(Advocate) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~GST & INCOME TAX ============================================================================ Sharing of Information related to GST and INCOME TAX.
Saturday 17 September 2022
Wednesday 14 September 2022
Effects on Goods Transport Agency due to recommendation of 47th council Meeting
The terms GTA has not been defined under GST Act, 2017, GST Rules. It is presently defined under the Notification No. 12/2017- Central Tax (Rate) and Notification No. 9/2017-Integrated Tax (Rate) both dated 28-6-2017.
According to para 2 of said notification "Goods transport agency" means any person who provides service in relation to transport of goods by road and issues consignment note, by whatever name called. However, the term consignment note is not defined under the said Notification.
As the entry brought from the erstwhile service tax law, reference of the consignment can be taken therefrom. As per Explanation to Rule 4B of Service Tax Rules, 1994; consignment note means a document, issued by a goods transport agency against the receipt of goods for the purpose of transport of goods by road in a goods carriage, which is serially numbered, and contains the name of the consignor and consignee, registration number of the goods carriage in which the goods are transported, details of the goods transported, details of the place of origin and destination, person liable for paying service tax whether consignor, consignee or the goods transport agency.
It is worth to note that mere bill issued for transportation of goods cannot be treated as a Consignment Note. In the case of Nandganj Sihori Sugar Co. v. CCE [2014], it was held that the consignment note issued by GTA represents its liability to -
(a) transport consignment handed over to it to destination
(b) undertake delivery of same to the consignee and
(c)temporarily store till delivery.
Goods transport operator (GTO) are kept outside the purview of GST. GTO is a self-employed person/driver either by taking vehicle on rent from other or as owner of one or two vehicles, he does not issue any consignment note. Exemption is given to GTO vide Notification No 12/2017 Central Tax (rate) dt 28th June, 2017.
Presently, GST is leviable on GTA services under both reverse charge mechanism and forward charge mechanism at the option of GTA. GTA service is classified under land transport services of goods by road under SAC code 996511 and GST is payable at the rate of 5% without ITC or 12% with ITC.
Originally, supply of services by goods transportation agency were subject to the payment of tax under RCM vide Notification No. 13/2017-CT (Rates) and 10/2017-IT (Rates) both dated 28-6-2017, effective from 1-7-2017.
However, w.e.f. 22-08-2017, GTA has allowed to pay tax at the rate of 12% under the forward charge mechanism. Option to pay GST at the rate of 12% is normally exercised by those GTA, who are having good amount of ITC or by a freight forwarder who in addition to GTA services providing composite services such as packing, clearing and transportation from source to destination basis. In all other cases, liability on transportation of goods by GTA is born by the recipient. Liability to pay tax under reverse charge mechanism is defined under Notification No. 13/2017-CT (Rates) and 10/2017-IT (Rates) both dated 28-6-2017. According to said Notification liability to pay tax under RCM is in the hands of recipient in case supplier of service is GTA and supply of services by a GTA by way of transportation of goods by road is given to -
(a) any factory registered under the Factories Act, 1948
(b) any society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860) or under any other law for the time being in force in any part of India; or
(c) any co-operative society established by or under any law; or
(d) any person registered under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act or the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act or the State Goods and Services Tax Act or the Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Act; or
(e) anybody corporate established, by or under any law; or
(f) any partnership firm whether registered or not under any law including association of persons; or
(g) any casual taxable person.
All such changes are notified by the board w.e.f. 18th July, 2022.
The changes are categorised into following three categories -
- GTA can pay tax at 5% or 12% under forward charge
- RCM by the recipient at the rate of 5%
- Withdrawal of certain exemptions
a) GTA can pay tax at 5% or 12% under forward charge
However, according to the explanation (iv) to the Notification No 11/2017 CT (Rate) and Notification No 08/2017 IT (Rate) dt. 28th June, 2017 credit of input tax charged on goods or services used partly for supplying such service and partly for effecting other supplies eligible for input tax credits, is reversed as if supply of such service is an exempt supply and attracts provisions of sub-section (2) of section 17 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 and the rules made thereunder.