The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs ( CBIC ) has issued clarifications on doubts related to Supply of Information Technology enabled Services ( ITeS services ).
In the Circular CBIC said that, The definition of intermediary inter alia provides specific exclusion of a person i.e. that of a person who supplies such goods or services or both or securities on his own account. Therefore, the supplier of services would not be treated as „intermediary‟ even where the supplier of services qualifies to be „an agent/ broker or any other person‟ if he is involved in the supply of services on his own account.
The CBIC also illustrated various scenarios when a supplier of ITeS services located in India supplies services for and on behalf of a client located abroad. These scenarios have been examined and are being discussed in detail hereunder:
Scenario -I:
The supplier of ITeS services supplies back end services as listed in para 4 above. In such a scenario, the supplier will not fall under the ambit of intermediary under sub-section (13) of section 2 of the IGST Act where these services are provided on his own account by such supplier. Even where a supplier supplies ITeS services to customers of his clients on clients‟ behalf, but actually supplies these services on his own account, the supplier will not be categorized as intermediary. In other words, a supplier “A” supplying services, listed in para 4 above, on his own account to his client “B” or to the customer “C” of his client would not be intermediary in terms of sub-section (13) of section 2 of the IGST Act.
Scenario -II:
The supplier of backend services located in India arranges or facilitates the supply of goods or services or both by the client located abroad to the customers of client. Such backend services may include support services, during pre-delivery, delivery and postdelivery of supply (such as order placement and delivery and logistical support, obtaining relevant Government clearances, transportation of goods, post-sales support and other services, etc.). The supplier of such services will fall under the ambit of intermediary under sub-section (13) of section 2 of the IGST Act as these services are merely for arranging or facilitating the supply of goods or services or both between two or more persons. In other words, a supplier “A” supplying backend services as mentioned in this scenario to the customer “C” of his client “B” would be intermediary in terms of sub-section (13) of section 2 of the IGST Act.
Scenario –III:
The supplier of ITeS services supplies back end services, as listed in para 4 above, on his own account along with arranging or facilitating the supply of various support services during pre-delivery, delivery and post-delivery of supply for and on behalf of the client located abroad. In this case, the supplier is supplying two set of services, namely ITeS services and various support services to his client or to the customer of the client. Whether the supplier of such services would fall under the ambit of intermediary under sub-section (13) of section 2 of the IGST Act will depend on the facts and circumstances of each case. In other words, whether a supplier “A” supplying services listed in para 4 above as well as support services listed in Scenario -II above to his client “B” and / or to the customer “C” of his client is intermediary or not in terms of sub-section (13) of section 2 of the IGST Act would have to be determined in facts and circumstances of each case and would be determined keeping in view which set of services is the principal / main supply.
The CBIC also clarified that, supplier of ITeS services, who is not an intermediary in terms of sub-section (13) of section 2 of the IGST Act, can avail benefits of export of services if he satisfies the criteria mentioned in sub-section (6) of section 2 of the IGST Act.
Subscribe Taxscan Premium to view the Judgment
