Extracts of the GST related Amendments made in the Finance Act, 2021, as notified by the GOI on 28/03/2021, post assent of the Hon’ble President of India, as per Budget proposals (2021) on GST related issues.
GST Amendments related Extracts from the Finance Act 2021 [GOI Notification dt. 28/03/2021]:
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1. Short title and commencement:
(1) This Act may be called the Finance Act, 2021.
(2) Save as otherwise provided in this Act,–
(a) sections 2 to 88 shall come into force on 01/04/2021;
(b) sections 108 to 123 shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
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Central Goods and Services Tax
108. Amendment of section 7: In the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as the Central Goods and Services Tax Act), in section 7, in sub-section (1), after clause (a), the following clause shall be inserted and shall be deemed to have been inserted with effect from 01/07/2017, namely:–
(aa) the activities or transactions, by a person, other than an individual, to its members or constituents or vice-versa, for cash, deferred payment or other valuable consideration.
Explanation.– For the purposes of this clause, it is hereby clarified that, notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force or any judgment, decree or order of any Court, tribunal or authority, the person and its members or constituents shall be deemed to be two separate persons and the supply of activities or transactions inter se shall be deemed to take place from one such person to another;
109. Amendment of section 16: In section 16 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, in sub-section (2), after clause (a), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:–
(aa) the details of the invoice or debit note referred to in clause (a) has been furnished by the supplier in the statement of outward supplies and such details have been communicated to the recipient of such invoice or debit note in the manner specified under section 37;
110. Amendment of section 35: In section 35 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, sub-section (5) shall be omitted.
111. Substitution of new section for section 44: For section 44 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, the following section shall be substituted, namely:–
44. Annual Return: Every registered person, other than an Input Service Distributor, a person paying tax under section 51 or section 52, a casual taxable person and a non-resident taxable person shall furnish an annual return which may include a self-certified reconciliation statement, reconciling the value of supplies declared in the return furnished for the financial year, with the audited annual financial statement for every financial year electronically, within such time and in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed:
Provided that the Commissioner may, on the recommendations of the Council, by notification, exempt any class of registered persons from filing annual return under this section:
Provided further that nothing contained in this section shall apply to any department of the Central Government or a State Government or a local authority, whose books of account are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India or an auditor appointed for auditing the accounts of local authorities under any law for the time being in force.
112. Amendment of section 50: In section 50 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, in sub-section (1), for the proviso, the following proviso shall be substituted and shall be deemed to have been substituted with effect from 01/07/2017, namely:–
Provided that the interest on tax payable in respect of supplies made during a tax period and declared in the return for the said period furnished after the due date in accordance with the provisions of section 39, except where such return is furnished after commencement of any proceedings under section 73 or section 74 in respect of the said period, shall be payable on that portion of the tax which is paid by debiting the electronic cash ledger.
113. Amendment of section 74: In section 74 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, in Explanation 1, in clause (ii), for the words and figures “sections 122, 125, 129 and 130”, the words and figures “sections 122 and 125” shall be substituted.
114. Amendment of section 75: In section 75 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, in sub-section (12), the following Explanation shall be inserted, namely:–
Explanation.– For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression “self-assessed tax” shall include the tax payable in respect of details of outward supplies furnished under section 37, but not included in the return furnished under section 39.
115. Amendment of section 83: In section 83 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, for sub-section (1), the following sub-section shall be substituted, namely:–
(1) Where, after the initiation of any proceeding under Chapter XII, Chapter XIV or Chapter XV, the Commissioner is of the opinion that for the purpose of protecting the interest of the Government revenue it is necessary so to do, he may, by order in writing, attach provisionally, any property, including bank account, belonging to the taxable person or any person specified in sub-section (1A) of section 122, in such manner as may be prescribed.
116. Amendment of section 107: In section 107 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, in sub-section (6), the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:–
Provided that no appeal shall be filed against an order under sub-section (3) of section 129, unless a sum equal to twenty-five per cent. of the penalty has been paid by the appellant.
117. Amendment of section 129: In section 129 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act,–
(i) in sub-section (1), for clauses (a) and (b), the following clauses shall be substituted, namely:–
(a) on payment of penalty equal to two hundred per cent of the tax payable on such goods and, in case of exempted goods, on payment of an amount equal to two per cent of the value of goods or twenty-five thousand rupees, whichever is less, where the owner of the goods comes forward for payment of such penalty;
(b) on payment of penalty equal to fifty per cent of the value of the goods or two hundred per cent of the tax payable on such goods, whichever is higher, and in case of exempted goods, on payment of an amount equal to five per cent of the value of goods or twenty-five thousand rupees, whichever is less, where the owner of the goods does not come forward for payment of such penalty;
(ii) sub-section (2) shall be omitted;
(iii) for sub-section (3), the following sub-section shall be substituted, namely:–
(3) The proper officer detaining or seizing goods or conveyance shall issue a notice within seven days of such detention or seizure, specifying the penalty payable, and thereafter, pass an order within a period of seven days from the date of service of such notice, for payment of penalty under clause (a) or clause (b) of sub-section (1).
(iv) in sub-section (4), for the words “No tax, interest or penalty”, the words “No penalty” shall be substituted;
(v) for sub-section (6), the following sub-section shall be substituted, namely:–
(6) Where the person transporting any goods or the owner of such goods fails to pay the amount of penalty under sub-section (1) within fifteen days from the date of receipt of the copy of the order passed under sub-section (3), the goods or conveyance so detained or seized shall be liable to be sold or disposed of otherwise, in such manner and within such time as may be prescribed, to recover the penalty payable under sub-section (3):
Provided that the conveyance shall be released on payment by the transporter of penalty under sub-section (3) or one lakh rupees, whichever is less:
Provided further that where the detained or seized goods are perishable or hazardous in nature or are likely to depreciate in value with passage of time, the said period of fifteen days may be reduced by the proper officer.
118. Amendment of section 130: In section 130 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act,–
(a) in sub-section (1), for the words “Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, if ”, the word “Where” shall be substituted;
(b) in sub-section (2), in the second proviso, for the words, brackets and figures “amount of penalty leviable under sub-section (1) of section 129”, the words “penalty equal to hundred per cent. of the tax payable on such goods” shall be substituted;
(c) sub-section (3) shall be omitted.
119. Substitution of new section for section 151: For section 151 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, the following section shall be substituted, namely:–
151. Power to call for information: The Commissioner or an officer authorised by him may, by an order, direct any person to furnish information relating to any matter dealt with in connection with this Act, within such time, in such form, and in such manner, as may be specified therein.
120. Amendment of section 152: In section 152 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act,–
(a) in sub-section (1),–
(i) the words “of any individual return or part thereof” shall be omitted;
(ii) after the words “any proceedings under this Act”, the words “without giving an opportunity of being heard to the person concerned” shall be inserted;
(b) sub-section (2) shall be omitted.
121. Amendment of section 168: In section 168 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, in sub-section (2),–
(i) for the words, brackets and figures “sub-section (1) of section 44”, the word and figures “section 44” shall be substituted;
(ii) the words, brackets and figures “sub-section (1) of section 151,” shall be omitted.
122. Amendment to Schedule II: In Schedule II of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, paragraph 7 shall be omitted and shall be deemed to have been omitted with effect from 01/07/2017.
Integrated Goods and Services Tax
123. Amendment of section 16: In the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, in section 16,–
(a) in sub-section (1), in clause (b), after the words “supply of goods or services or both”, the words “for authorised operations” shall be inserted;
(b) for sub-section (3), the following sub-sections shall be substituted, namely:–
(3) A registered person making zero rated supply shall be eligible to claim refund of unutilised input tax credit on supply of goods or services or both, without payment of integrated tax, under bond or Letter of Undertaking, in accordance with the provisions of section 54 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act or the rules made thereunder, subject to such conditions, safeguards and procedure as may be prescribed:
Provided that the registered person making zero rated supply of goods shall, in case of non-realisation of sale proceeds, be liable to deposit the refund so received under this sub-section along with the applicable interest under section 50 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act within thirty days after the expiry of the time limit prescribed under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 for receipt of foreign exchange remittances, in such manner as may be prescribed.
(4) The Government may, on the recommendation of the Council, and subject to such conditions, safeguards and procedures, by notification, specify–
(i) a class of persons who may make zero rated supply on payment of integrated tax and claim refund of the tax so paid;
(ii) a class of goods or services which may be exported on payment of integrated tax and the supplier of such goods or services may claim the refund of tax so paid.
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Note:
CBIC Central Tax Notification 39/2021 dt. 21/12/2021: CBIC notifies 01/01/2022 as the commencement date in respect of provisions of Sections 108, 109 and 113 to 122 of the Finance Act, 2021, resulting in corresponding amendments in Sections 7, 16, 74, 75, 83, 107, 129, 130, 151, 152, 168 and Schedule II of the CGST Act, 2017 effective from that date.