The supplier of goods or services is liable to pay GST. However, in some specified cases like Notified supplies and imports, the liability may be on the recipient under the reverse charge mechanism. Reverse Charge means the liability to pay tax is on the recipient of supply of goods or services instead of the supplier of such goods or services in respect of notified categories of supply.
There are two types of reverse charge scenarios provided in law:
- The first is dependent on the nature of the supply and/or the nature of the supplier. Section 9(3) of the CGST/SGST (UTGST) Act and Section 5(3) of the IGST Act cover this scenario.
- Section 9(4) of the CGST/SGST (UTGST) Act and Section 5(4) of the IGST Act apply when a registered person receives taxable supplies from an unregistered person.
What is reverse charge in the case of goods?
When reverse charge applies, the recipient declares both their purchase (input VAT) and the supplier’s sale (output VAT) in their VAT return. In this way, the two entries cancel each other from a cash payment perspective in the same return
The supplier of goods and services pays the tax on supply. Under the reverse charge mechanism, the recipient must pay the tax instead of the supplier. This shift expands GST coverage in unorganized sectors, exempts certain suppliers, and ensures tax on imported services from foreign suppliers. Not all but certain types of businesses apply to the reverse charge mechanism.
What is RCM in GST in simple words?
The person who receives the goods pays GST to the government instead of the seller. The person who gets the goods must pay the seller for them and send the GST to the government straight. It is up to the recipient to pay the GST, not the seller.
If the recipient buys from an unregistered supplier, they must pay GST on the supplier’s behalf. The supplier shall raise an invoice of the supplies made to their recipient.
As per Section 2(98) of the CGST Act 2017, “Reverse Charge” means the recipient must pay tax instead of the supplier.
On which items RCM is applicable?
If an unregistered person supplies goods, the registered recipient pays the tax. If an unregistered person provides services, the registered recipient pays the tax. No reverse charge mechanism in case of exempted supplies.
For services provided by e-commerce operator –
In the case of services provided by e-commerce operators, the liability of tax payment lies on the recipient of services. If the assessee lacks a physical presence in the taxable area, the e-commerce operator’s representative must pay the tax. If there is no representative, then the assessee has to appoint one who will be liable to pay GST.
Supplies of goods under reverse charge mechanism:
| Description of supply of goods | Supplier of goods | Recipient of goods |
| Cashew nuts, not shelled or peeled |
Agriculturist | Any registered person |
| Bidi wrapper leaves (tendu) | Agriculturist | Any registered person |
| Tobacco leaves | Agriculturist | Any registered person |
| Supply of lottery | State Government, Union Territory or any local authority | Lottery distributor or selling agent |
| Silk yarn | Any person who manufactures silk yarn from raw silk or silk worm cocoons for supply of silk yarn | Any registered person |
| Description of supply of service | Supplier of service | Recipient of service |
| GTA Services | Goods Transport Agency (GTA) | Any factory, society, cooperative society, registered person, body corporate, partnership firm, casual taxable person; located in the taxable territory |
| Legal Services by advocate | An individual advocate, including a senior Advocate or a firm of advocates | Any business entity located in the taxable territory |
| Services supplied by an arbitral tribunal to a business entity | An arbitral tribunal | Any business entity located in the taxable territory |
| Services provided by way of sponsorship to anybody corporate or partnership firm | Any person | Anybody corporate or partnership firm located in the taxable territory |
| Services supplied by the Central Government, State Government, Union territory or local authority to a business entity excluding: – (1) renting of immovable property, and (2) services specified below: – (i) services by the Department of Posts by way of speed post, express parcel post, life insurance, and agency services provided to a person other than Central Government, State Government or Union territory or local authority; (ii) services in relation to an aircraft or a vessel, inside or outside the precincts of a port or an airport; (iii) transport of goods or passengers | Central Government, State Government, Union territory or local authority | Any business entity located in the taxable territory |
| Services supplied by a director of a company or a body corporate to the said company or the body corporate | A director of a company or a body corporate | The company or a body Corporate located in the taxable territory |
| Services supplied by an insurance agent to any person carrying on insurance business | An insurance agent | Any person carrying on Insurance business, located in the taxable territory |
| Services supplied by a recovery agent to a banking company or a financial institution or a nonbanking financial company | A recovery agent | A banking company or a financial institution or a nonbanking financial company, located in the taxable territory |
| Supply of services by an author, music composer, photographer, artist or the like by way of transfer or permitting the use or enjoyment of a copyright covered under section 13(1)(a) of the Copyright Act, 1957 relating to original literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works to a publisher, music company, producer or the like | Author or music composer, photographer, artist, or the like | Publisher, music company, Producer or the like, located in the taxable territory |
What happens if RCM is not paid?
Section 24 of the CGST Act, 2017 mandates compulsory GST registration. Anyone paying tax under the reverse charge mechanism must register under GST. The threshold limits of Rs.20 lakh or Rs.40 lakh, as the case may be, will not apply to them.
Loss of Input Tax Credit:
If the recipient does not pay RCM, they may lose eligibility to claim Input Tax Credit for the unpaid tax amount. This can result in increased tax liability and impact the business.
The system calculates interest at 18% per annum. It applies from the due date of tax payment until the actual payment date. It is important to note that the taxpayer may also face penalties under the GST Act for non-payment of tax. The penalty amount can be up to 100% of the tax amount that is due.
Section 73 and Section 74 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (CGST Act) deal with the penalty for wrongly availing ITC. The penalty for wrongly availing ITC is equivalent to the amount of ITC claimed. The recipient must pay interest at 18% per annum on the claimed ITC amount.
When does a goods-reverse charge apply?
The recipient must register under GST for the reverse charge mechanism to apply. The RCM in GST does not apply if the recipient is not registered. Additionally, the recipient must self-invoice their transactions and pay taxes to the government as and when required
In intra-state purchases, CGST and SGST have to be paid under the reverse charge mechanism (RCM) by the purchaser. Also, in the case of inter-state purchases, the buyer has to pay the IGST. The government updates the list of goods or services subject to this provision from time to time.
Who is liable to pay GST under a goods reverse charge?
RCM requires that the recipient pay GST on goods/services. The supplier must specify on the invoice whether RCM tax applies to comply with GST law.
For supplies subject to reverse charge, the time of supply is the earliest of the following
(a) The date of the receipt of goods, or
(b) The time of supply is the earlier of the payment date recorded in the recipient’s books or the debit date in their bank account or
(c) The date immediately following thirty days from the date of issue of invoice or any other document, by whatever name called, in lieu thereof by the supplier
If it not possible to determine the time of supply under the above stated points, the time of supply shall be the date of entry in the books of account of the recipient of supply.
RCM GST payments should be made keeping the following points in mind:
- ITC on RCM tax amounts can only be claimed by recipients of goods or services if they are used to conduct business or further that business.
- If a composition dealer discharges liability under RCM, he should pay tax at the normal rates, not the composition rates. Additionally, they are not eligible to claim GST credit.
- RCM tax payables or charges can be subject to GST compensation cess.
Conclusion
Under Section 9 (3) few goods and services are specifically notified by way of notification in which case tax is to be paid under reverse charge like in case of advocates, goods transport agency etc.
Further, from the foresaid notifications and amended provision of section 9(4), we can understand that the provisions of Section 9(4) of the CGST Act is not applicable to all registered persons, goods and services. It is applicable only to selected categories of registered person, goods and services. It is applicable only to selected categories of registered persons and Goods and services as and when notified by the government.
- Goods and services notified under section 9(3) or section 9(4) must have person registered under GST.
- Under RCM, taxpayers must submit GST to the government by the 20th of the following month.
- Businesses can claim ITC for RCM goods and services used for business purposes based on the GST paid. And the service acquiring individual, who is also paying reverse charge can take the benefits of an input tax credit.
- GSTR-2 will not auto-populate GST paid under RCM. The recipient must manually furnish the details.
- The recipient must generate the invoice when RCM applies. They must also issue daily invoices for consolidated purchases. On all the GST applicable who are under section 31(3).
- Payment voucher must be issued by the recipient at that during the time period of supplier payment.
- The ITC is not available for the reverse charge payment to the authority.
- Individuals registered under the composition scheme fall under reverse charge but cannot avail RCM credit.
- The reverse charge mechanism is applicable to payments made in advance also.
Note:
An unregistered dealer under GST cannot engage in interstate transactions. For any reverse charge mechanism to applicable, there must be only intra-state transactions.
Also Read: About RCM in Bahasa language Indonesia
FAQ
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What is reverse charge mechanism?
The recipient must pay tax instead of the supplier for the notified category of supply.
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Can GST paid on reverse charge basis be considered as input tax?
Yes, the definition of input tax includes the tax payable under reverse charge mechanism.
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Whether legal services provided by advocate firm are under reverse charge mechanism?
Yes, same can be availed under RCM.
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A person receives a supply from an unregistered person in another state, whether he has to pay tax on reverse charge basis?
No, the person supplying the inter-state supply will have to compulsorily register irrespective of his turnover and will be liable to pay tax, unless the supplier has been exempted from taking registration. This question of supply by unregistered suppliers making inter-state supplies does not arise.
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Who will issue the tax invoice in case of reverse charge supplies?
The recipient receiving supplies from unregistered suppliers will have to issue invoice himself and pay tax. In other words, the recipient receiving supplies, which are subject to reverse charge from a registered person need not issue a tax invoice.
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Under Reverse Charge Mechanism who is liable to register in the new tax regime?
A person paying tax under reverse charge must register for GST, regardless of the threshold. The annual limit is Rs. 20 lakh (Rs. 10 lakh for Hill and North Eastern states).
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What happens if the receiver of goods or services is required to pay tax under reverse charge but is not a registered dealer?
Taxpayers liable for reverse charge must register for GST. The Rs. 20 lakh or Rs. 40 lakh threshold does not apply to them.
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Is RCM applicable on rent?
The RCM provision on residential rent applies only when the tenant pays the landlord more than Rs. 50,000 per month. If the rent paid is less than Rs. 50,000, then the RCM provision does not apply
