GST Offences of Fraud or any Willful-Misstatement or Suppression of Facts to Evade Tax and Its Effect of Limitation [Read Circular]

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs ( CBIC ) has issued a clarification with regard to applicability of provisions of section 75(2) of Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 and its effect on limitation. As pet sub-section (2) of section 75 of Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, in cases where the appellate authority or appellate tribunal or court concludes that the notice issued by proper officer under sub-section (1) of section 74 is not sustainable for reason that the charges of fraud or any willful-misstatement or suppression of facts to evade tax have not been established against the person to whom such notice was issued, then the proper officer shall determine the tax payable by the noticee, deeming as if the notice was issued under sub-section (1) of section 73. Doubts have been raised by the field formations seeking clarification regarding the time limit within which the proper officer is required to re-determine the amount of tax payable considering notice to be issued under sub-section (1) of section 73, specially in cases where time limit for issuance of order as per sub-section (10) of section 73 has already been over. Further, doubts have also been expressed regarding the methodology for computation of such amount payable by the noticee, deeming the notice to be issued under sub-section (1) of section 73. The CBIC circular issued today stated that Sub-section (3) of section 75 of CGST Act provides that an order, required to be issued in pursuance of the directions of the appellate authority or appellate tribunal or the court, has to be issued within two years from the date of communication of the said direction. “Accordingly, in cases where any direction is issued by the appellate authority or appellate tribunal or the court to re-determine the amount of tax payable by the noticee by deeming the notice to have been issued under sub-section (1) of section 73 of CGST Act in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 75 of the said Act, the proper officer is required to issue the order of redetermination of tax, interest and penalty payable within the time limit as specified in under sub-section (3) of section 75 of the said Act, i.e. within a period of two years from the date of communication of the said direction by appellate authority or appellate tribunal or the court, as the case may be,” the CBIC circular said. It further stated that in cases where the amount of tax, interest and penalty payable by the noticee is required to be re-determined by the proper officer in terms of sub-section (2) of section 75 of CGST Act, the demand would have to be re-determined keeping in consideration the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 73, read with subsection (10) of section 73 of CGST Act. “It transpires from a combined reading of these provisions that in cases which do not involve fraud or willful-misstatement or suppression of facts to evade payment of tax, the show cause notice in terms of sub-section (1) of section 73 of CGST Act has to be issued within 2 years and 9 months from the due date of furnishing of annual return for the financial year to which such tax not paid or short paid or input tax credit wrongly availed or utilized relates, or within 2 years and 9 months from the date of erroneous refund,” the CBIC clarified. Support our journalism by subscribing to Taxscan premium. Follow us on Telegram for quick updates