Guidelines for verifying the Transitional Credit in light of the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court
Circular No. 182/14/2022-GST dated 10th of November, 2022
Guidelines for verifying the Transitional Credit in light of the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the Union of India vs. Filco Trade Centre Pvt. Ltd., SLP(C) No. 32709-32710/2018, order dated 22.07.2022& 02.09.2022-reg.
Attention is invited to the directions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide order dated 22.07.2022 in the matter of Union of India vs. Filco Trade Centre Pvt. Ltd., SLP(C) No. 32709-32710/2018.The operative portion of the judgment is as follows:
“1. Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN) is directed to open common portal for filing concerned forms for availing Transitional Credit through TRAN-1 and TRAN-2 for two months i.e. w.e.f. 01.09.2022 to 31.10.2022.
2. Considering the judgments of the High Courts on the then prevailing peculiar circumstances, any aggrieved registered assessee is directed to file the relevant form or revise the already filed form irrespective of whether the taxpayer has filed writ petition before the High Court or whether the case of the taxpayer has been decided by Information Technology Grievance Redressal Committee (ITGRC).
3. GSTN has to ensure that there are no technical glitch during the said time.
4. The concerned officers are given 90 days thereafter to verify the veracity of the claim/transitional credit and pass appropriate orders thereon on merits after granting appropriate reasonable opportunity to the parties concerned.
5. Thereafter, the allowed Transitional credit is to be reflected in the Electronic Credit Ledger.
6. If required GST Council may also issue appropriate guidelines to the field formations in scrutinizing the claims. The Special Leave Petitions are disposed of accordingly. Pending applications, if any, also stand disposed of.”
1.2 Subsequently in Miscellaneous Application No. 1545-1546/2022 in SLP(C) No. 32709- 32710/2018, Hon’ble Supreme Court vide order dated 2nd September, 2022 has inter-alia ordered as follows:
“The time for opening the GST Common Portal is extended for a further period of four weeks from today. It is clarified that all questions of law decided by the respective High Courts concerning Section 140 of the Central Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 read with the corresponding Rule/Notification or direction are kept open.”
2. As is clear from the above, the Hon’ble Court has directed that the common portal be opened for filing prescribed forms for availing Transitional Credit through TRAN-1 and TRAN-2 for two months from 01.10.2022 to 30.11.2022 for the aggrieved registered assessee (henceforth, referred as ‘applicant’). The Transitional Credit claimed by the applicant shall be credited in his electronic credit ledger to the extent allowed by the jurisdictional tax officer through an order after carrying out necessary verifications. As per the Hon’ble Court’s order, the said verification has to be carried out within 90 days after completion of the above window of two months, i.e. within 90 days from 01.12.2022 i.e. up to 28.02.2023.
2.1 It is to be noted that while allowing the applicant to file/revise TRAN-1/TRAN-2 during this window of 2 months, Hon’ble Supreme Court has kept all questions of law open.
2.2 It may be mentioned that Hon’ble Supreme Court has only allowed filing of TRAN 1/TRAN2 or revising the TRAN-1/TRAN-2 already filed by the applicant and has not allowed the applicant to file revised returns under the existing laws.
3. Reference is also invited to the Board’s Circular No. 180/12/2022 dated 09.09.2022 vide which guidelines have been issued for the applicants for filing new TRAN-1/TRAN-2 or revising the already filed TRAN-1/TRAN-2 on the common portal.
4. To ensure uniformity in the implementation of the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court across field formations, the Board, in exercise of its powers conferred by section 168 (1) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as “CGST Act”), hereby issues the following guidelines for verifying the Transitional Credit:
5. Verification of the Transitional Credit
5.1 The jurisdictional tax officers can access the TRAN-1/TRAN-2 filed/revised by the applicant on their back office systems (which is the CBIC-AIO portal for the central tax officers, the respective State portal for MODEL-1 States and BO portal for MODEL 2 States). Further, a self-certified downloaded copy of TRAN-1/TRAN-2 filed/revised by the applicant shall also be made available to the jurisdictional tax officer by the said applicant as mentioned in Para 4.5 of Circular 180/12/2022 dated 09.09.2022.
5.2 The verification of the transitional credit shall be conducted by the jurisdictional tax officer who will pass an appropriate order regarding the veracity of the claim filed by the applicant, based on all the facts and the provisions of the law. In respect of TRAN-1/TRAN-2 filed/revised by the applicant under the administrative control of the central tax authorities, such verification and issuance of order shall be done by the jurisdictional officer of central tax, whereas in respect of TRAN-1/TRAN-2 filed/revised by the applicant under the administrative control of the state tax authorities, the same shall be done by the jurisdictional officer of state tax. The jurisdictional tax officer shall start the verification process immediately on availability of TRAN-1/TRAN-2 filed/revised by the applicant on the back office system or on receipt of self-certified downloaded copy of the same from the applicant, whichever is earlier. It is needless to mention that principles of natural justice shall be followed in the process of passing the order relating to allowance or disallowance of the Transitional Credit.
5.3 The jurisdictional tax officer shall, on the basis of declaration made by the applicant in the format specified in Annexure A to Circular no. 180/12/2022 dated 09.09.2022, and on the basis of data available on the back office system, shall check whether the applicant had earlier filed TRAN-1/ TRAN-2 or not. In cases where TRAN-1/ TRAN-2 had already been filed by the applicant earlier, the tax officer shall check whether there is any change from the earlier filed TRAN-1/TRAN-2 or not. In case, there is no change from the earlier filed TRAN-1/ TRAN-2, then such claim of transitional credit is liable for rejection by the tax officer, through a reasoned order, after providing due reasonable opportunity to the applicant.
5.3.1 In other cases, the jurisdictional tax officer shall proceed for verification of claim of transitional credit made by the applicant in FORM TRAN-1/TRAN-2. In this regard, in respect of transitional credit pertaining to central tax, he may refer to the guidelines detailed in Annexure I to this circular. In respect of verification of transitional credit pertaining to the State Tax/Union territory Tax, the tax officer may refer to the guidelines issued by the relevant state/UT, if any.
5.3.2 There may be cases where the transitional credit claim filed/revised by the applicant may have components of both central tax and state/UT tax. In such cases, where the applicant is under the jurisdiction of central tax officer and where the transitional credit claimed has component of state/Union Territory tax also, the jurisdictional central tax officer shall refer the said claim for verification of component of state/UT tax to his counterpart state/UT tax officer. For this purpose, he shall share the list of GSTINs/ARNs with the counterpart officer, in respect of which verification report is needed from him, on a weekly basis, along with an intimation of the same to the nodal officer of central tax as well as state/UT tax referred in Para 6.1 below through his official email ID or physically. Similar action, as above, shall also be taken by the jurisdictional state/UT tax officers in cases where the applicant is under the jurisdiction of state/UT tax officer and where the transitional credit claimed has component of central tax also.
5.3.3 The jurisdictional tax officer shall, in parallel, continue the verification of the remaining portion of the transitional credit at his end.
5.3.4 The jurisdictional tax officer and the counterpart tax officer shall verify the transitional credit claimed under the CGST or the SGST head, as the case may be, by referring to the guidelines detailed in Annexure I to this circular for transitional credit pertaining to central tax and the guidelines issued by the relevant state/UT for verification of transitional credit pertaining to the State Tax/Union territory Tax, as applicable. While conducting the verification, the officer must also check whether any adjudication or appeal proceedings in TRAN-1/TRAN-2 related matter are pending/ concluded against the applicant. In such cases, where any adjudication or appellate proceedings have been initiated against the applicant in respect of TRAN-1/TRAN-2, the officer should take a note of the relevant facts in the notice/ order, and the grounds/reasons for inadmissibility of transitional credit, if any, in the said notice/ order
5.3.5 In respect of verification done by the counterpart officer, after verification, he will prepare a verification report, in the format detailed in Annexure-II of this circular, specifying the amount of transitional credit which may be allowed to be credited to the electronic credit ledger of the applicant and the amount which is liable for rejection, along with detailed reasons/ grounds on which the said amount is liable to be rejected. Such duly signed verification report shall be sent by the counterpart officer to the jurisdictional tax officer at the earliest, though generally not later than ten days from the date of receipt of the request from the jurisdictional officer. In case, where the adjudication or appeal proceedings in respect of TRAN-1/TRAN-2 related matter are pending/ concluded against the applicant, the counterpart officer shall categorically bring out the relevant facts in his/her verification report along with his detailed findings, admissibility/ inadmissibility, reasons of inadmissibility thereof and the copy of the relevant notice and/or orders.
5.3.6 For the purpose of verification of the claim of the transitional credit, the jurisdictional tax officer as well as the counterpart tax officer, if required, may call for relevant records including requisite documents/returns/invoices, as the case may be, from the applicant.
5.3.7 After receiving the verification report from the counterpart officer, the jurisdictional tax officer shall decide upon the admissibility of the credit claimed by the applicant. In case the jurisdictional tax officer finds that the transitional credit claimed by the applicant is partly or wholly inadmissible as per the provisions of the Act and the rules thereof, then a notice shall be issued by the jurisdictional tax officer to the applicant preferably within a period of seven days from the receipt of report from the counterpart officer, seeking explanation of the applicant as to why the said credit claimed by him should not be denied wholly/partly, as the case may be. The applicant shall also be provided an opportunity of personal hearing by the jurisdictional tax officer in such cases. If required, the jurisdictional tax officer may seek comments of the counterpart officer on the submissions made by the applicant in so far as the said submission relates to the tax (central or State) being administered by such counterpart officer.
5.3.8 After considering the facts of the case, including verification report received from the counterpart officer, submissions made by the applicant and the comments, if any, of the counterpart officer on the same, the jurisdictional tax officer shall proceed to pass a reasoned order, preferably within a period of fifteen days from the date of personal hearing, specifying the amount of transitional credit allowed to be transferred to the electronic credit ledger of the applicant and upload a pdf copy of the said order, on the common portal for crediting the amount of allowed transitional credit to the electronic credit ledger of the applicant. In any case, such order shall be passed within a period of 90 days from 01.12.2022 i.e. up to 28.02.2023.
5.3.9 Where the amount credited to the electronic credit ledger pursuant to the originally filed TRAN-1/TRAN-2 exceeds the amount of credit admissible in terms of the revised TRAN-1/TRAN-2 filed by the applicant, such excess credit is liable to be demanded and recovered from the applicant, along with interest and penalty, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter XV of the Act and the rules made thereunder.
5.3.10 GSTN will also issue a separate advisory for entering the details on the portal by the tax officers.
5.3.11 It may be noted that consequent to reorganization of the state of Jammu & Kashmir and merger of the Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, the taxpayers of UT of Ladakh and the earlier UT of Daman and Diu have been allotted new GSTINs. Accordingly, the taxpayers of Ladakh and Daman and Diu can file/ revise TRAN-1/ TRAN-2 only through their newly allotted GSTINs. It is, therefore, advised that the concerned jurisdictional tax officers should take into consideration transitional credit, if any, claimed by such taxpayers under their previous GSTINs.
6. Modalities of coordination between central tax authorities and state tax authorities
6.1 It is to be noted that all the Zonal Principal Chief Commissioner/ Chief Commissioners (PCCs/CCs) of Central Tax and Chief Commissioners/ Commissioners of Commercial Taxes (CCCTs/CCTs) of various states/UTs shall appoint nodal officer(s) in their respective formations immediately for proper co-ordination between central and state/UT authorities for verification of transitional credit claims and shall make available the details of the said nodal officers, along with their phone numbers and email IDs, to the counterpart tax authority. The nodal officers shall ensure that the verification reports/comments sought by the jurisdictional tax officers are being sent in a timely manner by the counterpart officers in their formations.
6.2 It is the responsibility of the Zonal Principal Chief Commissioner/ Chief Commissioners (PCCs/CCs) of Central Tax and Chief Commissioners/ Commissioners of Commercial Taxes (CCCTs/CCTs) of various states/UTs to regularly monitor the progress made in this regard so that the timelines mentioned in the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s order dated 22.07.2022 and 02.09.2022 are strictly adhered to by the field formations.
7. Where any communication is required to be made by the central tax officer with the applicant for the purpose of verification of TRAN-1/ TRAN-2, through a mode other than through the portal, the same should be made with the use of DIN, as per the guidelines mentioned in the CBIC Circular No. 122/41/2019-GST dated 5th November 2019.
8. Difficulties, if any, in implementation of these instructions may be informed to the Board (gst-cbec@gov.in). Hindi version shall follow.
Annexure to this circular can be accessed from this link.