The Supreme Court of India reportedly dismissed an appeal by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea seeking recalculation of the amount owed in adjusted gross revenue (AGR) taxes, another setback to their efforts to have the sum lowered.
Reuters reported the highest judicial body in the country rejected a plea submitted by the operators in January to recalculate the sums owed due to errors in the original calculation.
Business Standard reported the operators presented their case at a hearing on 19 July, when the court maintained its position against a recalculation, but scheduled a later hearing to issue a final ruling.
In September 2020 the operators were given a decade to pay the combined INR1.6 trillion (US$21.5 billion) due.
Vodafone Idea’s tax was calculated at INR530 billion, of which it claimed to have covered INR33.54 billion in March.
Bharti Airtel was ordered to pay INR356 billion: in September 2020 it estimated it had paid INR180 billion of this.
