GSTN blocks Rs 14,000-crore ITC of 66,000 taxpayers

ITC

GST Network on Tuesday said it has blocked Rs 14,000 crore worth of input tax credit (ITC) of 66,000 businesses registered under GST. Responding to social media posts based on an RTI reply about the Rs 6.14 lakh crore of ITC blocked under Rule 86A of GST laws, GSTN tweeted that the figure includes erroneous data entries made by the taxpayers.

“ITC of approximately Rs 14,000 crore involving 66,000 taxpayers stands blocked as on date. This is only 0.38 per cent (approximately) of average ITC utilised by all taxpayers in a financial year,” tweeted GSTN, the company that handles the technology backbone for goods and services tax.

The government had introduced Rule 86A in GST rules in December 2019 giving powers to taxmen to block the ITC available in the electronic credit ledger of a taxpayer if the officer has “reasons to believe” that the ITC was availed fraudulently.

There are currently 1.32 crore taxpayers registered under GST.

It is pertinent to note here that Rule 86A in regard to ‘conditions of use of amount available in electronic credit ledger’ was inserted in the CGST Rules , 2017 was inserted by the CGST (Ninth Amendment) Rules, 2019 w.e.f. 26-12-2019.

For ready reference of the readers Rule 86A is reproduced below:

Conditions of use of amount available in electronic credit ledger.

86A (1) The Commissioner or an officer authorised by him in this behalf, not below the rank of an Assistant Commissioner, having reasons to believe that credit of input tax available in the electronic credit ledger has been fraudulently availed or is ineligible in as much as

a) the credit of input tax has been availed on the strength of tax invoices or debit notes or any other document prescribed under rule 36

i. issued by a registered person who has been found non-existent or not to be conducting any business from any place for which registration has been obtained; or

ii. without receipt of goods or services or both; or

b) the credit of input tax has been availed on the strength of tax invoices or debit notes or any other document prescribed under rule 36 in respect of any supply, the tax charged in respect of which has not been paid to the Government; or

c) the registered person availing the credit of input tax has been found nonexistent or not to be conducting any business from any place for which registration has been obtained; or

d) the registered person availing any credit of input tax is not in possession of a tax invoice or debit note or any other document prescribed under rule 36,

may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, not allow debit of an amount equivalent to such credit in electronic credit ledger for discharge of any liability under section 49 or for claim of any refund of any unutilised amount.

(2) The Commissioner, or the officer authorised by him under sub-rule (1) may, upon being satisfied that conditions for disallowing debit of electronic credit ledger as above, no longer exist, allow such debit.

(3) Such restriction shall cease to have effect after the expiry of a period of one year from the date of imposing such restriction.

Source: economictimes.com

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