Indirect Tax E-Bulletin
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INDIRECT TAX E-BULLETIN VOL 2 | ISSUE 1 DECEMBER 2020 CASE LAW UPDATES REGULATORY UPDATES NEWS UPDATES INDIRECT TAX E-BULLETIN 01. 02. CASE LAW UPDATES REGULATORY UPDATES GOODS AND SERVICES TAX GOODS AND SERVICES TAX − Restriction on refund of ITC pertaining to − Launch of Quarterly Return Monthly input services in cases of inverted duty Payment (QRMP) Scheme structure, upheld: Madras High Court − Measures introduced to curb fraudulent − Power to arrest can be invoked prior to issue of invoices / false registrations completion of assessment or adjudication proceedings: Gujarat High Court − Restriction on availment of input tax credit: − Restriction on rebate option as per rule − Extension granted for filing of FORM GSTR 96(10) of Central Goods and Services Tax Generation of FORM GSTR 2B Rules, 2017 not discriminatory, but applicable − retrospectively from 23 October 2017: Gujarat − E-invoicing provisions amended High Court − Relaxation for filing Annual Returns (FORM − Education, Higher Education and Krishi GSTR 9/ 9C) Kalyan Cesses cannot be transitioned into GST regime; Single-judge bench order − One-time extension in respect of goods reversed: Madras High Court exported on approval for sale / return − Special Economic Zone unit is entitled to − Extension of due date of compliance under claim refund of ITC distributed by an Input anti-profiteering provisions Service Distributor: Gujarat High Court − Notification of the number of HSN digits − Sale of Transferable Development Rights required on tax invoice obtained under Development Control Regulations liable to GST: Appellate Authority − Extension of exemption on services by way for Advance Ruling of transportation of goods by air or by sea IN THIS ISSUE THIS IN − Activities undertaken by the Indian liaison FOREIGN TRADE POLICY / office of a foreign company amount to a OTHER REGULATORY “supply”; GST registration necessary: Authority for Advance Ruling UPDATES CUSTOMS / FOREIGN TRADE − Rollout of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) − Notification increasing import duty would Scheme not affect bill of entry presented on the same day, prior to its publication: Supreme Court − Extension of the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) Scheme − Quantitative restrictions on imports may be imposed by the Central Government under − Relief for pending claims under Rebate of the general regulatory power, without State Levies (RoSL) Scheme following the procedure provided in Section 9A of the Foreign Trade (Development & − Extension granted for submission of proof Regulation) Act, 1992: Supreme Court for export obligation fulfilment INDIRECT TAX E-BULLETIN A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS! Welcome to yet another edition of the quarterly Courts and tribunals. While the Gujarat High Court E-Bulletin brought to you by Khaitan & Co. upheld the validity of restrictions under Rule 96(10) of the CGST Rules on rebate option, the The new year carries with it a lot of expectations Madras High Court did not interfere with the in terms of getting life back to normal, although restriction on refund of ITC pertaining to input the new normal is a far cry from the pre-pandemic services, in cases of inverted duty structure. days. The Ministry of Finance promises to Further, applicability of GST on TDR was introduce a robust budget to get the economy confirmed by the Appellate AAR in Maharashtra, back on the growth path. We have also witnessed perhaps paving a role for litigation at higher a healthy GST collection for the last month, forums. although exports still seem to be sluggish. Come February and we will witness the much- The last quarter witnessed many significant awaited budget against the global pandemic. Like regulatory announcements, some of which were the rest of the world, even India is hoping to get due to the pandemic, like the extension of certain back on track with increased economic activities. due dates. A few others were announced keeping Here’s hoping the new year ensures this! in mind the long-term plans of change in GST compliances, like introduction of e-invoicing. Stay healthy and stay safe! Right at the end of year 2020, the framework of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported With regards Products (RoDTEP) scheme in lieu of the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) Indirect Tax Team was announced for exporters of goods. However, Khaitan & Co no similar scheme has yet been announced for service exporters, to replace the Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS). Yet another set of major decisions were pronounced by the Apex court along with High INDIRECT TAX E-BULLETIN 01. CASE LAW UPDATES GOODS AND SERVICES TAX Restriction on refund of ITC pertaining to input services in cases of inverted duty structure, upheld: Madras High Court KCO Comments In Tvl Transtonnelstroy Afcons Joint Venture v The controversy surrounding admissibility of Union of India1, the Madras High Court held that refund of ITC accumulated on input services in the explanation to rule 89(5) of the Central Goods cases of inverted duty structure, has already seen and Services Tax Rules (CGST Rules) which two conflicting High Court decisions. The Madras restricted the definition of “Net ITC” to include High Court has categorically held that the proviso Input Tax Credit (ITC) availed on inputs and not to Section 54(3) did not merely lay down a input services (in cases of inverted duty condition precedent for claiming refund but also structure), was well within the scope of Section restricted the quantum of such refund to ITC 54(3) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act accumulated on inputs, and on this count differed (CGST Act) and was thus intra vires. The High with the line of reasoning adopted by the Gujarat Court held that while Section 54(3)(ii) of the High Court. While this controversy would now CGST Act enables an assessee to claim refund of only be settled at the level of Supreme Court, the any ITC, the proviso thereto qualifies the enabling decision of the Madras High Court comes across provision by limiting the source of such refund as a setback to the trade and somewhat weakens only to ITC accumulated on inputs, thereby a similar challenge to denial of refund of ITC excluding input services. The High Court pertaining to capital goods against exports or disagreed with a recent decision of the Gujarat cases of inverted duty structure, currently High Court in the case of VKC Footsteps India pending before various High Courts. In our view, it Private Limited2 (which had read down the is the Gujarat High Court which has laid down the aforesaid rule by holding that an assessee was correct position by refusing to distinguish eligible to claim refund of ITC accumulated on between ITC pertaining to inputs and input input services also) by stating that the Gujarat services. High Court had failed to notice that the aforesaid proviso did not merely lay down the cases in Given the above, it would be interesting to see which refund would be admissible, but also how identical writ petitions currently pending imposed a source-based restriction on before the High Courts of Bombay, Rajasthan and entitlement of refund (by confining it to ITC Patna3 are dealt with. accumulated on inputs). Power to arrest can be invoked completion of assessment or adjudication proceedings. The High Court noted that Section prior to completion of 69 of the CGST Act (which confers the power to assessment or adjudication arrest) referred to Section 132 thereof (which lays down punishment for certain offences) only for proceedings: Gujarat High Court the limited purpose of specifying the kinds of offences in respect of which the power to arrest In Vimal Yashwantgiri Goswami v State of could be exercised, and the two provisions Gujarat4, the Gujarat High Court affirmed the otherwise operated in separate fields. The High power of a GST officer to arrest a person on the Court extensively relied upon the decision of the basis of “reasons to believe”, even prior to Telangana High Court in P V Ramana Reddy5 to 1 2020 (9) TMI 931 - Madras High Court Limited (Rajasthan High Court, Jodhpur bench; D.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 11337/2018) and AFCONS-SIBMOST Joint Venture 2 2020-TIOL-1273-HC-AHM-GST (Patna High Court; Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No. 11470 of 2019) 3 Raymond UCO Denim Private Limited (Bombay High Court, 4 Nagpur bench; WP No 5676/2019), Voylla Fashions Private 2020-TIOL-1803-HC-AHM-GST Limited (Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur bench; D.B. Civil Writ 5 2019 (4) TMI 1320 - Telangana and Andhra Pradesh High Court. Petition No. 24375/2018), Shree Ram Lime Products Private The Special Leave Petition against this decision was dismissed by Q 1 INDIRECT TAX E-BULLETIN hold that the punishment provided in Section 132 Basu v State of West Bengal6 to safeguard rights could be inflicted either before or upon granted under articles 21 and 22 of the completion of adjudication proceedings. Constitution had to be followed by officers of the GST department. Apart from the above, the High Court also held that (i) “reasons to believe” recorded by the KCO Comments Commissioner should be based on cogent material and credible information, and on The question as to whether power to arrest can be intelligence, care and deliberation; (ii) power to exercised prior to completion of adjudication arrest, being drastic and far-reaching, should be proceedings has been extensively litigated under used sparingly; (iii) provisions of Sections 154 to GST, due to increase in cases of fake invoicing and 157 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 did “circular trading” across the country. Under the not apply to arrests under GST law; (iv) GST service tax regime, the Delhi High Court in officers were not “police officers” and were not Makemytrip (India) Private Limited7 (affirmed by required to register an FIR prior to arrest; (v) the Supreme Court8) and Ebiz.com Private Section 69 of the CGST Act did not contemplate Limited9 and the Bombay High Court in Cleartrip any interference of a magistrate; and (vi) Private Limited10 had held that power to arrest guidelines specified by the Supreme Court in D K could not be exercised by bypassing the adjudication mechanism provided under the erstwhile Finance Act, 1994.