Mahesh Babu owned Hyderabad theater asked to pay Rs 1.7 crore

Hyderabad: Tollywood actor Mahesh Babu owned AMB Cinemas, is among seven theatres asked to deposit Rs 1.7 crore by the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) into the state and central Consumer Welfare Funds for failing to pass on the benefit of GST rate reductions to moviegoers.

The tribunal observed that the theatres retained tax benefits by not reducing ticket prices after GST rates on movie tickets were cut with effect from January 1, 2019.

According to a report by The Times of India, AMB Cinemas has been asked to pay Rs 35 lakh. As per the latest order issued on June 11, Vishwanath Cinema Hall in Hyderabad has been asked to deposit Rs 8.9 lakh.

The other theatres covered by the GSTAT orders include ASR Cinema LLP, G3 Srinivasa Cinemas, Asian Srinivasa Cineprime Pvt Ltd and Arjun Theatre. Together, the six orders require deposits of around Rs 1.7 crore.

Anti-profiteering provisions violated

The GST tribunal observed that the theatres violated the Anti-profiteering provisions under section 171 of the CGST Act (establishes the anti-profiteering framework in India. It legally requires businesses to pass on any benefits they receive—whether from a reduction in GST rates or an increase in Input Tax Credit (ITC)—to end consumers by commensurately reducing the prices of their goods or services.) by increasing the base ticket price to keep the final price unchanged instead of passing on the benefit of lower GST to consumers.