E-Commerce Businesses under GST Regime
GST Law recognizes e- commerce broadly under two categories:
1. The e-commerce operator; and
2. Suppliers on e-commerce platforms
Registration: The ecommerce operator as well as the supplier supplying goods or services through an operator need to compulsorily register under GST. The threshold limit of Rs. 20 lakhs (10 lakhs for special category states) is not applicable to them. Similarly, section 24(ix) of the CGST Act, 2017 makes it mandatory for every person who supplies goods/services through an Operator to get registered under GST.
Power to collect tax: Section 52 of the CGST Act, 2017 provides for Tax Collection at source, by e-Commerce operator in respect of the taxable supplies made through it by other suppliers, where the consideration in respect of such supplies is collected by him.
TCS Statement: The amount of tax so collected by the TCS Mechanism under GST operator is required to be deposited by the 10th of the following month, during which such collection is made. The operator is also required to furnish a monthly statement in Form GSTR-8 by the 10th of the following month. The Operator is also required to file an Annual statement in prescribed form by the 31st of December following the end of every financial year. The Operator can rectify errors in statements filed, if any, latest by the return to be filed for the month of September, following the end of every financial year.
The details furnished by the operator in GSTR-8 shall be made available electronically to each of the suppliers in Part C of FORM GSTR-2A on the Common Portal after the due date of filing of FORM GSTR-8.
Credit of tax collected: The tax collected by the operator shall be credited to the cash ledger of the supplier who has supplied the goods/services through the Operator. The supplier can claim credit of tax collected and reflected in the return by the Operator in his [supplier’s] electronic cash ledger.
Matching of details of supplies: The details of the supplies, including the value of supplies, submitted by every operator in the statements will be matched with the details of supplies submitted by all such suppliers in their returns. If there is any discrepancy in the value of supplies, the same would be communicated to both of them. If such discrepancy in value is not rectified within the given time, then such amount would be added to the output tax liability of such suppler. The supplier will have to pay the differential amount of output tax along with interest.
Notice to the Operator: An officer not below the rank of Deputy Commissioner can issue notice to an Operator asking him to furnish details relating to volume of goods/ services supplied, stock of goods lying in warehouses/ godowns, etc. The Operator is required to furnish such details within 15 working days. In case an Operator fails to furnish the information, besides being liable for penal action under section 122 shall also be liable for penalty up to Rs. 25,000/- The GST Council in their 22nd meeting held on 6th October, 2017 at New Delhi decided that operationalization of TDS/ TCS provisions shall be postponed till 31.03.2018.
Liability to pay: As per the current understanding, GST would be paid under normal charge. However, a special provision for collection of tax at source has been made applicable in the case of electronic commerce operators. It has been provided that Central government shall notify categories of services on which tax shall be paid by the electronic commerce operator if such services are supplied through it, and all the provisions of this Act shall apply to such electronic commerce operator as if he is the person liable for paying the tax in relation to the supply of such services
Further, every electronic commerce operator (not being an agent) shall be liable to collect an amount calculated at the rate of 1% of the net value of taxable supplies made through it where the consideration along with appropriate GST with respect to such supplies is to be collected by the operator. The liability to pay in this respect would lie with the electronic commerce operator.
Reports/returns: Apart from the monthly and annual returns, electronic commerce operators will be required to file monthly TCS returns viz., a statement, electronically, containing the details of outward supplies of goods or services effected through it, including the supplies of goods or services returned through it, and the amount collected under during a month, in such form and manner as may be prescribed, within ten days after the end of such month.
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Electronic Commerce has been defined in Sec. 2(44) of the CGST Act, 2017 to mean the supply of goods or services or both, including digital products over digital or electronic network.
Electronic Commerce Operator has been defined in Sec. 2(45) of the CGST Act, 2017 to mean any person who owns, operates or manages digital or electronic facility or platform for electronic commerce.
Yes. As per Section 24(x) of the CGST Act, 2017 the benefit of threshold exemption is not available to e-commerce operators and they are liable to be registered irrespective of the value of supply made by them.
No. Section 24(ix) of the CGST Act, 2017 lays down that the threshold exemption is not available to such persons and they would be liable to be registered irrespective of the value of supply made by them. This requirement is, however, applicable only if the supply is made through such electronic commerce operator who is required to collect tax at source under section 52 of the CGST Act, 2017.However, where the e-commerce operators are liable to pay tax on behalf of the suppliers under a notification issued under section 9 (5) of the CGST Act, 2017, the suppliers of such services are entitled for threshold exemption.
Yes, but only in case of services notified under Sec. 9(5) of the CGST Act, 2017. In such cases tax shall be paid by the electronic commerce operator if such services are supplied through it and all the provisions of the Act shall apply to such electronic commerce operator as if he is the supplier liable to pay tax in relation to the supply of such services. A similar provision for inter-State supply is provided for in Sec. 5(5) of the IGST Act, 2017. (Refer to Notification No. 17/2017- Central Tax (Rate) and 14/2017- Integrated Tax (Rate) dated 28.06.2017).
Threshold exemption is not available to e-commerce operators who are required to pay tax on notified services supplied through them.
The e-commerce operator is required to collect an amount at the rate of one percent (0.5% CGST + 0.5% SGST) of the net value of taxable supplies made through it, where the consideration with respect to such supplies is to be collected by such operator. The amount so collected is called as Tax Collection at Source (TCS). (Refer to Section 52(1) of the CGST Act, 2017).
An e-commerce company is required to collect tax only on the net value of taxable supplies. In other words, the value of supplies which are returned are adjusted in the aggregate value of taxable supplies. (Refer to Explanation to Sec. 52(1) of the CGST Act, 2017).
The "net value of taxable supplies" means the aggregate value of taxable supplies of goods or services or both, other than the services on which entire tax is payable by the e-commerce operator, made during any month by all registered persons through such operator reduced by the aggregate value of taxable supplies returned to the suppliers during the said month. (Refer to Explanation to Section 52(1) of the CGST Act, 2017).
Yes, every e-commerce operator (other than an operator required to pay tax under section 9(5) of the CGST Act, 2017) is required to collect tax where consideration with respect to a taxable supply is collected by such e-commerce operator. (Refer to Section 52(1) of the CGST Act, 2017).
The e-commerce operator should make the collection during the month in which the consideration amount is collected from the recipient.
The amount collected by the operator is to be paid to the government within 10 days after the end of the month in which amount was so collected. (Refer to Section 52(3) of the CGST Act, 2017).
The amount of TCS paid by the operator to the government will be reflected in the GSTR-2 of the actual registered supplier (on whose account such collection has been made) on the basis of the statement filed by the operator. The same can be used at the time of discharge of tax liability in respect of the supplies made by the actual supplier. (Refer to Section 52(7) of the CGST Act, 2017).
Yes, every operator is required to furnish a statement, electronically, containing the details of outward supplies of goods or services effected through it, including the supplies of goods or services returned through it, and the amount collected by it as TCS during a month within ten days after the end of such month. The statement will be filed in FORM GSTR-8. The operator is also required to file an annual statement by 31st day of December following the end of the financial year in which the tax was collected. (Refer to Section 52(4) and Section 52(5) of the CGST Act, 2017).
The details of supplies furnished by every operator in his statement for the month will be matched with the corresponding details of outward supplies furnished by the concerned supplier in his valid return for the same month or any preceding month. Where the details of outward supplies declared by the operator in his statement do not match with the corresponding details declared by the supplier, the discrepancy shall be communicated to both persons. (Refer to Section 52(8) and Section 52(9) of the CGST Act, 2017).
The amount in respect of which any discrepancy is communicated and which is not rectified by the supplier in his valid return or the operator in his statement for the month in which discrepancy is communicated shall be added to the output liability of the said supplier in his return for the month succeeding the month in which the discrepancy is communicated. The concerned supplier in whose output tax liability any amount has been added, shall be liable to pay the tax payable in respect of such supply along with interest on the amount so added from the date such tax was due till the date of its payment. (Refer to Section 52(10) and Section 52(11) of the CGST Act, 2017).
Yes. Any officer not below the rank of Deputy Commissioner may issue a notice to the electronic commerce operator to furnish such details within a period of 15 working days from the date of service of such notice. (Refer to Section 52(12), (13) and (14) of the CGST Act, 2017).
Yes, this is allowed. Any registered person can declare a premises as a place of business if he has requisite documents for use of the premises as his place of business (like ownership document, agreement with the owner etc.) and there is no restriction about use of a premises by multiple persons. The registered person shall have to comply with the requirements of maintaining records as per section 35 of the CGST Act, 2017 and Rules 56 to 58 of the CGST Rules, 2017.
Online travel agents providing services through digital or electronic platform will fall under the category of ECOs liable to deduct TCS under Section 52 of the CGST Act, 2017.
In such cases, each transaction needs to be treated separately and examined according to the provisions of Section 52 of the CGST Act, 2017. The TCS will be deducted accordingly.
Section 46 of the CGST Rules, 2017 provides that invoice may have “a consecutive serial number not exceeding sixteen characters, in one or multiple series, containing alphabets or numerals or special characters hyphen or dash and slash symbolised as “-” and “/” respectively, and any combination thereof, unique for a financial year”. Therefore, a supplier can have multiple series for the same year, so long as the same series is not used across financial years. Therefore, you may have a different invoice series for each location having consecutive serial numbers running across that series.
As per Section 52(1) of the CGST Act, 2017 TCS is to be collected on “the net value of taxable supplies” made through an ECO. When the supply itself is not taxable, the question of TCS does not arise.
As per the definitions in Section 2 (44) and 2(45) of the CGST Act, 2017, you will come under the definition of an “electronic commerce operator”. However, according to Section 52 of the Act ibid, TCS is required to be collected on the net value of taxable supplies made through it by other suppliers where the consideration is to be collected by the ECO. In cases where someone is selling their own products through a website, there is no requirement to collect tax at source as per the provisions of this Section. These transactions will be liable to GST at the prevailing rates.
No. According to Section 52 of the CGST Act, 2017, TCS is required to be collected on the net value of taxable supplies made through it by other suppliers where the consideration is to be collected by the ECO. In this case, there are two transactions - where you purchase the goods from the vendors, and where you sell it through your website. For the first transaction, GST is leviable, and will need to be paid to your vendor, on which credit is available for you. The second transaction is a supply on your own account, and not by other suppliers and there is no requirement to collect tax at source. The transaction will attract GST at the prevailing rates.
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