GST payable on membership subscription & admission fees received by Club

In re Rotary Club of Nagpur Vision (GST AAR Maharashtra)

Question: – The amount collected as membership subscription and admission fees from members by the applicant club to meet out the expenses for the object for which it is incorporated viz; meeting expenses, communication expenses, Audit fees, Rotary International (RI) per capita dues, subscription fees to the Rotarian or Rotary regional magazine and the like. As there is no furtherance of business in this activity and neither any services are rendered, whether the above transaction can be considered as supply of services to its Members under GST?

In the instant case, the monthly contribution made by the members to the association is in return for receiving the services of the Applicant Club. The money collected by the Appellant from its members is used to procure services and goods from a third party and provide the benefits of such procured goods and services to the members of the association. Under GST, the term ‘person’ has been defined in Section 2(84) of the CGST Act, 2017, to include an ‘individual’ as well as an ‘association of persons or a body of individuals, whether incorporated or not. Therefore, the individual members who are members of the Applicant Club are beneficiaries and the contributions made by them is to be considered as consideration for the services received.

Therefore, in view of the above, we find that the applicant club and its members are distinct persons and the amounts/consideration received by the applicant from its members are nothing but consideration received for supply of goods/services as a separate entity. The principles of mutuality, which has been cited by the applicant to support its contention that GST is not leviable in its case, is not applicable in view of the amended Section 7 of the CGST Act, 2017 and therefore, the applicant has to pay GST on the said amounts received against membership subscription and admission fees from members.

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