Amendments in CGST Act proposed by Finance Bill,2022

GST

Clause 99 to 117 of the Finance Bill,2022 has proposed various Amendments to CGST Act,2017. These amendments can be implemented only after approval by GST Council.

The proposed amendments in the CGST Act,107 are given as under for ready reference of our readers:-

Clause 99 seeks to amend section 16 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 by inserting a new clause (ba) in sub-section (2) thereof, so as to provide that input tax credit with respect to a supply may be availed only when such credit has not been restricted in the details communicated to the registered person under section 38.

It further seeks to amend sub-section (4) so as to provide that a registered person shall not be entitled to take input tax credit in respect of any invoice or debit note after the thirtieth day of November following the end of the financial year to which such invoice or debit note pertains, or furnishing of the relevant annual return, whichever is earlier.

Clause 100 seeks to amend clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 29 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to provide that the registration of a person paying tax under section 10 is liable to be cancelled if the return for a financial year has not been furnished beyond three months from the due date of furnishing of the said return.

It further seeks to amend clause (c) of the said sub-section (2) so as to provide for prescribing continuous tax periods for which return has not been furnished, which would make a registration liable for cancellation, in respect of any registered person, other than a person specified in clause (b) thereof.

Clause 101 seeks to amend sub-section (2) of section 34 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to provide for thirtieth day of November following the end of the financial year, or the date of furnishing of the relevant annual return, whichever is earlier, as the last date for issuance of credit notes in respect of any supply made in a financial year.

Clause 102 seeks to amend sub-section (1) of section 37 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to provide for prescribing conditions and restrictions for furnishing the details of outward supply and the conditions and restrictions as well as manner and time for communication of the details of such outward supplies to concerned recipients.

It further seeks to omit sub-section (2) and first proviso to sub-section (1) so as to do away with two-way communication process in return filing.

It also seeks to amend sub-section (3) so as to remove reference to unmatched details under section 42 or section 43, as the said sections are proposed to be omitted, and to provide for thirtieth day of November following the end of the financial year or furnishing of the relevant annual return, whichever is earlier, as the last date for rectification of errors or omission in respect of details of outward supplies furnished under sub-section (1).

It also seeks to insert sub-section (4) so as to provide for tax period-wise sequential filing of details of outward supplies under sub-section (1).

Clause 103 seeks to substitute a new section for section 38 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act. Sub section (1) seeks to provide for prescribing such other supplies as well as the manner, time, conditions and restrictions for communication of details of inward supplies and input tax credit to the recipient by means of an auto-generated statement and to do away with two-way communication process in return filing.

Sub-section (2) seeks to provide for the details of inward supplies in respect of which input tax credit may be availed and the details of supplies on which input tax credit cannot be availed by the recipient.

Clause 104 seeks to amend sub-section (5) of section 39 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to provide that the non-resident taxable person shall furnish the return for a month within thirteen days after the end of the month or within seven days after the last day of the period of registration specified under sub-section (1) of section 27, whichever is earlier.

It further seeks to substitute the first proviso to sub-section (7) so as to provide an option to the persons furnishing return under proviso to sub-section (1) to pay either the self- assessed tax or an amount that may be prescribed.

It also seeks to amend sub-section (9) by removing reference of section 37 and section 38 and to amend the proviso to said sub-section (9) so as to provide for thirtieth day of November following the end of the financial year, or the date of furnishing of the relevant annual return, whichever is earlier, as the last date for the rectification of errors in the return furnished under section 39.

It also seeks to amend sub-section (10) so as to provide for furnishing of details of outward supplies of a tax period under sub-section (1) of section 37 as a condition for furnishing the return under section 39 for the said tax period.

Clause 105 seeks to substitute a new section for section 41 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to do away with the concept of “claim” of eligible input tax credit on a “provisional” basis and to provide for availment of self-assessed input tax credit subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be prescribed.

Clause 106 seeks to omit section 42 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act relating to matching, reversal and reclaiming of input tax credit so as to do away with the concept of “claim” of eligible input tax credit on a “provisional” basis and subsequent matching, reversals and reclaim of such credit. It further seeks to omit section 43 relating to matching, reversal and reclaim of reduction in output tax liability so as to do away with two-way communication process in return filing. It also seeks to omit section 43A.

Clause 107 seeks to amend sub-section (1) of section 47 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to provide for levy of late fee for delayed filing of return under section 52 and to remove reference of section 38 as there is no requirement of furnishing details of inward supplies by the registered person under the said section 38.

Clause 108 seeks to amend sub-section (2) of section 48 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to remove reference to section 38 therefrom as there is no requirement of furnishing details of inward supplies by the registered person under the said section 38.

Clause 109 seeks to amend sub-section (4) of section 49 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to provide for prescribing restrictions for utilizing the amount available in the electronic credit ledger.

Clause 110 seeks to substitute a new sub-section for sub-section (3) of section 50 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, retrospectively, with effect from the 1st July, 2017, so as to provide for levy of interest on input tax credit wrongly availed and utilised, and to provide for prescribing manner of calculation of interest in such cases.

Clause 111 seeks to amend proviso to sub-section (6) of section 52 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to provide for thirtieth day of November following the end of the financial year, or the date of furnishing of the relevant annual return, whichever is earlier, as the last date upto which the rectification of errors shall be allowed in the statement furnished under sub-section (4).

Clause 112 seeks to amend proviso to sub-section (1) of section 54 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to explicitly provide that claim of refund of any balance in the electronic cash ledger shall be made in such form and manner as may be prescribed.

It further seeks to amend sub-section (2) so as to align it with sub-section (1) by providing time limit of two years from the last day of the quarter in which the supply was received for claiming refund of tax paid on inward supplies of goods or services or both by the person specified in the said sub-section.

It also seeks to amend sub-section (10) so as to extend the scope of the said sub-section to all types of refund claims.

It also seeks to insert a new sub-clause (ba) in clause (2) of Explanation in order to provide clarity regarding the relevant date for filing refund claim in respect of supplies made to a Special Economic Zone developer or a Special Economic Zone unit.

Clause 113 seeks to amend sub-section (2) of section 168 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act so as to remove reference to section 38 therefrom.

Clause 114 seeks to amend notification number G.S.R. 58(E), dated the 23rd January, 2018 to notify www.gst.gov.in, retrospectively, with effect from 22nd June, 2017, as the Common Goods and Services Tax Electronic Portal, for all functions provided under Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, save as otherwise provided in the notification issued vide number G.S.R. 925 (E), dated the 13th December, 2019.

Clause 115 seeks to amend notification number G.S.R. 661(E), dated the 28th June, 2017, so as to notify rate of interest under sub-section (3) of section 50 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act as 18%, retrospectively, with effect from the 1st day of July, 2017.

Clause 116 seeks to provide retrospective exemption from central tax in respect of supply of unintended waste generated during the production of fish meal (falling under heading 2301), except for fish oil, during the period from the 1st day of July, 2017 upto the 30th day of September, 2019 (both days inclusive).

It further seeks to provide that no refund shall be made of the said tax which has already been collected.

It further seeks to amend sub-section (10) so as to allow transfer of amount available in electronic cash ledger under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act of a registered person to the electronic cash ledger under the said Act or the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act of a distinct person.
It also seeks to insert sub-section (12) so as to provide for prescribing the maximum proportion of output tax liability which may be discharged through the electronic credit ledger.

Clause 117 seeks to give retrospective effect to the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) number G.S.R. 746(E), dated the 30th September, 2019 with effect from the 1st day of July, 2017.

It further seeks to provide that no refund shall be made of the central tax which has already been collected.

***

Don’t miss the next Tax Update / Article / Judicial pronouncement

Subscribe to our newsletter for FREE to stay updated on GST Law

Resolve your GST queries from national level experts on GST free of cost.