Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Trust has been slapped with a notice to pay Rs. 4.94 crore as Service Tax by the service tax department. Earlier Income Tax department had issued notice to Ramdev's Haridwar-based Patanjali Yog Peeth to pay Rs. 58 crore towards "sale of coupons" of different denominations for organising 'yog shivirs', both residential and non-residential.

Service Tax department slaps notice of Rs.4.94 crore on Ramdev's trust
After Income Tax, it's now the turn of the Service Tax department to issue a notice of Rs.4.94 crore dues to Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's trust for alleged duty evasion on its income raised through country-wide 'yog shivirs' (camps). According to records available, thousands of people have participated in these camps conducted across the country in the last five years. The Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI), has also launched a scrutiny of accounts of various activities conducted by the trusts run by Ramdev across the country after the year 2006.

Reacting to the notices Ramdev's spokesperson S K Tijarawala said they will counter the Service Tax department's action. "We are replying to the notice. Yog shivirs are classified under the category of providing medical relief which cannot be termed as earning commercial profit," he said. However, sources in tax department said that income generated from Ramdev's yoga camps, in which people participate after buying coupons, is liable to be brought under the service tax domain. Under service tax provisions, Yoga is in the taxable list of health and fitness services.