INPUT TAX CREDIT (Gujarat VAT)

Q.1. What is input tax credit?
A.1. Input tax credit is the amount of tax paid by the dealer on purchases for which the dealer is entitled to claim a credit.
Q.2. How and when input tax credit has to be claimed?
A.2. The input tax credit has to be claimed in the tax period in which a dealer records tax invoice and can be adjusted against tax liability of the dealer on all the sales effected during the said tax period.
Q.3. How does input tax credit work within the overall VAT scheme and whether tax credit is available against liability of tax under CST Act?
A.3. In order to understand how the input tax credit works, following illustrations would be useful:

ILLUSTRATION-1 (Rupees)
 Amount  Tax
 A  Purchases during the month  @12.5%  1,00,000  12,500
 B  Local sales during the month  @12.5%  1,20,000  15,000
 C  Output tax payable  15,000
 D  Less: input tax credit  15,000
 E  VAT payable  2,500
ILLUSTRATION-2 (Rupees)
 Amount  Tax
 A  Purchases during the month  @12.5%  2,00,000  25,000
 B  Local sales during the month  @4%  1,00,000  4,000
 C  Inter State sales  @4%  1.00.000  4,000
 D  Total output tax liability (B+C)  8,000
 E  Input tax credit admissible  25,000
 E  Negative balance of input tax credit carried forwarded to next tax period (B-E)  17,000
Q.4. Can input tax credit of an item be adjusted against output tax on other items?
A.4. There is no ?one to one? correlation between input tax credit and output tax of an item. Input tax credit on all items purchased in a tax period can be adjusted against total tax payable during the tax period.
Q.5. Which purchases would be qualified for input tax credit?
A.5. Input tax credit will be available for the taxable goods purchased for the purpose of:

  1. Sale or resale within the State
  2. Sale in the course of inter state trade or commerce
  3. Sale in the course of exports
  4. Use as raw materials, processing materials or processing materials in the manufacture of taxable goods
  5. Use as packing of goods
  6. Sale to SEZ/EOU
  7. Transfer out side the State
Q.6. Are there any prohibited goods for which input tax credit will not be admissible?
A.6. Yes. Input tax credit will not be available for crude oil, Lignite, Petrol and High Speed Diesel besides purchases unrelated to goods under sale.
Q.7. How input tax credit will be available in case of branch transfer?
A.7. Input tax credit would be available in case of branch transfer after deducting 4 % as under:

    In the case of reseller: 4% of the value of the goods so transferred
    In the case of manufacturer: 4% of the value of the goods used in the manufacture of goods so transferred.
Q.8. Whether input tax credit will be available for works contract or transfer of rights to use etc.?
A.8. Yes, the input tax credit will be available in case of works contracts (except capital goods) but it would not be available for transfer of rights to use goods.
Q.9. Whether input tax credit will be admissible for capital goods also?
A.9. Yes. Input tax credit will be admissible for capital goods used in the manufacture of taxable goods. Capital goods must be used continuously for a full period of five years within the State. How ever, no input tax credit would be admissible for capital goods purchased for the use in:

  1. Manufacture of tax-free goods
  2. Generation of electricity including captive power
  3. Works contract
Q.10. Whether input tax credit will be available for fuels used in generation of electricity including captive power?
A.10. No. Input tax credit will not be available in such case.
Q.11. Whether input tax credit will be available for fuels used in motor vehicles?
A.11. No. Input tax credit would not be available in such case also.
Q.12. Whether input tax credit will be available for purchases of motor vehicles?
A.12. No, unless vehicle is purchased for resale.
Q.13. Whether input tax credit will be available on inter state purchases or imports?
A.13. No. Input tax credit will not be available on inter state purchases or imports. Only purchases within the State are qualified for input tax credit.
Q.14. Whether input tax credit is available for the purchases made from a person who is not a registered dealer?
A.14. No. However, purchase tax paid on such purchase is admissible as input tax credit.
Q.15. Whether input tax credit would be available for the purchases made from a dealer paying lump-sum tax?
A.15. No. In such cases, input tax credit will not be admissible
Q.16. Whether input tax credit will be admissible for the purchases made before registration?
A.16. No. In such cases also, input tax credit will not be admissible.
Q.17. Whether input tax credit will be available for the purchases made from the dealer whose registration is suspended or cancelled and his name is published on website of the department?
A.17. No. In such case, no input tax credit will not be admissible for the purchases made from such dealer subsequent to publication of the name of the defaulting dealer on website.
Q.18. What are the other cases/circumstances in which input tax credit will not be admissible?
A.18. In following cases/circumstances input tax credit will not be admissible:

  1. where tax is not charged separately
  2. the original tax invoice is not with the dealer
Q.19. What is the mechanism for claiming tax credit by Commission Agent and Principal?
A.19. In the normal trade practice, the transaction between the commission agent and principal is not sale purchase transaction. Therefore, no tax invoices can be issued for such transactions. However, for the purpose of claiming tax credit, such transactions shall be deemed to be sales and purchase transactions between the commission agent and principal and they will issue tax invoices to other wherein, they will show the amount of tax paid/payable on such transaction. Commission agent or principal as the case may be, can claim tax credit on the basis of such tax invoices.
Q.20. Whether any proof would be required to claim input tax credit?
A.20. Yes, input tax credit could be claimed only on purchases from dealers registered under VAT. The original ?tax invoice? must be preserved carefully. If original tax invoice is lost, duplicate ?tax invoice? will be required. Indemnity bond will be furnished for obtaining duplicate tax invoice.
Q.21. Can input tax credit be adjusted against CST payable on inter-state sales?
A.21. Yes, but after adjusting input tax credit against the output tax payable under the VAT if there is any balance of tax credit, such credit shall be adjusted against the CST payable as explained in ?Illustration 2? in A-3 above.
Q.22. What are the provisions for refund of input tax credit?
A.22. Input tax credit will be refunded as under:

  1. In case of excess input tax credit carried forward, tax credit will be refunded not later than 2 years from the end of the year
  2. In case of export, input tax credit will be refunded within 3 months from the end of respective tax period
Q.23. Whether Entry Tax paid by the dealer will be admissible as input tax credit?
A.23. Yes. Entry Tax paid by the dealer will be available as input tax credit.
Q.24. Whether any penalty will be payable for claiming excess tax credit?
A.24. Yes. Penalty equal to tax credit can be imposed.

Reference : “http://www.commercialtax.gujarat.gov.in/vatwebsite/vat/VatFAQMain.jsp?viewPageNo=4”

VAT Forms information:

Form Name Description
 Form 101  Application For VAT Registration
 Form 101A  Details of Additional Places of Business
 Form 101B  Address of Branches and Godowns outside Gujarat
 Form 101C  Specimen signature of Authorized person
 Form 101D  Details of Partners / Directors
 Form 101E  Addition information of Business
 Form 102  Certification of VAT Registration
 Form 103  Application for Cancellation of Registration
 Form 104  Notice for Suspension / Cancellation of Registration
 Form 105  Security under section 28
 Form 106  Declaration/Revised declaration regarding manager of business
 Form 107  Declaration/Revised declaration regarding bank accounts
 Form 108  Statement of goods held in stock (on 31/03/2006)
 Form 201  Monthly return
 Form 201A  List of Sales
 Form 201B  List of Purchases
 Form 201C  Balance of Stock
 Form 202  Quarterly / Annual return for Lump Sum Dealers
 Form 202A  List of Purchases for Lump Sum Dealers
 Form 203  Monthly / Annual return of incentives
 Form 204  Monthly / Annual return of deferment of tax
 Form 205  Annual return
 Form 205A  Addition Information of Business
 Form 206  Application for Permission to file separate return
 Form 207  Challan
 Form 208  Notice for Crossing Threshold of Turnover
 Form 209  Application for Exemption from filing returns
 Form 210  Application for Permission to pay Lump Sum tax
 Form 211  Permission to pay Lump Sum tax
 Form 212  MST Return
 Form 213  Daily Account of MST Commodities
 Form 214  Application for Permission to pay composition for works contract
 Form 215  Permission to pay composition for works contract
 Form 216  Statement for composition of works contract
 Form 301  Notice for Provisional Assessment
 Form 302  Notice for Audit Assessment
 Form 303  Notice for Re-assessment
 Form 304  Assessment Order
 Form 305  Demand Notice
 Form 306  Application for Provisional Refund
 Form 307  Refund / Interest Payment Order
 Form 308  Refund Adjustment Order
 Form 309  Notice for Imposing Penalty
 Form 310  Order for compounding of offences
 Form 401  General notice for seeking information
 Form 402  Movement of goods within / going outside the state
 Form 403  Goods entering into the state from other states
 Form 404  Application for Transit pass
 Form 405  Issue of Transit pass
 Form 501  Application for Appeal
 Form 502  Application for revision
 Form 503  Notice before passing Order in Appeal / Revision
 Form 504  Notice before passing order in rectification
 Form 601  Applciation for enrollment as STP
 Form 602  List of STPs
 Form 603  Authority by Practioner
 Form 604  Authority by a Relative
 Form 701  TDS Exemption Certificate
 Form 702  Statement by the contractor to the sub-contractor
 Form 703  TDS Certificate
 Form 704  Yearly Declaration of contractee