One of the fundamental features of GST is seamless flow of input credit across the chain (from the manufacture of goods till it is consumed) and across the country. In this section, let’s discuss about various conditions laid down by law to avail input credit on supply of goods or services.

All of the following conditions need to be satisfied to avail Input credit:
• The dealer should be in possession of Tax Invoice / Debit or Credit Note / Supplementary Invoice issued by a supplier registered under GST Act.
• The said goods/services have been received.
• Returns (GSTR-3) have been filed.
• The tax charged has been paid to the government by the supplier.

What do these conditions imply?

Once GSTR-1 (Outward supply details) is filed by the supplier, recipient has a visibility of the purchase through the auto populated GSTR-2 (Inward supplies details). After necessary modification, additions (if any) and acceptance, the Input credit will be credited to the recipient’s electronic credit ledger on a provisional basis.
Input credit will be available only when the Monthly returns (GSTR-3) are filed by the supplier along with payment tax.

Let us understand this with an example

Super Cars Ltd, a manufacturer of cars purchased 30 tons of steel from Ratna Steels. Ratna Steels supplied steel and issued tax invoice on 5th April with GST of 2, 40,000.

With this example, let us examine the process to understand the flow of availing input credit.

Notes
GSTR-1: Furnish all outward supply details on or before 10th of Subsequent month.
GSTR-2: This is auto-populated by System on 11th of subsequent month. This includes all inward supplies details
GSTR-3: Monthly Return auto populated by system on 20th of subsequent month

In the current regime of indirect tax system, the chain of input credit, at a certain point, is broken. Let’s say Central Sales Tax (CST) applicable on interstate trade is non-creditable, leading to a break in the input credit chain. Similarly, a manufacturer charging excise duty on sale to a dealer causes the chain to break. This leads to taxes forming a part of the product cost.

In the year 2005, VAT was introduced with the similar objective to overcome cascading affect. If VAT was designed to eliminate it, how is it different in GST?

Yes, VAT eliminated the cascading tax effect on the state indirect tax, while the cascading effect of other indirect taxes still remained. GST allows for seamless flow of tax credit, and eliminates the cascading effect of all indirect taxes in the supply chain from manufacturers to retailers, and across state borders.

Let us examine this with an example of car as a product with overall rate of tax being considered @22% under existing and GST regime – to illustrate elimination of tax on tax

Savings of 5,280 catching your eyes! Isn’t it? Let’s us examine this.

If you observe closely, in the example, the taxes paid by dealer (CGST + SGST) to manufacturer is not added to cost. This is because GST allows the dealer to set off the tax liability of CGST+SGST. This is one of the fundamental features of GST, which allows seamless credit from manufacturer to dealer, and eliminates the cascading effect.