Remodeling of Shattered faces in warfare keyed up people to experiment on body outward appearance. Eventually, that thrill incepted a seed for surgical treatment at the wish of man. And now public knows it as Cosmetic Surgery. Bit by bit, demands are rising for removing skin complaints to enhance the beauty using laser & surgical treatments, which have widen the work chance for Cosmetic Surgeons. Nevertheless, this branch of Science is at nascent stage and hard to predict the actual volume of the earnings in India.
Governments’ recent decision of laying Service Tax on this particular branch displeased latest Cosmetic Surgeons. Some well established Surgeons are not bothered from decisions of the Government. In fact, they are waiting to see the tangible implementation of the announcements. But mostly are at the consideration that Government should take at least four or five years of time to take Cosmetic Surgery into deem of Service Tax. According to opinions of Surgeons “let the revenue size of Cosmetic or Aesthetic Surgery swell further and then it should be taxed out of its service returns”.
Surgeries for Body Ornamentation are Taxable from September, 2009 onwards
Basically, Surgeries are of two kinds, one is Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic or Aesthetic Surgery is another. Plastic Surgeries, which are broadly used for the medical purpose in case of bringing back bodily functions caused from injury, trauma, and development abnormalities disease, or else affected due to congenital defects, are free from the norms of Service Tax.
However, Surgeries with purpose of persevering or enhancing human beauty are going to wrap the Taxable Services of Service Tax, which will likely to appear in September month of this year.
Some popular Cosmetic Surgeries are Abdominplasty (to make the abdomen trim), Bletheroplasty (to improve the appearance of upper eyelid), Lip augmentation, Forehead lift, Laser Skin Surfacing, Cheek augmentation, Rhytidectomy (to improve visible signs of aging in the face), Lipoplasty (to remove excess of fat), Cosmetic dentistry (to improve appearance of teeth), Rhinoplasty (to improve appearance of nose) and so on.
No Guidelines till now
According to Dr. Krishna S Chaudhari, M.S. DORL.MB FICCS, (Cosmetic) MACSI, MISFPS, even though Government declared that Cosmetic Surgery would be the part of Taxable Services, we have yet not been given the proper guidelines about following the measures of Services Tax. As far as such decision of Government is concerned we are waiting to see the end upshots whenever it will come.
Burden for new Cosmetic Surgeons
Dr. Manojkumar J Manwani M.S., D.N.B., Cosmetic Surgeon, Mumbai, told Servicetaxonline.com that this branch of medical science has hosted a flag into the peak of knowledge, which has made people even from middle- class society ready to take risk. Because of dearth of patients, there are very few Cosmetic Surgeons who are well established in India and rest are amateurs. So this decision of Government that Cosmetic Surgeons would be liable for Service Tax is not correct at the moment. The branch is at budding phase, Government should take more time to count this section until it matured. In fact it shows an additional burden on young inexperienced Surgeons.
Impractical choice
Responding to the precise issue, Dr. Anup Dhir, Secretary, Indian Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon, said that Government took decisions impractically and put Cosmetic Surgery into domain of Service Tax. Officers should have assessed the actual volume of the earnings. Because, Cosmetic Surgery is at seeding period and it has just started to grow gradually in India. Let this part of medicine begin to give fruits and then Government should see it under Service Tax.
Unnecessary prices hike for patients
Dr. Devesh Mehta, M.S., M.Ch., Laser Cosmetic Surgery Center, Ahmedabad, also shared his view with Servicetaxonline.com and said that this was the step of Government without sense, where common men will find ten percent extra charges in their Cosmetic treatments. On the second side, we have already been paying Income Tax, than why such Service Tax to raise the cost of charges for patients. We pay thirty percent under Income Tax and now ten percent under Service Tax, which are only unnecessary taxes on Cosmetic Surgeons.
India has a vast potential to reveal rapid progress in international medical tourism market. Malaysia and Thailand are emerging and competitor countries for India in terms of providing Cosmetic Surgery Services. Now, despite of frame growth strategies for the nation, Government is bringing unwanted policies.
From next year onwards, all types of Doctors with their Specialties will be liable for Service Tax. And this will only affect the charges for patients without reasons. Levying Service Tax on Cosmetic Surgeons is unfavorable decision for practitioners.
Tags: SERVICE TAX
