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Circular No.1 /1/2017-Compensation Cess
F.No.354/136/2017-TRU
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
(Tax Research Unit)
*****
New Delhi, Dated 26
th
July, 2017
To
Principal Chief Commissioners/Principal Directors General,
Chief Commissioners/Directors General,
Principal Commissioners/Commissioners,
All under CBEC.
Madam/Sir,
Subject: Clarification regarding applicability of section 16 of the IGST Act, 2017, relating to
zero rated supply for the purpose of Compensation Cess on exports – Regarding.
The issue of zero rating of exports with reference to Compensation Cess has been
examined.
2. In this regard section 8 of the Goods and Services tax (Compensation to States) Act,
2017 hereinafter referred to as [GSTC Act, 2017] provides for levy and collection of
Compensation Cess and reads as under:
“8. (1) There shall be levied a cess on such intra-State supplies of goods or services
or both, as provided for in section 9 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, and
such inter State supplies of goods or services or both as provided for in section 5 of
the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, and collected in such manner as may be
prescribed, on the recommendations of the Council, for the purposes of providing
compensation to the States for loss of revenue arising on account of implementation
of the goods and services tax with effect from the date from which the provisions of
the Central Goods and Services Tax Act is brought into force, for a period of five
years or for such period as may be prescribed on the recommendations of the
Council:
(2) The cess shall be levied on such supplies of goods and services as are specified in
column (2) of the Schedule, on the basis of value, quantity or on such basis at such
rate not exceeding the rate set forth in the corresponding entry in column (4) of the
Schedule, as the Central Government may, on the recommendations of the Council, by
notification in the Official Gazette, specify.”
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3. Accordingly, based on the recommendation of GST Council, the effective rates of
Compensation Cess leviable on various supplies, stand notified vide Notification No.1/2017-
Compensation Cess (Rate).
4. Further, as per sub-section (5) of section 7 of IGST Act, 2017, supply of goods or
services or both, when the supplier is located in India and place of supply is outside India,
will be treated as inter-state supply. Therefore, exports being inter-sate supplies, they will be
liable to Compensation Cess. This however will not be in line with the principle that no taxes
be exported, and exports have to be zero rated.
5. Provisions relating to zero rating of exports are
“16. (1) “zero rated supply” means any of the following supplies of goods or
services or both, namely: –
(a) export of goods or services or both; or
(b) supply of goods or services or both to a Special Economic Zone developer or a
Special Economic Zone unit.
(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (5) of section 17 of the Central Goods and
Services Tax Act, credit of input tax may be availed for making zero-rated supplies,
notwithstanding that such supply may be an exempt supply.
(3) A registered person making zero rated supply shall be eligible to claim refund
under either of the following options, namely: ––
(a) he may supply goods or services or both under bond or Letter of Undertaking,
subject to such conditions, safeguards and procedure as may be prescribed, without
payment of integrated tax and claim refund of unutilised input tax credit; or
(b) he may supply goods or services or both, subject to such conditions, safeguards
and procedure as may be prescribed, on payment of integrated tax and claim refund
of such tax paid on goods or services or both supplied,
in accordance with the provisions of section 54 of the Central Goods and Services
Tax Act or the rules made thereunder”.
6. Moreover, the section 11 of the Goods and Services tax (Compensation to States) Act,
2017, provides that:
11. (1) The provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, and the rules made
thereunder, including those relating to assessment, input tax credit, non-levy, short-
levy, interest, appeals, offences and penalties, shall, as far as may be, mutatis
mutandis, apply, in relation to the levy and collection of the cess leviable under
section 8 on the intra-State supply of goods and services, as they apply in relation to
the levy and collection of central tax on such intra-State supplies under the said Act
or the rules made thereunder.
(2) The provisions of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, and the rules made
thereunder, including those relating to assessment, input tax credit, non-levy, short-
levy, interest, appeals, offences and penalties, shall, mutatis mutandis, apply in
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relation to the levy and collection of the cess leviable under section 8 on the inter-
State supply of goods and services, as they apply in relation to the levy and collection
of integrated tax on such inter-State supplies under the said Act or the rules made
thereunder:
Provided that the input tax credit in respect of cess on supply of goods and services
leviable under section 8, shall be utilised only towards payment of said cess on supply
of goods and services leviable under the said section.
7. Therefore, sub-section (2) of section 11 of the Goods and Services tax (Compensation
to States) Act, 2017 provides that provisions of Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, and
the rules made thereunder, shall, mutatis mutandis, apply in relation to the levy and collection
of the cess leviable under section 8 on the inter-State supply of goods and services, as they
apply in relation to the levy and collection of integrated tax on such inter-State supplies under
the said Act or the rules made thereunder.
8. In view of the above, it is hereby clarified that provisions of section 16 of the IGST
Act, 2017, relating to zero rated supply will apply mutatis mutandis for the purpose of
Compensation Cess ( wherever applicable), that is to say that:
a) Exporter will be eligible for refund of Compensation Cess paid on goods exported
by him [on similar lines as refund of IGST under section 16(3) (b) of the IGST,
2017]; or
b) No Compensation Cess will be charged on goods exported by an exporter under
bond and he will be eligible for refund of input tax credit of Compensation Cess
relating to goods exported [on similar lines as refund of input taxes under section
16(3) (a) of the IGST, 2017].
9. All concerned are requested to acknowledge the receipt of this circular.
10. Trade Notice/Public Notice to be issued. Difficulty if any, in the implementation of
the circular should be brought to the notice of the Board. Hindi version would follow.
Yours faithfully,
(Devranjan Mishra)
Technical Officer (TRU)
