Service tax is a tax levied by the government on services provided or agreed to be provided by a service provider in the country. It is an indirect tax, meaning it is ultimately borne by the consumer who receives the service, but it is collected and remitted to the government by the service provider.
Service tax is typically governed by specific legislation or regulations in each country. The tax rate, taxable services, exemptions, thresholds, and procedures for registration, payment, and filing of returns may vary depending on the jurisdiction.
In many countries, service tax has been replaced or subsumed by other indirect tax regimes, such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) or Value Added Tax (VAT). These broader tax systems aim to streamline and simplify the taxation of goods and services by encompassing both goods and services under a single tax regime.