Skip to main content

Cos Face Queries Over Input Tax Credit Claims

India Inc could face a tax landmine with authorities beginning to question input tax credit claimed by companies in lieu of Goods and Services Tax paid by their vendors. The authorities have already started sending notices to businesses, confirming fears that scrutiny will increase in the new financial year as the government looks to plug leakages. Experts said notices have been sent in Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and some other states.
The issue has its origin in the provisions of the GST law that warrant a reversal of input tax credit claimed by a business if its vendor has not paid the tax for which credit is being claimed. Currently, there is no mechanism to ascertain if vendors have paid GST. The GST Network Portal allows viewing of the return-filing status of a registered person, but payment of tax cannot be determined. At best, buyers can only verify whether vendors have included the invoice in their GST filings.
Effectively, while a business may have paid the tax to a vendor for which it wants to claim credit, it may not be possible to ascertain if the vendor has deposited the GST. “In such a situation, requiring the buyers to forgo their input credits when they have already paid the GST to vendors and exercised due diligence to the extent possible does not seem like a fair proposition,” said Pratik Jain, national leader indirect tax at PwC.
Jain said given the stakes involved, the issue is likely to result in litigation. “The government needs to perhaps review the law and amend if they deem it appropriate. In any case, there should be some guidance provided to the taxpayers as to how the government expects them to ensure that vendors have indeed paid tax,” he said. Experts said there is a need for a facility to avail of non-reconciled input tax credits on a provisional basis as companies are compelled to pay in cash and block working capital.
Adequate safeguards to check misuse of the facility such as a time limit to complete the pending compliance/reconciliation can also be prescribed to protect revenue,” said MS Mani, a partner at Deloitte India.They said this will induce more compliance.“This will push the sellers to be more compliant and make the buyers put robust processes in place lest they lose credits,” said Bipin Sapra, a partner at EY.
The Economic Times, 30th April 2019

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Credit card spending growth declines on RBI gaze, stress build-up

  Credit card spends have further slowed down to 16.6 per cent in the current financial year (FY25), following the Reserve Bank of India’s tightening of unsecured lending norms and rising delinquencies, and increased stress in the portfolio.Typically, during the festival season (September–December), credit card spends peak as several credit card-issuing banks offer discounts and cashbacks on e-commerce and other platforms. This is a reversal of trend in the past three financial years stretching to FY21 due to RBI’s restrictions.In the previous financial year (FY24), credit card spends rose by 27.8 per cent, but were low compared to FY23 which surged by 47.5 per cent. In FY22, the spending increased 54.1 per cent, according to data compiled by Macquarie Research.ICICI Bank recorded 4.4 per cent gross credit losses in its FY24 credit card portfolio as against 3.2 per cent year-on-year. SBI Cards’ credit losses in the segment stood at 7.4 per cent in FY24 and 6.2 per cent in FY23, the...

SFBs should be vigilant, proactive to mitigate risks: RBI deputy guv

  The Reserve Bank of India’s Deputy Governor Swaminathan J on Friday instructed the directors of small finance banks (SFBs) to be vigilant and proactive in identifying emerging risks in the sector.Speaking at a conference for directors on the boards of SFBs, Swaminathan highlighted the role of governance in guiding SFBs towards sustainable growth with stability. He also emphasised the importance of sustainable business models.Additionally, he highlighted the need for strengthening cybersecurity to protect the entities against digital threats and urged for a stronger focus on financial inclusion, customer service, and grievance redressal to ensure a broader reach of banking services.Executive Directors S C Murmu, Rohit Jain, and R L K Rao, along with other senior officials representing the Supervision, Regulation, and Enforcement Departments of the RBI, also participated in the conference.   -  Business Standard  30 th  September, 2024

Brigade Hotel Ventures files draft papers with Sebi for Rs 900 crore IPO

  Brigade Hotel Ventures Ltd, owner and developer of hotels in South India, has filed draft papers with capital markets regulator Sebi to raise Rs 900 crore through an initial public offering (IPO).The proposed IPO is entirely a fresh issue of equity shares with no Offer-for-Sale (OFS) component, according to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP).Proceeds from the issue to the tune of Rs 481 crore will go towards payment of debt, Rs 412 crore will be allocated to the company and Rs 69 crore to its material subsidiary, SRP Prosperita Hotel Ventures Ltd.Additionally, Rs 107.52 crore will be used to purchase an undivided share of land from the Promoter, BEL, and the remaining funds will support acquisitions, other strategic initiatives, and general corporate purposes.The company may raise up to Rs 180 crore through a Pre-IPO Placement.   If the placement is undertaken, the issue size will be reduced.Brigade Hotel Ventures Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brigade Enterprises ...