Services subject to reverse charge mechanism under GST Law : At a glance

services reverse charge mechanism

The supply of services subject to reverse charge mechanism (RCM) where the recipient is required pay GST, have been notified vide Notification No. 13/2017-Central Tax (Rate) dated 28-6-2017 (as amended) under Section 9(3) of the CGST Act, 2017.

The list of notified services that are under reverse charge is given below along with date from which reverse charge provisions are applicable on such services. These services are also notified for reverse charge under other GST Acts(s).

Sr . No.Category of Supply of ServicesSupplier of ServiceRecipient of service
(1)(2)(3)(4)
1.GTA Service : Supply of Services by a Goods Transport Agency (GTA) who has not paid central tax @ 6% in respect of transportation of goods by road to specified recipients as mentioned in Column (4).

Note: RCM shall NOT be applicable from 01.01.2019, on GTA services supplied to, –
(a) a Department or Establishment of the Central / State Government or Union territory; or
(b) local authority; or
(c) Governmental agencies, which has taken registration under the CGST Act,2017 only for the purpose of deducting tax under Sec 51 and not for making a taxable supply of goods or services.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017, however from 22.08.2017, RCM is applicable only where GTA has not paid CGST & SGST @ 6% each or IGST @ 12%).
Goods Transport Agency (GTA)(a) any factory registered under or governed by the Factories Act, 1948; or
(b) any society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or under any other law for the time being in force in any part of India; or
(c) any cooperative society established by or under any law;
(d) any person registered under CGST/IGST/
SGST/UTGST Act; or
(e) anybody corporate established, by or under any law; or
(f) any partnership firm (including LLP) whether registered or not under any law including association of persons; or
(g) any casual taxable person
located in the taxable territory.

Note: As per Explanation (a) to RCM Notification(s) the person who pays or is liable to pay frieght for the transportation of goods by road in goods carriage, located in the taxable territory shall be traeted as the person who receives the GTA services.

For detailed discussion on RCM on GTA Services Click here
2.Legal Service : Services provide by an individual advocate including a senior advocate or firm of advocates by way of legal services, directly or indirectly.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
An individual advocate including a senior advocate or firm of advocates.Any business entity located in the taxable territory who is litigant, applicant or petitioner, as the case maybe.

For detailed discussion on legal Services Click here
3Arbitral Service: Services supplied by an arbitral Tribunal to a business entity.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
An arbitral TribunalAny business entity located in the taxable territory.
4Sponsorship Service: Service provided by way of Sponsorship Service to anybody corporate or partnership firm (including LLP).
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
Any personAny body corporate or partnership firm (including LLP) located in the taxable territory.

For detailed discussion on sponsorship Services Click here
5Govt. Service : Services supplied by the Central / State Govt, Union territory or local
authority to a business entity excluding the following :
(A) renting of immovable property service, and
(B) services specified below :-
(i) services by the Department of posts by way of speed post, life insurance, express parcel post and agency services provided to a person other than Central Government, State Government or Union territory or local authority;
(ii) services in relation to an aircraft or a vessel, inside or outside the precincts of a port or an airport;
(iii) transport of goods or passengers.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
Central Government, State Government, Union territory or Local AuthorityAny Business Entity located in the taxable territory.
6Renting of immovable property Service by the Govt: Services supplied by the Central /State Govt, Union territory or local authority by way of renting of immovable property to a person registered under the CGST Act, 2017
(RCM applicable from 25.01.2018 vide N.N. 3/2018-CT(R) dated 25-1-2018.)
Central Government, State Government, Union territory or Local Authority.Any person registered under the CGST / IGST / SGST Act, 2017
7TDR / FSI: Services supplied by any person by way of transfer of development rights or Floor Space Index (FSI) (including additional FSI) for construction of a project by a promoter.
(RCM applicable from 01.04.2019 vide N.N 5/2019-CT(R) dated 29-3-2019)
Any PersonPromoter
8Long term lease: Long term lease of land (30 years or more) by any person against consideration in the form of upfront amount (called as premium, salami, cost, price, development charges or by any other name) and/or periodic rent for construction of a project by a promoter.
(RCM applicable from 01.04.2019 vide N.N 5/2019-CT(R) dated 29-3-2019)
Any personPromoter
9Director Service: Services supplied by a director of a company or a body corporate to the said company or the body corporate.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
A director of a company or a body corporateA company or a body corporate located in the taxable territory.

For detailed discussion on RCM on Director Services Click here

10Insurance Agent Service: Services provided by an insurance agent to person carrying on insurance business.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
An Insurance AgentAny person carrying on insurance business, located in the taxable territory.
11Recovery Agent Service: Services provided by a recovery agent to a banking company or a financial institution or a non-banking financial company.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
A Recovery AgentBanking company or financial institution or a non-banking financial company, located in the taxable territory.
12Copyright Service: Supply of Services by a music composer, photographer, artist or the like by way of transfer or permitting the use or enjoyment of a copyright covered under Section 13(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 1957 relating to original dramatic, musical or artistic works to a music company, producer or the like.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
Music composer, photographer, artist, or the like.The Music company, producer or the like, located in the taxable territory.
13Copy right service by author: Supply of services by an author by way of transfer or permitting the use or enjoyment of a copyright covered under section 13(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 1957 relating to original literary works to a publisher.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
AuthorPublisher located in the taxable territory.

RCM will NOT be applicable from 01.10.2019 where:-
(i) the author has taken registration under the CGST Act,2017, and filed a declaration , in form at annexure I of RCM notification(s), within the time limit prescribed therein, with the jurisdictional CGST or SGST commissioner, that he exercises the option to pay central tax on such service, in accordance with Section 9 (1) of the CGST Act, 2017 under forward charge, and to comply with all the provisions of CGST Act, 2017 as they apply to a person liable for paying the tax in relation to the supply of any goods or services or both and that he shall not withdraw the said option within a period of 1 year from the date of exercising such option;
(ii) the author makes a declaration, as prescribed in Annexure II of RCM notification(s) on the invoice issued by him in Form GST Inv-I to the publisher.
14Overseeing Committee Service : Supply of services by the members of Overseeing Committee to Reserve Bank of India.

(RCM applicable from 13.10.2017 vide N N 33/2017-CT(R) dated 13-10-2017.
Members of Overseeing Committee constituted by the Reserve Bank of India.Reserve Bank of India
15    Service by DSAs: Services supplied by individual Direct Selling Agents (DSAs) other than a body corporate partnership or limited liability partnership firm to bank or non-banking financial company (NBFCs).

(RCM applicable from 27.07.2017 vide N. N. 15/2018-CT(R) dated 27-7-2018.
Individual Direct Selling Agents (DSAs) other than a body corporate, partnership or limited liability partnership firm.A banking company or a non-banking financial company, located in the taxable territory.
16Business Facilitator Service : Services provided by Business Facilitator (BF) to a banking company.
(RCM applicable from 01.01.2019 vide N.N. 29/2018-CT(R) dated 31-12-2018)
Business facilitator (BF)A banking company, located in the taxable territory.
17Agent Service: Services provided by an agent of Business Correspondent (BC) to Business Correspondent (BC).
(RCM applicable from 01.01.2019 vide N.N. 29/2018-CT(R) dated 31-12-2018)
An agent of Business Correspondent (BC).A business correspondent, located in the taxable territory.
18Security Service: Security Services (services provided by way of supply of security personnel) provided to a registered person

(RCM applicable from 01.01.2019 vide N.N. 29/2018-CT(R) dated 31-12-2018)
Any person other than a body corporate.A registered person, located in the “taxable territory.”

RCM shall NOT be applicable to,- (i)(a) a Department or Establishment of the Central / State Govt. or Union territory; or
(b) local authority; or
(c) Government agencies; which has taken registration under the CGST Act, 2017 only for the purpose of deducting tax under Sec 51 of the said Act and not for making a taxable supply of goods or services; or
(ii) a registered person paying tax under composition scheme.

For detailed discussion on RCM on Security Services Click here
19Renting of motor vehicle service: Services provided by way of renting of any motor vehicle designed to carry passengers where the cost of fuel is included in the consideration charged from the service recipient, provided to a body corporate.

(RCM applicable from 01.10.2019 vide N.N. 22/2019-CT(R) dated 30-09-2019).
Any person, other than a body corporate who supplies the service to a body corporate and does not issue an invoice charging central tax at the rate of 6% to the service recipient.Any body corporate located in the taxable territory”.

For detailed discussion on RCM on Renting of motor vehicle service Click here
  20Security lending service: Services of lending securities of Securities under Lending scheme, 1997 (Scheme). Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), as amended.

(RCM applicable from 01.10.2019 vide N.N. 22/2019-CT(R) dated 30-09-2019)
Lender i.e. a person who deposits the securities registered in his name or in the name of any other person duly authorised on his behalf with an approved intermediary for the purpose of lending under the scheme of SEBI.Borrower i.e. a person who borrows the securities under the Scheme through an approved intermediary of SEBI).

It may be noted here that the tax is to be paid under reverse charge mechanism on all the above 20 services in case the supply is made by specified persons to specified persons as prescribed under RCM Notifications.

The tax will be paid under CGST Act as well as SGST Act viz CGST + SGST in case such supplies are intra-State supplies as defined under Section 8 of the IGST Act,2017. However IGST will be required to paid under reverse charge where such supplies of services are inter-State as defined under Section 7 of the IGST Act, 2017.

However in regard to inter-State supplies, apart from above 20 services the following two additional services has been notified by the Central Government vide Notification No. 10/2017-Integrated Tax (Rate) dated 28-6-2017 wherein whole of the tax viz IGST shall be payable by the recipient on services under Section 5(3) of IGST Act,2017 on Reverse charge basis.

Sl. No.Category of Supply of ServicesSupplier of ServiceRecipient of service
(1)(2)(3)(4)
1Import of Service:
Any service supplied by any person who is located in a non-taxable territory to any person other than non-taxable online recipient.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
Any person located in a non-taxable territory.Any person located in the taxable territory other than non-taxable online recipient.
2Ocean freight:
Services supplied by a person located in non-taxable territory by way of transportation of goods by a vessel from a place outside India up to the Customs Station of clearance in India.
(RCM applicable from 01.07.2017).
A person located in a non-taxable territory.Importer, as defined in Sec 2(26) of the Customs Act,1962, located in the taxable territory.

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