I-T notice to Nokia; HC to hear mobile firm's plea on April 17

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court deferred the hearing on a plea of mobile phone maker Nokia India Private Ltd to April 17, against a demand notice of over Rs 2,000 crore served on it by the Income Tax department for alleged evasion of taxes in its transactions here.

A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and R V Easwar, which had earlier stayed the operation of the notice till April 19, today deferred the hearing to April 17.

The Indian subsidiary of the Finnish mobile phone maker, on March 21, was served with the IT notice asking it to pay over 2,000 crore for alleged evasion of taxes in its business transactions in the country.

The company then moved the court which had on March 22 granted the interim stay on the operation of the demand notice and asked the I-T department to file its reply.

The alleged tax evasion pertains to royalty payment made against supply of software by the company's parent company which attracts a 10 per cent tax deduction under the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) category, sources at I-T department had said.

The department has analysed the company's business statements since 2006, they said.