GST Procedures

Liability for GST – Transfers, Mergers & Liquidation

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Liability for GST during transfer of business

If a taxable person transfers his business, either wholly or partly, to another person, then both the taxable person and the person to whom the business is transferred, will be having liability for GST – jointly and severally, wholly or to the extent of such a transfer, to pay the tax amount which is due, which will include tax, interest and penalties. It does not matter whether the due tax amount was determined before and after the transfer of business under GST, as long as it is unpaid.

All forms of transfer, ranging from sale, gift, lease, leave and license, hire etc. will be covered under GST liability in transfer of business.

Apart from the unpaid tax amounts, the new owner of the business will also have the liablity to pay GST from the date of transfer. If he carries on the business in a new name, which is different from the original, then he must apply for an amendment of his registration certificate, which will prevent any legal complications.

Liability in case of merger or amalgamation of companies

There could be situation where companies enter into an amalgamation or merger under GST. As per the GST provisions, if two or more companies merge or amalgamate, then they are individually have liability for GST, provided:

  • Under GST, merger or amalgamation has happened due to the order of a court or tribunal
  • Order is to take effect from a date earlier to the date of the order i.e. in retrospective effect
  • Both companies have supplied goods and / or services to each other during the period in between the order date to order effect date

It is to be noted that the merging companies will be treated as separate companies under GST till the date of the order and not the order effect date. Their registrations will stand cancelled on the date of the order.

Liability in case of company liquidation

When any company is being wound up, either under the orders of a court or Tribunal or otherwise, every person who is appointed as a receiver of any assets of that company, will need to inform the Commissioner of his appointment as a liquidator, within 30 days. Post this, the Commissioner may conduct enquiries to confirm the same, and then notify the final amount to the liquidator, which in his opinion, will be sufficient to provide for any tax, interest or penalty, which is payable by the company at that point in time. This amount will need to be communicated to the liquidator by the Commissioner within 3 months of receiving the appointment intimation.

When any private company is wound up, the scenario is little different. If, any tax, interest or penalty payable by the company for any period (whether before or in the course of or after its liquidation) cannot be recovered, then every person who was a director of the company at any time during the period for which the tax was due shall, jointly and severally, have liability for GST payment, interest or penalty. However, if he manages to prove to the Commissioner that such a non – recovery cannot be attributed to any gross neglect, misfeasance or breach of duty on his part in relation to the affairs of the company, then he may be excused from paying the due amount.

Recovery of Tax under GST

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When to initiate proceedings for Recovery of Tax?

As per the recovery provisions under GST, if the amount payable by a taxable person, remains unpaid, even after 3 months from the date of issuing the Order for demand of tax, then the recovery of tax under GST will be initiated. However, if the proper officer considers it urgent in the interest of revenue, he may state reasons recording in writing, and direct the concerned taxpayer to make payment in a reduced period as well. In any case, if the demand is not paid in the time specified, then the department will initiate proceedings for tax recovery under GST.

What are the modes of recovery of tax?

The proper officer may recover the tax due in the following tax recovery modes:

  • Deduction of due amount from the tax amount payable to such person by the department
  • Recovery of tax by way of detaining and selling any goods belonging to such person
  • Recovery of tax from another person, from whom money is either due or may become due to such person
  • Recovery of tax from another person, who holds or may subsequently hold money for or on account of such person, to pay to the credit of the Central or a State Government
  • Detention of any movable or immovable property belonging to such person, until the amount payable is paid. If the dues are not paid within 30 days, the said property is to be sold and with the proceeds of such sale the amount payable and cost of sale is to be recovered
  • Recovery of tax through the collector of the district, in which such person owns any property or resides or carries on his business, as if it were an arrear of land revenue. The proper officer will need to prepare a certificate specifying the amount due from such person and hand it over to the concerned collector, for this purpose
  • Recovery of tax by way of application to the appropriate magistrate, who in turn shall proceed to recover the amount as if it were a fine imposed by him
  • Recovery of tax via enforcing the bond or instrument executed under the Act or any rules or regulations made under the Act
  • Recovery of tax done by the proper officer of the State Government or Union Territory Government, wherein, any CGST arrears will be recovered as if it were an SGST / UTGST arrear. Such an amount will be recovered, and then later credited to the account of the Central Government. In case the amount recovered by this means, is less than the amount due, then the amount will be apportioned among the Central Government and State / UT Government in proportion to the amount due to each authority

Provision for paying taxes in Instalments

If the taxpayer cannot pay all the GST dues i.e. tax, interest and penalty, in a lump sum or within the stipulated date, then he can file an application to the Commissioner requesting to pay in instalments. Basis this application, the commissioner can either extend the due date of payment, or, allow the taxpayer to pay the amount in instalments. In either case, the reasons for accepting and rejecting this request, have to be provided in writing.

When paying taxes in instalments however, the taxpayer has to remember the following conditions:

  • Instalments are payable every month
  • A maximum of 24 instalments are allowed i.e., the time of payment can be extended for a maximum of 2 years
  • Interest at 18% must be paid along with the instalment
  • All instalments must be paid on time. A single default will cause the instalments to cease and the entire outstanding balance will become due on that date, and will be recoverable, without any notice

However, please note that this option of paying in instalments is not available for dues under self-assessment. Any tax under self-assessment must be paid in one go.

Determination of Tax Liability under Demand Provisions

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Determination-of-tax-liability

In this blog, we will understand the rules laid down for determination of tax liability for calculation of penalty under the demand provisions of GST.

General Provisions for Determination of Tax Liability

The general provisions for determination of tax liability are as follows:

  • If the service of the Show Cause Notice (SCN) or the issue of the Order, both of which are important notifications for a defaulting tax payer, have been stayed by a Tribunal or Court order, then the stay period will be excluded from the maximum time limits specified i.e. 3 years in the case of non-fraud cases and 5 years in the case of fraud cases
  • If the Appellate Authority or Tribunal or Court decides that charges of fraud are not sustainable i.e. the case cannot be labelled as a fraud case, then the case will be handled as a non-fraud one and the SCN issued earlier will be assumed to be a SCN for a non-fraud case. The tax officer will calculate the tax accordingly
  • If the Tribunal or Court directs that an order has to be passed, then it will be issued within two years from the date of the direction
  • An opportunity of a personal hearing will be granted to the taxpayer if they request it in writing, or, if a penalty or any adverse decision is proposed against such person
  • The proper officer can adjourn the personal hearing if the concerned person provides sufficient cause in writing, but, such an adjournment will be allowed for a maximum of 3 times
  • While issuing an order, the proper officer, shall set out the relevant facts and the basis of his decision, in the order itself
  • The amount of tax, interest and penalty demanded in the order will not exceed the amount specified in the notice. All demands will be made, only on the grounds specified in the notice
  • The Appellate Authority or Tribunal or Court can modify the amount of tax determined by the proper officer
  • Interest on tax which is unpaid or short paid, will have to be paid whether or not specified in the order
  • If the order is not issued within 3 years (in case of non-fraud cases) or 5 years (in case of fraud cases), then it is assumed that the adjudication proceedings are completed, and no further orders will be issued afterwards
  • All pending cases, where the decision was against the interest of revenue, might be appealed to a higher authority. For such cases, the period between the date of the original decision and the date of the revised decision of the higher authority, will be excluded from the period of 3 years or 5 years, as applicable
  • Recovery provisions for unpaid or short paid tax and interest levied on the same, is applicable irrespective of the demand provisions
  • Once a penalty is imposed on a taxpayer under the demand provisions specified for fraud and non-fraud cases, no other penalty under any of the GST sections will be applicable

Tax collected but not paid to Government

The following provisions have been specified to handle the scenario of a person collecting tax from another person, but not depositing the same with the Government, i.e. tax collected but not deposited to the Government:

  • The defaulter will have to mandatorily pay the said amount to the Government, irrespective of whether the supplies, for which the amount was collected, are taxable or not
  • If the amount is not paid in time, a proper officer may issue a SCN immediately, for recovery of the amount and penalty equivalent to the amount. There will be no specified time limit for issuing such a SCN
  • The proper officer, will then after considering all the facts, determine the amount finally due from the defaulter. The defaulter will be liable to pay not only the amount, but also the interest at the rate specified, from the date the said amount was collected by him to the date the said amount is paid by him to the Government
  • The proper officer shall issue an order within one year from the date of issue of the notice, post which the amount shall be collected and adjusted against the relevant tax ledgers

Tax wrongfully collected and paid to Central Government or State Government

One of the most common mistakes which can happen for any business is the payment of tax under the incorrect head i.e. CGST + SGST / UTGST being paid in place of IGST or vice versa. The following provisions have been specified to handle tax wrongfully collected:

  • A registered person who has paid CGST + SGST / UTGST on a transaction considered by him to be an intra-State supply, but which was actually an inter-State supply, shall be refunded the amount of taxes so paid in such manner and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed.
  • A registered person who has paid IGST on a transaction considered by him to be an inter-State supply, but which was actually an intra-State supply, shall not be required to pay any interest on the amount of CGST and SGST / UTGST, which is payable.

Demand under GST

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As you must be aware, the Goods and Service Tax is largely payable on a self-assessment basis. If the assessee pays the right amount of tax, there is no problem. However, if there is any short payment or wrong utilisation of input credit, then the GST authorities will initiate demand and recovery of tax under GST provisions, against that particular assessee. Under the GST Act, provisions relating to demand and recovery are quite similar to the provisions under the erstwhile Service Tax and Central Excise Act norms. In this blog, we will understand the provisions of demand under GST in detail.

When can a demand under GST be raised?

The GST Act contains elaborate demand provisions under GST as well as provisions for recovery of tax under various situations, which can be broadly classified as follows:

  • Tax is unpaid or short paid
  • Refund is wrongly made
  • Input Tax Credit is wrongly availed or utilised

Now, these situations can happen, either because of an inadvertent bona fide mistake (normal case) or because of a deliberate attempt to evade tax (fraud case). Since the nature of offences is totally different in both the cases, separate recovery and demand provisions under GST have been laid down for each type of case. These provisions attempt to encourage voluntary compliance, under certain specific timelines, which are discussed below.

Demand of tax when there is no fraud

As per the rules of demand in GST, when there is no fraud, no wilful misstatement or no suppression of facts – in other words, no motive to evade tax, the demand of tax provisions are comparatively more lenient.

Time Limit to issue Show Cause Notice & Order

As per the provisions of demand under GST, the proper officer i.e. the concerned GST authority is required to primarily issue 2 notifications, which serve as opportunities to the defaulter – Show Cause Notice (SCN) & Order.

  • Order – 3 years from the due date of filing Annual Return for Financial Year, to which the amount relates
  • Show Cause Notice (SCN) – 3 months before the date of issue of the Order, i.e. 2 years and 9 months from the due date of filing Annual Return for the Financial Year, to which the amount relates.

Once the above notice has been issued, the proper officer can then serve a statement, with details of any unpaid tax / wrong refund etc., for other periods which are not covered in the notice. This means, that a separate notice does not have to be issued for each tax period, which the concerned authority wants to highlight, as per the provisions of demand under GST.

Penalty Scenarios

  • Before SCN – If the taxpayer pays the tax along with interest, based on his own calculations, or the officer’s calculations, and informs the same to the officer in writing, before the SCN is issued, then the officer will not issue any notice, nor charge any penalty. However, if the officer finds that there is a short payment, they can issue a notice for the balance amount.
  • Within 30 days of SCN – If the taxpayer pays all his dues within 30 days from the date of issue of the SCN, then the penalty will not be applicable, and all proceedings and prosecution regarding the notice will be closed.
  • Within 30 days of Order – If the taxpayer pays all his dues within 30 days from the date of issue of the Order, then penalty will be charged at 10% of tax subject to a minimum of INR 10,000.
  • After 30 days of Order – If the taxpayer pays all his dues after 30 days from the date of issue of the Order, then penalty will be charged at 10% of tax subject to a minimum of INR 10,000.

To sum up,

Due Payment Date Penalty
Before SCN No penalty
Within 30 days of SCN No penalty
Within 30 days of Order 10% subject to a minimum of INR 10,000
After 30 days of Order 10% subject to a minimum of INR 10,000

Demand of tax when there is fraud

As per the demand rules in GST, such provisions arise, when there is unpaid or short paid tax, wrong refund or wrong utilisation of ITC, under the following situations:

  • Fraud
  • Wilful misstatement
  • Suppression of facts

Time Limit to issue Show Cause Notice & Order

As per the provisions of demand under GST, even in the case of fraud, the proper officer i.e. the concerned GST authority is required to primarily issue 2 notifications, which serve as opportunities to the defaulter – Show Cause Notice (SCN) & Order. However, the timelines are different as follows:

  • Order – 5 years from the due date of filing Annual Return for Financial Year, to which the amount relates
  • Show Cause Notice (SCN) – 6 months before the date of issue of the Order, i.e. 4 years and 6 months from the due date of filing Annual Return for the Financial Year, to which the amount relates.

Once the above notice has been issued, the proper officer can then serve a statement, with details of any unpaid tax / wrong refund etc., for other periods which are not covered in the notice. Similar to the previous scenario, a separate notice does not have to be issued for each tax period, which the concerned authority wants to highlight, as per the provisions of demand under GST.

Penalty Scenarios

  • Before SCN – If the taxpayer pays the tax along with interest, based on his own calculations, or the officer’s calculations, and informs the same to the officer in writing, before the SCN is issued, then the officer will not issue any notice, but a penalty of 15% will be charged. However, if the officer finds that there is a short payment, they can issue a notice for the balance amount.
  • Within 30 days of SCN – If the taxpayer pays all his dues within 30 days from the date of issue of the SCN, then a penalty of 25% will be applicable, and all proceedings regarding the notice will be closed.
  • Within 30 days of Order – If the taxpayer pays all his dues within 30 days from the date of issue of the Order, then a penalty of 50% will be applicable, and all proceedings regarding the notice will be closed.
  • After 30 days of Order – If the taxpayer pays all his dues after 30 days from the date of issue of the Order, then penalty will be charged at 100% of the tax amount.

To sum up,

Due Payment Date Penalty
Before SCN 15%
Within 30 days of SCN 25%
Within 30 days of Order 50%
After 30 days of Order 100%

Note: However, as per the latest demand rules in GST, with respect to self-assessed tax and / or any amount collected as tax, a penalty of 10% will still be payable where payment has not happened within 30 days from the due date of payment of the tax. In these cases, penalty will be applicable irrespective of whether or not the taxpayer pays before or after SCN i.e. the due date of payment will be considered more important than date of issue of SCN, over-riding all the rules stated above.

The GST Act also ensures timely disposal of cases by further providing that if the Order is not issued within the stipulated time limit of 3 years or 5 years, as the case may be, the adjudication proceedings shall be deemed to be concluded. This has ensured a strong mechanism for recovery and demand in GST, which will hopefully go a long way to wipe out tax evasion across the nation.