The district administration warned restaurants of action under the Consumer Protection Act if they levy service tax against the consumer's will.
Collector G.S. Sameeran on Thursday said to protect the interests of the public, under Section 18(2)(1) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, restaurants can impose service tax only based on the customers' choice and cannot impose without consent.
The notification of service charges was issued by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs in July, 2022. Ministry said the charges shall not be collected while levying GST on the total bill and will be considered an unfair trade practice if not followed.
The Collector in a statement said that if service tax is charged in any restaurants, the public can file a writ petition to the Collectorate or call 0422-2300569 or email dso.cbe@tn.gov.in.
The complaints will be forwarded to Central Consumer Protection Agency (CCPA) which will take action under the Act.
