Next time you visit your plastic surgeon for a cosmetic change, you will have to shell out 12.02% service tax apart from the fixed fee structure. This is a new levy imposed by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee his today’s budget announcement today. Also, the law firms (not individual advocates) will also have to pay service tax for providing services to their clients.

The medical and advocate fraternity has not welcomed this step and according to them this will burden the clients more and hence making the services dearer for them.

Dr Manoj Sobti, President of IMA, voiced his opposition to covering doctors under the service tax net. He said, “This will only make the procedure more cumbersome. At least doctors should have been spared from the service tax net.”

While Jatinder Khurana, president of the Young Lawyer Association, said, “Already, lawyers help a lot the government in getting the tax returns filled and hence increase the government income. And now they have been asked to pay more taxes. This is not justified.”

While the doctors and advocates are expressing resentment, the real sufferer is the customer who will have to pay more.

Priyanka Sharma, a resident of Model Town, however justified the tax on plastic and cosmetic surgeries. “Not all go for cosmetic surgeries. They are very costly and hence all those who can afford them to enhance their beauty can very well afford little extra tax. So this way they can contribute to country’s exchequer. I don’t find any harm,” said she.

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