Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma has filed a petition challenging the proceedings against her initiated by the Sales Tax Department. And now The Bombay High Court agreed to hear actress Anushka Sharma. The court has issued a notice to respond to Anushka’s plea and announce the hearing of the court on 6 February. She has filed a total of four petitions for the assessment years 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16. The last petition was filled by her last week of December 2022 in HC. But the HC has refused the petition filed by Anushka’s taxation consultant Shrikant Velekar challenging the Sales Tax department orders.
According to Anushka’s petitions, she performed in so many films and award events as a performer as a part of a tri-party agreement with her agent, Yashraj Films Pvt Ltd, and producers/event organizers. The assessing officer demand sales tax on product endorsements and anchoring at award functions not on the film. The sales tax demand inclusive of interest of Rs 1.2 crore on Rs 12.3 crore for 2012-13. 6 crore on almost Rs 17 crore consideration by the sales tax department and also the department passed the orders to Anushka between 2021 and 2022.
Anushka Sharma said in her petition that there was no provision to file an appeal before the supreme authority unless 10 percent of the disputed tax is paid. The assessing officer had incorrectly held that by witnessing the product and remaining present in the award event. She had acquired the copyrights and sold and transferred the same, the petitions said. The copyrights of any videos or film always remain with the producer or who is the owner of the videos or films. The pleas also said that Anushka as an actor who has performed a role in a movie cannot be called a producer or creator of the film, hence she doesn’t have the copyright of the film. The petitions said that an actor does not possess any copyright in the film and she was not questioning any other person or producer for this accusation.
She also mentioned in her pleas “ Performer’s rights are to protect the interest of the actor and are not for transfer or sale,”.
Last month Anushka Sharma announced that she has completed the shooting of her upcoming movie “ Chakda Xpress” a biopic on former Indian cricket captain Jhulan Goswami. And it will be premier on Netflix which is produced by her brother Karnesh Sharma.