Safari Retreats Private Limited Vs Chief Commissioner of Central Goods & Service tax (Orissa High Court)
The case of the petitioners is that the petitioners are mainly carrying on business activity of constructing shopping malls for the purpose of letting out of the same to numerous tenants and lessees. Huge quantities of materials and other inputs in the form of Cement, Sand, Steel, Aluminum, Wires, plywood, paint, Lifts, escalators, Air-Conditioning plant, Chillers, electrical equipments, special facade, DG sets, transformers, building automation systems etc and also services in the form of consultancy service, architectural service, legal and professional service, engineering service and other services including services of special team of international designers in every sphere of construction of Mall are required for the aforesaid construction purpose and therefore the petitioner no.1 Company has to purchase/receive these goods and services for carrying out the said construction. All these goods and services which are purchased/received for such construction are taxable under the CGST Act and OGST Act and as such the petitioner No.1 has to pay very huge amounts of Central Goods and Services Tax (hereinafter to be referred to as `CGST’) and Odisha Goods and Services Tax (hereinafter to be referred to as ‘OGST’) on such purchases.
One of the large shopping mall constructed by the petitioner No.1 Company at Esplanade, 721 Rasulgarh, Bhubaneshwar, Khordha, Odisha has been completed recently and the petitioner No.1 has made necessary arrangement for letting out different units of the said shopping mall to different persons on rental basis. It is an undisputed fact that the activity of letting out the units of the shopping mall attracts CGST and OGST on the amount of rent received by the petitioner No.1 because the activity of letting out the Units in the said Mall amounts to supply of service under the CGST Act/ OGST Act. The petitioner No.1 having accumulated input Credit of GST amounting to Rs 34,40,18,028/-(Rupees thirty four crores forty lacs eighteen thousand twenty eight only) in respect of purchases of inputs in the form of goods and services is desirous of availing of the credit of input tax charged on the purchase/supply of goods and services which are consumed and used in the construction of the said shopping mall in order to utilise the said input credits to discharge and pay the CGST and OGST payable on the rentals received by the petitioner no.1 from the tenants of the said shopping mall and approached the revenue authorities in this regard. However, the petitioner no.1 was advised to deposit the CGST and OGST collected without taking input credit in view of restrictions placed as per Section 17(5)(d) and was warned of penal consequences if it did not do so. The petitioner no.1 has thus to pay very large amounts of CGST and OGST.
the benefit of input tax credit has been denied to the petitioner by applying Section 17(5) (d) of the CGST Act as well as of the OGST Act and the language of the said sub-section in both the Acts is identical. The said Section 17(5) (d) of both the aforesaid Acts inter alia provides that notwithstanding anything contained in sub section (1) of Section 16 of both the aforesaid Act and sub section (1) of Section 18 of both the aforesaid Acts, input tax credit shall not be available in respect of the goods and services or both received by a taxable person for construction of an immovable property (other than plant or machinery) on his own account including when such goods or services or both are used in the course or furtherance of business. The Petitioner has been informed by the authorities under the CGST Act and OGST Act that in view of the aforesaid Section 17(5)(d) of both the aforesaid Acts the petitioner cannot avail of the benefit of credit of tax input paid by the petitioner on the purchases of input materials and services which have been used in the construction of the shopping mall for set off, against the CGST and OGST payable on rent received from the tenants of the shopping mall.
Held by High Court
The very purpose of the Act is to make the uniform provision for levy collection of tax, intra state supply of goods and services both central or State and to prevent multi taxation.
Therefore, the contention which has been raised by the learned counsel for the petitioners keeping in mind the provisions of Section 16 (1)(2) where restriction has been putforward by the legislation for claiming eligibility for input credit has been described in Section 16(1) and the benefit of apportionment is subject to Section 17(1) and (2). While considering the provisions of Section 17(5)(d), the narrow construction of interpretation putforward by the Department is frustrating the very objective of the Act, inasmuch as the petitioner in that case has to pay huge amount without any basis. Further, the petitioner would have paid GST if it disposed of the property after the completion certificate is granted and in case the property is sold prior to completion certificate, he would not be required to pay GST. But here he is retaining the property and is not using for his own purpose but he is letting out the property on which he is, covered under the GST, but still he has to pay huge amount of GST, to which he is not liable.
In that view. of the Matter, in our considered opinion the provision of Section 17(5)(d) is to be read down and the narrow restriction as imposed, reading of the provision by the Department, is not required to be accepted, inasmuch as keeping in mind the language used in (1999) 2 SCC 361 (supra), the very purpose of the credit is to give benefit to the assessee. In that view of the matter, if the assessee is required to pay GST on the rental income arising out of the investment on which he has paid GST, it is required to have the input credit on the GST, which is required to pay under Section 17(5)(d) of the CGST Act.
FULL TEXT OF THE HIGH COURT ORDER / JUDGMENT
By way of this writ petition the petitioners have challenged the action of the opposite parties whereby the opposite parties without considering the provisions–under–Section 17 (5)(d) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act (in short “the CGST Act”) held that the provisions of the CGST Act is not applicable in the case of construction of immovable property intending for letting out for rent.
2. The case of the petitioners is that the petitioners are mainly carrying on business activity of constructing shopping malls for the purpose of letting out of the same to numerous tenants and lessees. Huge quantities of materials and other inputs in the form of Cement, Sand, Steel, Aluminum, Wires, plywood, paint, Lifts, escalators, Air-Conditioning plant, Chillers, electrical equipments, special facade, DG sets, transformers, building automation systems etc and also services in the form of consultancy service, architectural service, legal and professional service, engineering service and other services including services of special team of international designers in every sphere of construction of Mall are required for the aforesaid construction purpose and therefore the petitioner no.1 Company has to purchase/receive these goods and services for carrying out the said construction. All these goods and services which are purchased/received for such construction are taxable under the CGST Act and OGST Act and as such the petitioner No.1 has to pay very huge amounts of Central Goods and Services Tax (hereinafter to be referred to as `CGST’) and Odisha Goods and Services Tax (hereinafter to be referred to as ‘OGST’) on such purchases.
One of the large shopping mall constructed by the petitioner No.1 Company at Esplanade, 721 Rasulgarh, Bhubaneshwar, Khordha, Odisha has been completed recently and the petitioner No.1 has made necessary arrangement for letting out different units of the said shopping mall to different persons on rental basis. It is an undisputed fact that the activity of letting out the units of the shopping mall attracts CGST and OGST on the amount of rent received by the petitioner No.1 because the activity of letting out the Units in the said Mall amounts to supply of service under the CGST Act/ OGST Act. The petitioner No.1 having accumulated input Credit of GST amounting to Rs 34,40,18,028/-(Rupees thirty four crores forty lacs eighteen thousand twenty eight only) in respect of purchases of inputs in the form of goods and services is desirous of availing of the credit of input tax charged on the purchase/supply of goods and services which are consumed and used in the construction of the said shopping mall in order to utilise the said input credits to discharge and pay the CGST and OGST payable on the rentals received by the petitioner no.1 from the tenants of the said shopping mall and approached the revenue authorities in this regard. However, the petitioner no.1 was advised to deposit the CGST and OGST collected without taking input credit in view of restrictions placed as per Section 17(5)(d) and was warned of penal consequences if it did not do so. The petitioner no.1 has thus to pay very large amounts of CGST and OGST.
3. Applicability of CGST Act and OGST Act in the present case are:
a) The CGST Act was implemented with effect from 1st July, 2017 inter alia with the object of avoiding the cascading effect of various indirect taxes and so as to reduce the multiplicity of a number of indirect taxes. The said CGST Act is based on the VAT concept of allowing input tax credit of tax paid on inputs, input services and capital goods which can be utilised for payment of output tax so as to obviate the cascading effect of multistage levies and taxes. GST is levied on supply of goods or services or both, in India w.e.f. 1st July, 2017. Each State Government has passed its own State GST Act to impose GST on the supply of goods or services or both within the State and these State GST Acts are practically copies of CGST Act, as the definitions and other provisions are identical. For the purpose of imposing GST within the State of Odisha, Government of Odisha has passed OGST Act wherein almost all the provisions are virtually identical to that of CGST Act.
b) The business of the petitioner No.1 in the present case inter alia consists of construction of shopping malls and letting them out to different persons on rental basis and collection of rent from them. In view of Section 7 of CGST Act and OGST Act read with paragraph-2 (b) of Schedule II of the aforesaid two Acts, the activity of the petitioner No.1 of letting out of the units of the shopping mall to different persons amounts to “Supply” within the meaning of both the two Acts and as such the petitioner No.1 squarely comes within the definition of `supplier’ as appearing in Section 2 (105) of both the aforesaid two Acts and accordingly the Petitioner is liable to pay CGST and OGST on the said rental amounts received by it.
c) Section 22(1) of CGST Act as well as OGST Act inter alia provide that every supplier shall be liable to be registered under the CGST Act and OGST Act in the State from where he makes a taxable supply of goods or services or both, if his aggregate turnover in a financial year exceeds twenty lakh rupees. Petitioner No.1 duly applied for such registration and a certificate of registration was issued to the petitioner No.1 in Form GST REG-06 under Section 25 of the CGST Act read with Rule 10 of the Central Goods and Service Tax Rules, 2017 and a Goods and Service Tax Identification Number was assigned to the petitioner No.1 which is 21AAGCS2244F1ZU (Annexure-1) to the writ petition. Once the petitioner No.1-Company is registered under Section 22 of the CGST Act, it becomes the “Taxable person” within the definition as contained in Section 2 (107) of the CGST Act and OGST Act.
d) Section 9 of the CGST Act is the charging section which inter alia provides that subject to the provisions of Sub-section (2) of Section 9, there shall be levied a tax called the Central Goods and Service Tax on all intra State supplies of goods or services or both, except on the supply of alcoholic liquor for human consumption, on the value determined under Section 15 of the CGST Act and at such rates, not exceeding twenty percent, as may be notified by the Government on recommendations of the Council and collected in such manner as may be prescribed and shall be paid by the taxable person. Similar provisions in the State Act namely OGST Act have also made under Section 9 of the said Act.
e. In view of the aforesaid discussion, petitioner No.1 being a taxable person is liable to pay CGST as well as OGST in respect of the rent realized by petitioner No.1 from different tenants to which the units of the shopping mall are let out.
f. In order to avoid the cascading effect of various input taxes, Section 16 of the CGST as well as OGST Acts which provides that every registered person shall, subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be prescribed and in the manner specified in Section 49 of the CGST Act as well as Section 49 of the OGST Act, be entitled to take credit of the input tax charged on any supply of goods or services or both made to him, which are used or intended to be used in the course or furtherance of his business and the said amount shall be credited to the electronic credit ledger of such person. Therefore, in tiew of Section 16 of the CGST Act as well as OGST Act, the petitiotter No.1 being a registered dealer is statutorily entitled to avail of the benefit of taking credit of the input tax charged on the supply of goods and various services which are consumed or utilized for the construction of the aforesaid shopping mall and set off the same against, the CGST and OGST payable on the rentals received from the tenants of the said shopping mall as there is no break in the supply chain of petitioner No.1 and the receipt of rentals and the tax payable thereon are the direct and inexorable consequence of the construction of the mall and the payment of GST on the inputs goods taxguru.in and services which have been consumed and utilised for the construction of the shopping mall.
g) However, the benefit of input tax credit has been denied to the petitioner by applying Section 17(5) (d) of the CGST Act as well as of the OGST Act and the language of the said sub-section in both the Acts is identical. The said Section 17(5) (d) of both the aforesaid Acts inter alia provides that notwithstanding anything contained in sub section (1) of Section 16 of both the aforesaid Act and sub section (1) of Section 18 of both the aforesaid Acts, input tax credit shall not be available in respect of the goods and services or both received by a taxable person for construction of an immovable property (other than plant or machinery) on his own account including when such goods or services or both are used in the course or furtherance of business. The Petitioner has been informed by the authorities under the CGST Act and OGST Act that in view of the aforesaid Section 17(5)(d) of both the aforesaid Acts the petitioner cannot avail of the benefit of credit of tax input paid by the petitioner on the purchases of input materials and services which have been used in the construction of the shopping mall for set off, against the CGST and OGST payable on rent received from the tenants of the shopping mall.
h) Section 17 of the CGST Act inter alia reads as under:
17. Apportionment of credit and blocked credits.- (1) Where the goods or services or both are used by the registered person partly for the purpose of any business and partly for other purposes, the amount of credit shall be restricted to so much of the input tax as is attributable to the purposes of his business.
(2) Where the goods or services or both are used by the registered person partly for effecting taxable supplies including zero-rated supplies under this Act or under the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act and partly for effecting exempt supplies under the said Acts, the amount of credit shall be restricted to so much of the input tax as is attributable to the said taxable supplies including zero-rated supplies.
(3) The value of exempt supply under sub-section (2) shall be such as may be prescribed, and shall include supplies on which the recipient is liable to pay tax on reverse charge basis, transactions in securities, sale of land and, subject to clause (b) of paragraph 5 of Schedule II, sale of building.
[Explanation.-For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression “value of exempt supply” shall not include the value of activities or transactions specified in Schedule III, except those specified in paragraph 5 of the said Schedule.]
(4) A banking company or a financial institution including a non-banking financial company, engaged in supplying services by way of accepting deposits, extending loans or advances shall have the option to either comply with the pl’ovisions of sub-section (2), or avail of, every month, an amount equal to fifty per cent. of the eligible input tax credit on Inputs, capital goods and input services in that month and the rest shall lapse:
Provided that’ the option once exercised shall not be withdrawn during the remaining part of the financial year:
Provided further that the restriction of fifty per cent. shall not apply to the tax paid on supplies made by one registered person to another registered person having the same Permanent Account Number.
(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) of section 16 and sub-section (1) of section 18, input tax credit shall not be available in respect of the following, namely:-
[(a) motor vehicles for transportation of persons having approved seating capacity of not more than thirteen persons (including the driver), except when they are used for making the following taxable supplies, namely:-
(A) further supply of such motor vehicles; or
(B) transportation of passengers; or
(C) imparting training on driving such motor vehicles;
(aa) vessels and aircraft except when they are used—
(i) for making the following taxable supplies, namely:-
(A) further supply of such vessels or aircraft; or
(B) transportation of passengers; or
(C) imparting training on navigating such vessels; or
(D) imparting training on flying such aircraft;
(ii) for transportation of goods;
(ab) services of general insurance, servicing, repair and maintenance in so far as. hey relate to motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or clause (aa):
Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such services shall be available-
(i) where the motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or-‘clause (aa) are used for the purposes specified therein;
(ii) where received received by a taxable person engaged-
(I) in the manufacture of such motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft; or
(II) in the supply of general insurance services in respect of such motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft insured by him;
(b) the following supply of goods or services or both-
(i) food and beverages, outdoor catering, beauty treatment, health services, cosmetic and plastic surgery, leasing, renting or hiring of motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or clause (aa) except when used for the purposes specified therein, life insurance and health insurance:
Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such goods or services or both shall be available where an inward supply of such goods or services or both is used by a registered person for making an outward taxable supply of the same category of goods or services or both or as an element of a taxable composite or mixed supply;
(ii) membership of a club, health and fitness centre; and
(iii) travel benefits extended to employees on vacation such as leave or home travel concession:
Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such goods or services or both shall be available, where it is obligatory for an employer to provide the same to its employees under any law for the time being in force;]
(c) works contract services when supplied for construction of an immovable property (other than plant and machinery) except where it is an input service for further supply of works contract service;
(d) goods or services or both received by a taxable person for construction of an immovable property (other than plant or machinery) on his own account including when such goods or services or both are used in the course or furtherance of business. Explanation.—For the purposes of clauses (c) and (d), the expression “construction” includes re-construction, renovation, additions or alterations or repairs, to the extent of capitalization, to the said immovable property;
(e) goods or services or both on which tax has been paid under section 10;
(f) goods or services or both received by a non-resident taxable person except on goods imported by him;
(g) goods or services or both used for personal consumption;
(h) goods lost, stolen, destroyed, written off or disposed of by way of gift or free samples; and
(i) any tax paid in accordance with the provisions of sections 74, 129 and 130.
(6) The Government may prescribe the manner in which the credit referred to in sub-sections (1) and (2) may be attributed.
Explanation.- For the purposes of this Chapter and Chapter VI, the expression “plant and machinery” means apparatus, equipment, and machinery fixed to earth by foundation or structural support that are used for making outward supply of goods or services or both and includes such foundation and structural supports but excludes-
(i) land, building or any other civil structures;
(ii) telecommunication towers; and
(iii) pipelines laid outside the factory premises.
On a plain reading of Section 17(5)(d), it is clear that what it contemplates and provides for is a situation where inputs are consumed in the construction of an immovable property which is meant and intended to be sold. The sale of immovable property post issuance of completion certificate does not attract any levy of GST. Consequently, in such a situation, there is a break in the tax chain and, therefore, there is full justification for denial of input tax credit as, on the completion of the transaction, no GST would at all be payable and, therefore, no set-off of the input tax credit would be required or warranted or justified. But the position is totally different where the immovable property is constructed for the purpose of letting out the same, because, jn..that,,ev,e.nt, the tax chain is not broken and, on the contrary, the construction of the building will result in a fresh stream of GST revenues to the Exchequer on the rentals generated by the building. The denial of input tax credit in such a situation would be completely arbitrary, unjust and oppressive and would be directly opposed to the basic rationale of GST itself, which is to prevent the cascading effect of multi-stage taxation and the inevitable increase in costs which would have to be borne by the consumer at the end of the day. In the present case also, the effect of denial of input tax credit would be a sharp and inevitable increase in the cost which the owner of the building would be compelled to incur, which would render the building itself uncompetitive as compared to previously existing similar built-up units. Further, the denial of the input tax credit in respect of a building which is meant and intended to be let out would amount to treat it as identical to a building which is meant and intended to be taxguru.in sold. As already pointed out, these two types of transactions cannot possibly be compared or bracketed together, for the purpose of levy of GST, as already explained in detail earlier. The treatment of these two different types of buildings as one for the purpose of GST is itself contrary to the basic principles regarding classification of subject-matter for the levy of tax and, therefore, violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. Such a classification also constitutes the treatment of assessees .like the Petitioner on a totally different footing as compared with other assessees who have a continuous business and an unbroken tax ‘chain likethe’Petitioner arid grant of input tax credit to others while denying it to the Petitioner. Thus, the same is violative of the Petitioners’ fundamental right to equality guaranteed by and under Article 14 of the Constitution, on this distinct and independent ground also. Further, as also pointed out hereinafter, the GST authorities are themselves reading down Section 17(5)(d) and treating it as inapplicable to a builder who sells units in the building before the issuance of a completion certificate and who is required to pay CGST/OGST on the amount of sale price received by him. To grant input tax credit to a builder who sells building where completion certificate has not been issued at the time of sale while denying it to a person like the Petitioner is patently and egregiously arbitrary and discriminatory. Further, such an interpretation of Section 17(5)(d) of both CGST and OGST Act leads to double taxation, i.e., firstly, on the inputs consumed in the construction of the building and secondly, on the rentals generated by the same building. It is also a settled principle of interpretation of tax statutes, that interpretation should be adopted which avoids or obviates double taxation. This principle is also directly applicable to the present case. It would also be violative of the Petitioners’ fundamental right to carry on business under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution as it would impose a wholly unwarranted and unreasonable and arbitrary restriction which would render buildings now constructed for letting out uncompetitive, by imposing the burden of double taxation of GST on such buildings, i.e., firstly, on the inputs consumed in the construction and, thereafter, on the rentals generated by the building. It is therefore, submitted that, in accordance with well-settled principles of interpretation of statutes, Section 17(5)(d) requires to be read down in order to save it from the vice of unconstitutionality, by confining the provision to cases where the building in question is constructed for the purpose of sale of the same post issuance of completion certificate, thereby terminating the tax chain, and by not applying Section 17(5)(d) to cases where the building in question is constructed for the purpose of letting out the same and where the tax chain is not broken. It is further submitted that if this interpretation of Section 17(5)(d) is not accepted, then there would be no alternative except to declare that provision as unconstitutional and illegal and null and void.
i) The interpretation of Section 17(5)(d) of both CGST Act and OGST Act which leads to the conclusion that on the facts and circumstances of the present case the petitioner No.1 is not entitled to avail the benefit of taking input tax credit while paying CGST and OGST on rent received from different tenants of the shopping mall, clearly goes against the intention of the Legislature and also frustrates the object sought to be achieved by the Legislature in enacting the said CGST Act and OGST Act. It is an undisputed fact that CGST Act and OGST Act are implemented to obviate the cascading effect of various indirect taxes and to reduce multiplicity of indirect taxes. It cannot be disputed that’ in the business of the petitioner No.1-Company right from the starting point of construction of the shopping mall and upto letting out of different units of the said shopping mall, there is no break in the business activity of the petitioner and it is a continuous business of the petitioner No.1 and the supply of services to the tenants of the shopping mall are a continuous supply of services as defined in Section 2 (33) of the CGST Act and OGST Act. There is also no break or interruption in the tax chain. Therefore, when there is no break in supply of services, which implies the continuation of the business activity of the petitioner No.1 and there is no break in the tax chain and if that is the undisputed clear position then by interpreting Section 17(5) (d) of both CGST Act and OGST Act, the authorities under both the Acts cannot contend that in the middle of the business the petitioner No.1 is not entitled to take credit of input tax, against the CGST and OGST paid on rent received from the tenants of the shopping mall and such an interpretation clearly goes against the intention of the Legislature and also frustrates the object for which the aforesaid Acts were enacted. Such an interpretation will debar those taxable .persons like the petitioner No.1, who carry on a continuous bliSizess without any break but in spite of that they would be treated differently being denied the benefit of taking input tax credit as available to those taxable person under Section 16 of both CGST Act and OGST Act and such classification of taxable persons into two category even though both have continuous business activities and both have an unbroken tax chain is a clear violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioner as guaranteed under Article 14 and 19(1) (g) of the Constitution of India.
j) The classification which the legislature has made in CGST Act and OGST Act by denying input tax credit to one class of taxable persons having a continuous business by placing them under Section 17 (5) (d) of both the aforesaid Act while other taxable persons coming under the aforesaid two Acts are allowed to ‘avail the benefit of input tax credit under Section 16 of both the aforesaid two Acts, has no reasonable basis underlying such classification when both categories of taxable persons are carrying on a continuous business without any break in the tax chain. It is very important to note that when a builder sells units in a building before issuance of a completion certificate, he is required to pay CGST and OGST on the amount of sale price received and at the same time he is also allowed credit and set off of the CGST and OGST paid on the inputs consumed to construct the building and ‘thus the GST authorities themselves recognise and accept the position, that where, in respect of a building under construction, the tax chain is not broken, Section 17(5)(d) is not ‘applicable and input tax credit cannot be denied. Consequently, not to adopt the same interpretation of Section 17(5)(d) in the present case where also there is no break in the tax chain, is highly arbitrary and discriminatory. In the case of the petitioner even the business is a continuous one without a break in the tax chain, yet it has been placed under Section 17(5) (d) of the CGST Act and OGST Act and the benefit of taking input tax credit has been denied and therefore on that ground alone and by itself Section 17(5) (d) of CGST Act and OGST Act requires to be struck down as violative of Article 14 of the Constitution if the said clause (d) of sub-section (5) of Section 17 is not read down as submitted earlier.
k) Schedule II Paragraph 5 (b) inter alia provides that sale of a building to a buyer before issuance of a completion certificate etc. is a supply of service for the purpose of imposing CGST and OGST. Here the legislature used the phrase ‘intended for sale’ whereby the intention of the builder was made the decisive factor by the Legislature. Precisely the same approach should have been adopted in the present case also. Otherwise, it would be highly arbitrary and discriminatory application of the provision. Therefore, two different categories of builders were mentioned one in paragraph 5 (b) of Schedule II and the other is in Section 17 (5) (d) of the CGST Act and OGST Act. But the case of the petitioner No.1 is completely different from the two categories mentioned hereinbefore. The shopping mall which the petitioner No.1 is constructing is neither “intended for sale’ nor “on his own account’ but it is “intended for letting out”. Therefore, by no stretch of imagination, it can be concluded that the shopping mall which is constructed by the petitioner No.1 is ‘intended for sale’ or ‘on his own account’ and as such when the said shopping mall is constructed purely for the purpose of letting out, then such construction of the shopping mall will not come within the mischief of Section 17(5)(d) of CGST Act and OGST Act. On the aforesaid clear position of law, if the GST authorities are trying to bring the petitioner case under section 17(5) (d) of both the aforesaid Acts then several words has to be read into the Section 17(5) (d) of the said two Acts which are not permissible in law and it is a well settled law that in constructing fiscal statute and in determining the liability of a subject to tax, one must have regard to the strict letter of law and no words can be added to a statute or read into it which are not there. Legislature has also imposed another condition in Section 17(5) (d) of both the aforesaid Act which reads as ‘when such goods or services or both are used in the course or furtherance of business’ this condition is applicable only when the immovable property is constructed ‘on his own account’ as appearing in that sections, which means that the taxable person on whose account the said immovable property is constructed. The said condition cannot be applied to any other cases far less when the construction of the immovable property is intended for letting out.
l) If the benefit of taking credit of input tax under Section 16 of the CGST Act and OGST Act is denied to the petitioner No.1 by invoking Section 17(5) (d) of the CGST Act and OGST Act, in that event, the very object of enacting CGST Act and OGST Act for reducing the cascading effect of various indirect taxes and reduction of multiplicity of indirect taxes, will be frustrated even when the business of the petitioner No.1 is a continuous one and there is no break at any point of time. It is a well settled law that the interpretation which defeat the very intention of the legislature should be avoided and that interpretation which advances the legislative intent will have to be accepted.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioners in order to advance his argument regarding the purpose of Section 17 (5)(d) of the Act, has taken the provisions of Sections 16, 17(1), 17(2), 17(5) of the CGST Act which are reproduced below:
“16. Eligibility and conditions for taking input tax credit. – (1) Every registered person shall, subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be prescribed and in the manner specified in section 49, be entitled to take credit of input tax charged on any supply of goods or services or both to him which are used or intended to be used in the course or furtherance of his business and the said amount shall be credited to the electronic credit ledger of such person.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, no registered person shall be entitled to the credit of any input tax in respect of any supply of goods or services or both to him unless,—
(a) he is in possession of a tax invoice or debit note issued by a supplier registered under this Act, or such other tax paying documents as may be prescribed;
(b) he has received the goods or services or both.
[Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, it shall be deemed that the registered person has received the goods or, as the case may be, services—
(i) where the goods are delivered by the supplier to a recipient or any other person on the direction of such registered person, whether acting as an agent or otherwise, before or during movement of goods, either by way of transfer of documents of title to goods or otherwise;
(ii) where the services are provided by the supplier to any person on the direction of and on account of such registered person;)
(c) subject to the provisions of section 41 [or section 43A], the tax charged in respect of such supply has been actually paid . to the Government, either in cash or through utilisation of input tax credit admissible in respect of the said supply; and
(d) he has furnished the return under section 39:
Provided that where the goods against an invoice are received in lots or installments, the registered person shall be entitled to take credit upon receipt of the last lot or instalment:
Provided further that where a recipient fails to pay to the supplier of goods or services or both, other than the supplies on which tax is payable on reverse charge basis, the amount towards the value of supply along with tax payable thereon within a period of one hundred and eighty days from the date of issue of invoice by the supplier, an amount equal to the input tax credit availed by the recipient shall be added to his output tax liability, along with interest thereon, in such manner as may be prescribed:
Provided also that the recipient shall be entitled to avail of the credit of input tax on payment made by him of the amount towards the value of supply of goods or services or both along with tax payable thereon.
(3) Where the registered person has claimed depreciation on the tax component of the cost of capital goods and plant and machinery under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the input tax credit on the said tax component shall not be allowed.
(4) A registered person shall not be entitled to take input tax credit in respect of any invoice or debit note for supply of goods or services or both after the due date of furnishing of the return under section 39 for the month of September following the end of financial year to which such invoice or invoice relating to such debit note pertains or furnishing of the relevant annual return, whichever is earlier.
This clause provides for eligibility, conditions and time period for taking input tax credit. This clause provides that a registered person is entitled to take credit of input tax charged on any supply of goods or services or both to him which are used or intended to be used in the course or furtherance of his business. (Notes on Clauses).
17. Apportionment of credit and blocked credits.- (1) Where the goods or services or both are used by the registered person partly for the purpose of any business and partly for other purposes, the amount of credit shall be restricted to so much of the input tax as is attributable to the purposes of his business.
(2) Where the goods or services or both are used by the registered person partly for effecting taxable supplies including zero-rated supplies under this Act or under the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act and partly for effecting exempt supplies under the said Acts, the amount of credit shall be restricted to so much of the input tax as is attributable to the said taxable supplies including zero-rated supplies.
xxx xxx xxx
(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) of section 16 and sub-section (1) of section 18, input tax credit shall not be available in respect of the following, nprnely:-
[(a) motor vehicles for transportation of persons having approved seating capacity of not more than thirteen persons (including the driver), except when they are used for making the following taxable supplies, namely:-
(A) further supply of such motor vehicles; or
(B) transportation of passengers; or
(C) imparting training on driving such motor vehicles;
(aa) vessels and aircraft except when they are used-
(i) for making the following taxable supplies, namely:-
(A) further supply of such vessels or aircraft; or
(B) transportation of passengers; or
(C) imparting training on navigating such vessels; or
(D) imparting training on flying such aircraft;
(ii) for transportation of goods;
(ab) services of general insurance, servicing, repair and maintenance in so far as they relate to motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or clause (aa):
Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such services shall be available-
(i) where the motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or clause (aa) are used for the purposes specified therein;
(ii) where received by a taxable person engaged-
(I) in the manufacture of such motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft; or
(II) in the supply of general insurance services in respect of such motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft insured by him;
(b) the following supply of goods or services or both-
(i) food and beverages, outdoor catering, beauty treatment, health services, cosmetic and plastic surgery, leasing, renting or hiring of motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or clause (aa) except when used for the purposes specified therein, life insurance and health insurance:
‘Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such goods or services or both shall be available where an inward supply of such goods or services or both is used by a registered person for making an outward taxable supply of the same category of goods or services or both or as an element of a taxable composite or mixed supply;
(ii) membership of a club, health and fitness centre; and
(iii) travel benefits extended to employees on vacation such as leave or home travel concession:
Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such goods or services or both shall be available, where it is obligatory for an employer to provide the same to its employees under any law for the time being in force;]
(c) works contract services when supplied for construction of an immovable property (other than plant and machinery) except where it is an input service for further supply of works contract service;
(d) goods or services or both received by a taxable person for construction of an immovable property (other than plant or machinery) on his own account including when such goods or services or both are used in the course or furtherance of business.
Explanation.—For the purposes of clauses (c) and (d), the expression “construction” includes re-construction, renovation, additions or alterations or repairs, to the extent of capitalization, to the said immovable property;
(e) goods or services or both on which tax has been paid under section 10;
(f) goods or services or both received by a non-resident taxable person except on goods imported by him;
(g) goods or services or both used for personal consumption;
(h) goods lost, stolen, destroyed, written off or disposed of by way of gift or free samples; and
(i) any tax paid in accordance with the provisions of sections 74, 129 and 130.”
5. Learned counsel for the petitioners further contended that for the purpose of letting out he is earning out commercial rent income and he has to pay 18% GST on that. This is a chain transaction pursuant to the construction activity which he has carried out. To support his contention, learned counsel for the petitioners has relied upon the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Eicher Motors Ltd. v. Union of India, reported in (1999) 2 SCC 361, paragraphs-5 and 6 of which are reproduced below:
“5. Rule 57-F(4-A) was introduced into the Rules pursuant to the Budget for 1995-96 providing for lapsing of credit lying unutilised on 16-3-1995 with a manufacturer of tractors falling under. Heading No. 87.01 or motor vehicles falling under Heading Nos. 87.0,2 and 87.04 or chassis of such tractors or such motor vehicles under Heading No. 87.06. However, credit taken on inputs which were lying in the factory on 16-3-1995 either as parts or contained in finished products lying in stock on 16-3-1995 was allowed. Prior to the 1995-96 Budget, the Central excise/additional duty of customs paid on inputs was allowed as credit for payment of excise duty on the final products, in the manufacture of which such inputs were used. The condition required for the same was that the credit of duty paid on inputs could have been used for discharge of duty/liability only in respect of those final products in the manufacture of which such inputs were used. Thus it was claimed that there was a nexus between the inputs and the final products. In the 1995-96 Budget, the MODVAT Scheme was liberalised/simplified and the credit earned on any input was allowed to be utilised for payment of duty on any final product manufactured within the same factory irrespective of whether such inputs were used in its manufacture or not. The experience showed that credit accrued on inputs is less than the duty liable to be paid on the final products and thus the credit of duty earned on inputs gets fully utilised and some amount has to be paid by the manufacturer by way of cash. Prior to the 1995-96 Budget, the excise duty on inputs used in the manufacture of tractors and commercial vehicles varied from 15% to 25%, whereas the final products attracted excise duty of 10% or 15% only. The value addition was also not of such a magnitude that the excise duty required to be paid on final products could have exceeded the total input credit allowed. Since the excess credit could not have been utilised for payment of the excise duty on any other product, the unutilised credit was getting accumulated. The stand of the assessees is that they have utilised the facility of paying excise duty on the inputs and carried the credit towards excise duty payable on the finished products. For the purpose of utilisation of the credit, all vestitive (sic) facts or necessary incidents thereto have taken place prior to 16-3-1995 or utilisation of the finished products prior to 16-3-1995. Thus the assessees became entitled to take the credit of the ‘input instantaneously once the input is received in the factory on the basis ..of ,.the _existing, Scheme, Now by application of Rule 57- F(4-A), the credit attributable to inputs already used in the manufacture of the final products and the final products which have already been cleared from the factory alone is sought to be lapsed, that is, the amount that is sought to be lapsed relates to the inputs already used in the manufacture of the final products but the final products have already been cleared from the factory before 16-3-1995. Thus the right to the credit has become absolute at any rate when the input is used in the manufacture of the final product. The basic postulate that the Scheme is merely being altered and, therefore, does not have any retrospective or retroactive effect, submitted on behalf of the State, does not appeal to us. As pointed out by us that when on the strength of the Rules available, certain acts have been done by the parties concerned, incidents following thereto must take place in accordance with the Scheme under which the duty had been paid on the manufactured products and if such a situation is sought to be altered, necessarily it follows that the right, which had accrued to a party such as the availability of a scheme, is affected and, in particular, it loses sight of the fact that the provision for facility of credit is as good as tax paid till tax is adjusted on future goods on the basis of the several commitments which would have been made by the assesses concerned. Therefore, the Scheme sought to be introduced cannot be made applicable to the goods which had already come into existence in respect of which the earlier Scheme was applied under which the assessees had availed of the credit facility for payment of taxes. It is on the basis of the earlier Scheme necessarily that the taxes have to be adjusted and payment made complete. Any manner or mode of application of the said Rule would result in affecting the rights of the assesses.
6. We may look at the matter from another angle. If on the inputs, the assessee had already paid the taxes on the basis that when the goods are utilised in the manufacture of further products as inputs thereto then the tax on these gdods gets adjusted which are finished subsequently. Thus a right accrued to the assessee on the date when they paid the tax on the raw materials or the inputs and that right would continue until the facility available thereto gets worked out or until those goods existed. Therefore, it becomes clear that Section 37 of the Act does not enable the authorities .concerned to make a rule which is impugned herein and, therefore, we may have no hesitation to hold that the Rule cannot be applied to the goods manufactured prior to 16-3-1995 on which duty had been paid and credit facility thereto has been availed of for the purpose of manufacture of further goods.”
5.1 He has also relied upon the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Collector of Central Excise, Pune v. Dai Ichi Karkaria Ltd., reported in (1999) 7 SCC 448, paragraph-18 of which is quoted below:
“18. It is clear from these Rules, as we read them, that a manufacturer obtains credit for the excise duty paid on raw material to be used by him in the production of an excisable product immediately it makes the requisite declaration and obtains an acknowledgement thereof. It is entitled to use the credit at any time thereafter when making payment of excise duty on the excisable product. There is no provision in the Rules which provides for a reversal of the credit by the excise authorities except where it has been illegally or irregularly taken, in which event it stands cancelled or, if utilised, has to be paid for. We are here really concerned with credit that has been validly taken, and its benefit is available to the manufacturer without any limitation in time or otherwise unless the manufacturer itself chooses not to use the raw material in its excisable product. The credit is, therefore, indefeasible. It should also be noted that there is no co-relation of the raw material and the final product; that is to say, it is not as if credit can be taken only on a final product that is manufactured out of the particular raw material to which the credit is related. The credit may be taken against the excise duty on a final product manufactured on the very day that it becomes available.”
6. Taking into consideration, learned counsel for the petitioners has contended that Section 17(5)(d) of the CGST Act is to be read down for the purpose of interpretation in continuation to give benefit to the assessee or to, the person who has paid GST and it has to be interpreted in continuity of the transaction since rent income is arising out of the Malls which are constructed after paying GST on different items. He further contended that the interpretation which he is canvassing has now been supported by the Government Circular dated 8.12.2018 which is reproduced below:
“Ministry of Finance
Effective tax rate on complex, building, flat etc.
Posted On:08 DEC 2018 5:16PM by PIB Delhi
It is brought to the notice of buyers of constructed property that there is no GST on sale of complex/building and ready to move-in flats where sale takes place after issue of completion certificate by the competent authority. GST is applicable on sale of under construction property or ready to move-in flats where completion certificate has not been issued at the time of sale.
Effective rate of tax and credit available to the builders for payment of tax are summarized in the table, for pre-GST and GST regime.
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