Sanjeev Sachdeva

Overview

Mr. Sanjeev Sachdeva is a Partner in the Tax practice at Luthra and Luthra Law Offices India. Sanjeev has over four decades experience in the area of Customs, GST, Service Tax, Central Value Added Tax (CENVAT, also called Central Excise) and VAT / Central Sales Tax (CST), and has in-depth understanding of all the Indirect Taxes. Sanjeev also has extensive experience in dealing with issues related to the Foreign Trade Policy and issues related to Special Economic Zones (SEZ). He extensively works with major domestic and overseas conglomerates. He has also assisted clients in arbitration proceedings at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) as well as the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA).

Before joining Luthra and Luthra Law Offices India, Sanjeev has been a member of the elite Indian Revenue Service. He has the distinction of having worked in the administration, enforcement and legislation of laws related to Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax. During his stint with the Indian Revenue Service, Sanjeev has handled the assessment and Customs clearance of imports and exports at three major Ports (Mumbai, Kolkata and Haldia) and two major international airports (Mumbai and Kolkata). In addition, Sanjeev has the unique experience of having been associated with Policy making as Director in the Tax Research Unit of the Department of Revenue, Government of India. In this capacity he was, most notably, associated with the conceptualization and drafting of many of the laws in the areas of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, including the Valuation Rules, Central Excise Rules, CENVAT Credit Rules and the laws related to Service Tax regime. While in the Revenue Service, Sanjeev as Additional Director General headed two apex enforcement agencies, namely, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Directorate of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI). The DRI deals with frauds related to Customs, Foreign Trade and drug enforcement, while the DGCEI deals with frauds related to Central Excise and Service Tax. He had an outstanding professional career with the Indian Revenue Services, and was conferred with the Presidential Award of Appreciation Certificate for Specially Distinguished Record of Service on the occasion of Republic Day, 1999.

Sanjeev has had an equally remarkable career in the legal profession. He has advised clients in diverse sectors ranging from hospitality and hospitals to airlines, infra-structure, oil & gas, retail and BPO. Sanjeev also appears before departmental adjudicating authorities, the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), VAT Tribunals, High Courts, Supreme Court, FEMA authorities, Settlement Commission and the Authority on Advance Rulings.

Sanjeev’s wide experience gives him the unique ability to advice clients not only on the intricacies of the laws, but also the practical aspects of their implementation in the concerned fields. He is engaged in providing various tax services to facilitate implementation of creative tax solutions that complement clients’ business strategies and minimize the impact of Indirect Tax on their commercial transactions.

Experience Statement

• Advised an Australian logistics provider on the Indirect Tax implications of their proposed venture in India. The advice, inter alia, encompassed issues related to Customs duties, CENVAT and VAT/CST.
• Advised a world leader in lighting control systems offering a wide selection of lighting control solutions, to establish its India presence and assisting in developing a tax efficient structure to operationalize its distribution arrangement in India.
• Advised a large pharmaceutical company on the tax implications related to their acquisition of an Indian manufacturing facility. Also, advised other pharmaceutical majors on tax matters related to their ventures in India.
• Assisted leading conglomerates and clients in investigations conducted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI).
• Representing leading Insurance companies of India in their ongoing litigation matters involving GST, Service Tax and other Indirect Tax issues across various fora.