Refund of IGST paid on account of zero rated supplies – all Details

Refund of IGST paid on account of zero rated supplies: under GST, Exports and supplies to SEZ are zero rated as per section 16 of the IGST Act, 2017. By zero rating it is meant that the entire supply chain of a particular zero rated supply is tax free i.e. there is no burden of tax either on the input side or output side. This is in contrast with exempted supplies, where only output is exempted from tax but tax is suffered on the input side. The essence of zero rating is to make Indian goods and services competitive in the international market by ensuring that taxes do not get added to the cost of exports.

Refund of IGST paid on account of zero rated supplies

The objective of zero rating of exports and supplies to SEZ is sought to be achieved through the provision contained in Section 16(3) of the IGST Act, 2017, which mandates that a registered person making a zero rated supply is eligible to claim refund in accordance with the provisions of section 54 of the CGST Act, 2017, under either of the following options, namely: –

• 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 of CGST, SGST / UTGST and IGST; or
• 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.

The second category pertains to refund of integrated tax paid for the zero-rated supplies made by suppliers who opt for the route of export on payment of integrated tax and claim refund of such tax paid. There can be two sub-categories of such suppliers namely:

1. Exporter of goods
2. Service exporters and persons making supplies to SEZ

Export of Goods

The normal refund application in GST RFD-01 is not applicable in this case. There is no need for filing a separate refund claim as the shipping bill filed by the exporter is itself treated as a refund claim. As per rule 96 of the CGST Rules, 2017, the shipping bill filed by an exporter shall be deemed to be an application for refund of integrated tax paid on the goods exported out of India and such application shall be deemed to have been filed only when:- (a) the person in charge of the conveyance carrying the export goods duly files an export manifest or an export report covering the number and the date of shipping bills or bills of export; and (b) the applicant has furnished a valid return in FORM GSTR-3 or FORM GSTR3B, as the case may be.

Thus, once the shipping bill and export general manifest (EGM) is filed and a valid return is filed, the application for refund shall be considered to have been filed and refund shall be processed by the department.

Service Exporters and Persons making supplies to SEZ

Under this category also, the supplier may choose to first pay IGST and then claim refund of the IGST so paid. In these cases, the suppliers will have to file refund claim in FORM GST RFD – 01 on the common portal, as per Rule 89 of the CGST Rules, 2017. Service Exporters need to file a statement containing the number and date of invoices and the relevant Bank Realisation Certificates or Foreign Inward Remittance Certificates, as the case may be, along with the refund claim.

In so far as refund is on account of supplies made to SEZ, the DTA supplier will have to file the refund claim in such cases. The second proviso to Rule 89 stipulates that in respect of supplies to a Special Economic Zone unit or a Special Economic Zone developer, the application for refund shall be filed by the –

• (a) Supplier of goods after such goods have been admitted in full in the Special Economic Zone for authorised operations, as endorsed by the specified officer of the Zone;
• (b) Supplier of services along with such evidence regarding receipt of services for authorised operations as endorsed by the specified officer of the Zone.

Thus, proof of receipt of goods or services as evidenced by the specified officer of the zone is a pre-requisite for filing of refund claim by the DTA supplier.

The claim for refund when made for supplies made to SEZ unit/Developer has to be filed along with the following documents:

1. A statement containing the number and date of invoices as provided in rule 46 along with the evidence regarding the endorsement specified in the second proviso to sub-rule (1) in the case of the supply of goods made to a Special Economic Zone unit or a Special Economic Zone developer;
2. A statement containing the number and date of invoices, the evidence regarding the endorsement specified in the second proviso to sub-rule (1) and the details of payment, along with the proof thereof, made by the recipient to the supplier for authorised operations as defined under the Special Economic Zone Act, 2005, in a case where the refund is on account of supply of services made to a Special Economic Zone unit or a Special Economic Zone developer;
3. A declaration to the effect that the Special Economic Zone unit or the Special Economic Zone developer has not availed the input tax credit of the tax paid by the supplier of goods or services or both, in a case where the refund is on account of supply of goods or services made to a Special Economic Zone unit or a Special Economic Zone developer.

Grant of Provisional Refund

The above category of persons making zero rated supplies will be entitled to provisional refund of 90% of the claim in terms of Section 54(6) of CGST Act, 2017.

Rule 91 of CGST Rules, 2017 provide that the provisional refund is to be granted within 7 days from the date of acknowledgement of the refund claim. An order for provisional refund is to be issued in Form GST RFD 04 along with payment advice in the name of the claimant in Form GST RFD 05. The amount will be electronically credited to the claimant’s bank account. Rule 91 also prescribe that the provisional refund will not be granted if the person claiming refund has, during any period of five years immediately preceding the tax period to which the claim for refund relates, been prosecuted for any offence under the Act or under an earlier law where the amount of tax evaded exceeds two hundred and fifty lakh rupees.