The Bombay High Court has agreed to hear Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma's petitions challenging the proceedings of the Sales Tax Department against her, according to a report by India TV.
The Chakda Xpress actor moved the High Court, opposing two orders passed by the Deputy Commissioner of Sales Tax raising dues for assessment years 2012-13 and 2013-14, under the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act.
On Thursday, 12 January, a division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Abhay Ahuja issued a notice to the respondents on Sharma's plea and retained the matter for hearing on 6 February.
In continuation of the report, in December 2022, the High Court slammed the actor for filing two petitions against the notice through her tax consultant, Shrikant Velekar, rather than filing it herself.
Sharma has filed four petitions for the assessment years 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. The High Court had then noted that there was no reason why the affected person (Sharma) could not file the petitions herself.
As per India TV, Sharma's petitions claimed that she performed in films and at award ceremonies as a performer as part of a tri-party agreement with her agent, Yashraj Films Pvt Ltd and producers/event organizers.
The assessing officer levied sales tax not on film consideration but on product endorsements and anchoring at award functions holding that Sharma had transferred her performer's rights, as per the pleas.
"The petitioner submits that as an actor does not possess any copyright in the film, the question of transferring/selling the same to any other person or producer does not arise. Performer's rights are to protect the interests of the actor and are not for transfer or sale," Sharma said in her pleas.
On the work front, Anushka will soon be making her comeback on the silver screen after a five-year gap. The actor was last seen in Aanand L Rai's Zero, alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif.
Her next film will be Chakda Xpress, a sports biopic based on the life of former Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami.
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