The GST Council’s 47th meeting was held in Chandigarh on June 28th and 29th, 2022 under the chairmanship of the Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. The GST Council has inter-alia made recommended amendment in CGST Rules for handling of pending IGST refund claims:
In some cases where the exporter is identified as risky exporter requiring verification by GST officers, or where there is a violation of provisions of Customs Act, 1962 the refund claims in respect of export of goods are suspended/withheld.
Recommended amendment in Rule 96 of the Central Goods and Services Tax rules, 2017 (“the CGST Rules”) to provide for transmission of such IGST refund claims on the portal in a system generated FORM GST RFD-01 to the jurisdictional GST authorities for processing.
This would result in expeditious disposal of such IGST refund claims, after due verification by GST officers, thus benefitting such exporters.
Further, re-credit of amount in electronic credit ledger to be provided in those cases where erroneous refund amount sanctioned to a taxpayer on account of accumulated ITC or on account of IGST paid on zero rated supply of goods or services, in contravention of rule 96(10) of the CGST Rules, is deposited by him along with interest and penalty, wherever applicable. A new FORM GST PMT-03A is introduced for the same.
This will enable the taxpayers to get re-credit of the amount of erroneous refund, paid back by them, in their electronic credit ledger.
Rule 96 of the CGST Rules reads as under:
“96. Refund of integrated tax paid on goods or services exported out of India.-
(1) The shipping bill filed by an exporter of goods shall be deemed to be an application for refund of integrated tax paid on the goods exported out of India and such application shall be deemed to have been filed only when:-
(a) the person in charge of the conveyance carrying the export goods duly files 11[a departure manifest or] an export manifest or an export report covering the number and the date of shipping bills or bills of export; and
(b) the applicant has furnished a valid return in FORM GSTR-3 or FORM GSTR-3B, as the case may be;
(c) the applicant has undergone Aadhaar authentication in the manner provided in rule 10B;
(2) The details of the relevant export invoices in respect of export of goods contained in FORM GSTR-1 shall be transmitted electronically by the common portal to the system designated by the Customs and the said system shall electronically transmit to the common portal, a confirmation that the goods covered by the said invoices have been exported out of India.
Provided that where the date for furnishing the details of outward supplies in FORM GSTR-1 for a tax period has been extended in exercise of the powers conferred under section 37 of the Act, the supplier shall furnish the information relating to exports as specified in Table 6A of FORM GSTR-1 after the return in FORM GSTR-3B has been furnished and the same shall be transmitted electronically by the common portal to the system designated by the Customs:
Provided further that the information in Table 6A furnished under the first proviso shall be auto-drafted in FORM GSTR-1 for the said tax period.
(3) Upon the receipt of the information regarding the furnishing of a valid return in FORM GSTR-3 1[or FORM GSTR-3B, as the case may be from the common portal, 6[the system designated by the Customs or the proper officer of Customs, as the case may be, shall process the claim of refund in respect of export of goods and an amount equal to the integrated tax paid in respect of each shipping bill or bill of export shall be electronically credited to the bank account of the applicant mentioned in his registration particulars and as intimated to the Customs authorities.
(4) The claim for refund shall be withheld where,-
(a) a request has been received from the jurisdictional Commissioner of central tax, State tax or Union territory tax to withhold the payment of refund due to the person claiming refund in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (10) or sub-section (11) of section 54; or
(b) the proper officer of Customs determines that the goods were exported in violation of the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
(5) Where refund is withheld in accordance with the provisions of clause (a) of sub-rule (4), the proper officer of integrated tax at the Customs station shall intimate the applicant and the jurisdictional Commissioner of central tax, State tax or Union territory tax, as the case may be, and a copy of such intimation shall be transmitted to the common portal.
(6) Upon transmission of the intimation under sub-rule (5), the proper officer of central tax or State tax or Union territory tax, as the case may be, shall pass an order in 13[Part A] of FORM GST RFD-07.
(7) Where the applicant becomes entitled to refund of the amount withheld under clause (a) of sub-rule (4), the concerned jurisdictional officer of central tax, State tax or Union territory tax, as the case may be, shall proceed to refund the amount 14[by passing an order in FORM GST RFD-06 after passing an order for release of withheld refund in Part B of FORM GST RFD-07.
(8) The Central Government may pay refund of the integrated tax to the Government of Bhutan on the exports to Bhutan for such class of goods as may be notified in this behalf and where such refund is paid to the Government of Bhutan, the exporter shall not be paid any refund of the integrated tax.
(9) The application for refund of integrated tax paid on the services exported out of India shall be filed in FORM GST RFD-01 and shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of rule 89”.
(10) The persons claiming refund of integrated tax paid on exports of goods or services should not have –
(a) received supplies on which the benefit of the Government of India, Ministry of Finance notification No. 48/2017-Central Tax, dated the 18th October, 2017, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number G.S.R 1305 (E), dated the 18th October, 2017 except so far it relates to receipt of capital goods by such person against Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme or notification No. 40/2017-Central Tax (Rate), dated the 23rd October, 2017, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number G.S.R 1320 (E), dated the 23rd October, 2017 or notification No. 41/2017-Integrated Tax (Rate), dated the 23rd October, 2017, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number G.S.R 1321 (E), dated the 23rd October, 2017 has been availed; or
(b) availed the benefit under notification No. 78/2017-Customs, dated the 13th October, 2017, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number G.S.R 1272(E), dated the 13th October, 2017 or notification No. 79/2017-Customs, dated the 13th October, 2017, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number G.S.R 1299 (E), dated the 13th October, 2017 except so far it relates to receipt of capital goods by such person against Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme.
Explanation.- For the purpose of this sub-rule, the benefit of the notifications mentioned therein shall not be considered to have been availed only where the registered person has paid Integrated Goods and Services Tax and Compensation Cess on inputs and has availed exemption of only Basic Customs Duty (BCD) under the said notifications”
The Press release can be accessed at: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1838020
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