A two bench of the Gujarat High Court comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and A C Rao has set aside the press release dated 18th October 2018 as the same found to be illegal to the extent that its para-3 purports to clarify that the last date for availing input tax credit relating to the invoices issued during the period from July 2017 to March 2018 is the last date for the filing of return in Form GSTR-3B.
The petitioner, a practising Chartered Accountant prayed before the Court to quash the press release dated 18th October 2018 to the extent that its para 3 purports to clarify that the last date for availing the input tax credit relating to the invoices issued during the period from July 2017 to March 2018 is the last date for the filing of the return in Form GSTR-3B for the month of September 2018.
As per the said press release, a taxpayer will not be able to claim the input tax credit for the period from July 2017 to March 2018 after filing of the return in Form GSTR-3B for the month of September 2018. It disentitles a taxpayer to claim the input tax credit for the aforesaid period which could not be taken on account of any error or omission. It is submitted that the aforesaid clarification is not in consonance with Section 16(4) of the CGST Act/GGST Act which provides for the last date for taking the input tax credit. It is submitted that the last date of taking the input tax credit should be due date of filing of return in Form GSTR-3 or annual return whichever is earlier.
The bench noted that the aforesaid press release is valid and in consonance with Section 16(4) of the CGST Act/GGST Act only if Form GSTR-3B is a return required to be filed under Section 39 of the CGST Act/GGST Act.
The bench further noted that initially it was decided to have three returns in a month, i.e. return for outward supplies i.e. GSTR-1 in terms of Section 37, return for inward supplies in terms of Section 38, i.e. GSTR-2 and a combined return in Form GSTR-3.
“However, considering technical glitches in the GSTN portal as well as the difficulty faced by the taxpayers it was decided to keep filing of GSTR-2 and GSTR-3 in abeyance. Therefore, in order to ease the burden of the taxpayer for some time, it was decided in the 18th GST Council meeting to allow the filing of a shorter return in Form GSTR-3B for the initial period. It was not introduced as a return in lieu of return required to be filed in Form GSTR-3. The return in Form GSTR-3B is only a temporary stop-gap arrangement till the due date of filing the return in Form GSTR-3 is notified. Notifications are being issued from time to time extending the due date of filing of the return in Form GST3, i.e. return required to be filed under Section 39 of the CGST Act/GGST Act. It was notified vide Notification No.44/2018 Central Tax dated 10th September 2018 that the due date of filing the return under Section 39 of the Act, for the months of July 2017 to March 2019 shall be subsequently notified in the Official Gazette,” the bench said.
“It would also be apposite to point out that the Notification No.10/2017 Central Tax dated 28th June 2017 which introduced mandatory filing of the return in Form GSTR-3B stated that it is a return in lieu of Form GSTR-3. However, the Government, on realizing its mistake that the return in Form GSTR-3B is not intended to be in lieu of Form GSTR-3, rectified its mistake retrospectively vide Notification No.17/2017 Central Tax dated 27th July 2017 and omitted the reference to return in Form GSTR-3B being return in lieu of Form GSTR-3,” the bench added.
The petitioners were represented by Advocates Vinay Sharff, Avinash Poddar, Vishal J Dave and Nipun Singhvi.
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