New Delhi, July 16 -- Can a music label be taxed for promoting songs it already owns? A Supreme Court ruling in the matter could settle a long-running tax dispute over music rights and have wider implications for the entertainment industry.

The dispute reached the apex court after the Commissioner of CGST & Central Excise, Mumbai, on 14 July challenged a January ruling of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Mumbai. The tribunal had quashed a Rs.5.54 crore service tax demand against Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

The appeal against Zee Entertainment is the second such case before the Supreme Court. In January 2025, the court had admitted an appeal against a similar CESTAT ruling involving Sony Music Enter...