US DTAA?

The Authority held as under:

1) Since the nature of the activity by the applicant in that case was educational activity, it could not amount to fees for included services particularly because of the provision of Article 12(5)(C).