The Supreme Court said on Thursday that Ncell, a private telecom company, can pay only Rs 21.10 billion in capital gains tax against the Rs 39.06 billion determined by the Large Taxpayers' Office under the Nepal government.

The apex court said so while making public the full text of its ruling on the much-talked-about Ncell tax issue in August this year.

One of the largest telecommunications companies in the country had moved the apex court seeking annulment of the LTO decision in April this year, two days before the expiry of the seven-day deadline for settling Rs 39 billion as the balance of the CGT assessment including fines and interest.

The Ncell had maintained that the tax assessment was against the SC verdict handed down by a larger full bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra SJB Rana on February 7 this year.

In its petition, the Ncell argued that the LTO's tax assessment violated constitutional rights and is against the SC verdict. Ncell claimed that it was not given any information about the tax assessment nor was it asked for any tax filing before the tax was assessed.