๐จ ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ช๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐
๐ญ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ
A recurring question faced during an audit or investigation is
๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ข ๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฐ๐ณโ๐ด ๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ธ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด, ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ต ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ช๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ?
This situation generally arises where a supplierโs dues were shown as payable in the Balance Sheet, but later management decides not to make payment, and the outstanding amount is โwritten off.โ
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๐ฎ. ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ฐ๐
- As per ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ(๐ญ)(๐ฎ), ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ณ, GST applies only when a supply of goods or services is made for consideration.
Writing off a creditor's balance is neither a supply of goods or services nor covered under Schedule I (activities treated as supplies even without consideration).
๐ Hence, ๐ป๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฑ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐.
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๐ฏ. ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ฒ(๐ฎ) & ๐ฅ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ณ
- However, a critical implication arises in relation to the Input Tax Credit (ITC).
- As per the ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ฒ(๐ฎ) ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฅ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ณ, ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ณ, where payment is not made to the supplier within 180 days from the date of invoice, the ITC attributable to such unpaid value must be reversed, along with ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฌ.
๐ Therefore, ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ.
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๐ฐ. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
- No GST liability arises on the act of writing off creditors.
- However, ITC reversal is mandatory if the supplier is not paid within 180 days and the ITC has already been claimed.
- In cases where a supplier and recipient agree on a reduced settlement amount, businesses must insist on a Financial Credit Note from the supplier.
This ensures that ITC entitlement remains intact and prevents future disputes with the GST Department.
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๐ฑ. ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
- Writing off a creditor does not constitute a supply under Section 7.
- However, it does trigger a reversal of the input tax credit under Section 16(2) and Rule 37, with interest liability.
Businesses must therefore exercise due care and maintain documentary evidence, including credit notes where settlement is at a lower value.
๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐งโ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฒ๐
In GST, the principle is simple:
โ๐ก๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ โ ๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ง๐.โ
Thatโs why ensuring timely payment or proper settlement documentation is good practice and essential for protecting your tax credits and avoiding unnecessary disputes.
At ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ง, our goal is to simplify such complex issues so businesses can confidently take informed decisions.
โ๏ธ ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ง | ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ
#GSTDOST #WrittenOff #Creditors #CreditBalanceWriteOff #Rule37 #GstReversal #FinancialCreditNote
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๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป!
๐ Do you think the โ๐ก๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ โ ๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ง๐โ rule is fair and justified?
Or does it put an extra burden on small businesses?
Drop your thoughts in the ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ โฌ๏ธ โ
Your views and experiences could feature in our upcoming posts and help the GST community learn together!