GST Update: Relief for Genuine Buyers – Proposal to Protect Input Tax Credit (ITC) from Supplier Defaults
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime was introduced with the objective of creating a transparent and seamless indirect tax system across India. One of its key features is the Input Tax Credit (ITC) mechanism, which enables businesses to claim credit for the GST paid on purchases and utilize it against their output tax liability. This mechanism prevents the cascading effect of taxes and ensures smooth business operations. However, over the years, genuine taxpayers have faced significant challenges due to supplier defaults. In several cases, businesses have lost their eligible ITC simply because their suppliers failed to deposit the GST collected from them with the Government. This issue has resulted in unnecessary litigation, financial hardship, and compliance uncertainty for honest taxpayers. Recognizing these concerns, the GST Council's Law Committee has approved a proposal aimed at protecting genuine buyers from losing ITC due to supplier defaults. Although the proposal i...