Circular, 2024

Text

Reproduced from the document India Code holds for this instrument. The Gazette prints Hindi and English side by side and this is the English; the Department's own PDF remains the authority.

Office of the Commissioner, State Tax, Uttar Pradesh (GST Section) Letter No. GST/2024-25/ 86 /State Tax Lucknow: Dated: OS’, July, 2024 To, All Zonal Additional Commissioner Grade -1, Additional Commissioner Grade -2 (S.L.B.) State Tax, Uttar Pradesh.

Subject: Clarification regarding taxability of the transaction of providing loan by an overseas affiliate to its Indian affiliate or by a person to a related person- reg. Representations have been received from trade and industry seeking clarity on whether there is any supply involved in the transaction of granting of loan by a person to a related person or by an overseas affiliate to its Indian entity, where the consideration being paid is only by way of interest or discount, and whether any GST is applicable on the same. 2 In order to clarify the issue and to ensure uniformity in the implementation of the provisions of law across the field formations, the Commissioner, in exercise of its powers conferred by section 168 of the Uttar Pradesh Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as “UPGST Act”), hereby clarifies the issues as under: S.N Issue Clarification Clarification regarding taxability of the transaction of providing loan by an overseas entity to its Indian related entity or by a person in India to a related person 1 Whether the activity of |1. As per clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 7 providing loans by an |of the UPGST Act, read with S. No. 2 and S. No. 4 of overseas affiliate to its | Schedule I of UPGST Act, supply of goods or services Indian affiliate or by a |or both between related persons, when made in the person to a related person, |course or furtherance of business, shall be treated as where there is no consideration in the nature / of processing fee/ administrative charges/ loan granting charges etc., and the consideration is represented only by way of interest or discount, will be treated as a taxable supply of service under GST or not.

supply, even if made without consideration. Therefore, it is evident that the service of granting loan/ credit/ advances by an entity to its relatéd entity is a supply under GST.

2 Services by way of extending deposits, loans or] advances in so far as the consideration is represented| by way of interest or discount (other than interest involved in credit card services) are exempted under suby entry (a) of entry 27 of Notification No. KA.NL-2- Dated 30.06.2017. Therefore, it is clear that the suppl:

of services of granting loans/ credit/ advances, in so farf as the consideration is represented by way of interest or discount, is fully exempt under GST.

3. It is mentioned that overseas affiliates or domestic related persons are generally charging no consideration in the form of processing fee/ service fee, other than the consideration by way of interest or discount on the loan amount. Doubts are being raised regarding the taxability of the services of processing/ administering/ facilitating the loan in such cases, by deeming the same as supply as per clause (c) of sub- section (1) of section 7 of the UPGST Act, read with S.

No. 2 and S. No. 4 of Schedule I of UPGST Act. The processing fee/ service fee is generally a one-time charge that lenders levy on applicants when they apply for a loan. This fee is generally non-refundable and is used to cover the administrative cost of processing the loan application. Charges of any other nature in respect of loan, other than by way of interest or discount, would represent taxable consideration for providing the facilitation/ processing/ administration Page 2 of 5 services for the loan and hence would be liable to GST.

This has been clarified at serial number 42 in the Sectoral FAQ on Banking, Insurance and Stock Brokers Sector issued by CBIC.

4. It is significant to note that the processing/ service fee is generally charged by the bank/ financial institution from the recipient of the loan in order to cover the administrative cost of processing the loan application. An independent lender may carry out a thorough credit assessment of the potential borrower to identify and evaluate the risks involved and to consider methods of monitoring and managing these risks. Such credit assessment may include understanding the business of the applicant, as well as the purpose of the loan, financial standing and credibility of the applicant, how it is to be structured and the source of its repayment which may include analysis of the borrower’s cash flow forecasts, the strength of the borrower’s balance sheet, and where any collateral is offered, due diligence on the collateral offered may also be required to be carried out. To cover such costs, the independent lender generally collects a fee that is in the nature of processing fee/ administrative charges/ service fee/ loan granting charges, which is leviable to

GST.

5. However, when an entity is extending a loan to a related entity, it may not require to follow such processes as are followed by an independent lender.

For example, it may not need to go through the same process of information gathering about the borrower’s business, his financial standing and credibility and other details, as the required information may already Page 3 of 5 be readily available within the group, or between related persons. The lender may not also take any collateral from the borrower. Actordingly, in case of loans provided between related parties, there may not be the activity of ‘processing’ the loan, and no administrative cost may be involved in granting such a loan. Therefore, it may not be desirable to place the services being provided for processing the loans by banks or independent lenders vis-a-vis the loans provided by a related party, on equal footing.

6. Even in case of loans provided between unrelated parties, there may not be any processing fee/ administrative charges/ loan granting charges etc., based on the relationship between the bank/ independent lender and the person taking the loan. The lender might waive off the administrative charges in full, based on the nature and amount of loan granted, as well as based on the relationship between the lender and the concerned person taking the loan.

7 Accordingly, in the cases, where no consideration is charged by the person from the related person, or by an overseas affiliate from its Indian party, for extending loan or credit, other than by way of interest or discount, it cannot be said that any supply of service is being provided between the said related persons in the form of processing/ facilitating/ administering the loan, by deeming the same as supply of services as per clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 7 of the UPGST Act, read with S. No. 2 and S.

No. 4 of Schedule I of UPGST Act. Accordingly, there is no question of levy of GST on the same by resorting to open market value for valuation of the same as per Page 4 of 5 rule 28 of Uttar Pradesh Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017.

8. However, in cases of loans provided between related parties, wherever any fee in the nature of processing fee/ administrative charges/ service fee/ loan granting charges etc. is charged, over and above the amount charged by way of interest or discount, the same may be considered to be the consideration for the supply of services of processing/ facilitating/ administering of the loan, which will be liable to GST as supply of services by the lender to the related person availing the loan.

3. It is requested that suitable trade notices may be issued to publicize the contents of this Circular.

4. Difficulties, if any, in implementing this Circular may please be brought to the notice of the Undersigned.

By Order, %‘\"\M\ Commissioner, State Tax, U.P.

Copy To:

1. Joint Commissioner (I.T.), State Tax HQ, Lucknow for uploading the Circular on the Departmental Website.

s Joint Commissioner(GST) State Tax HQ, Lucknow.

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Provisions this circular answers to

Read out of the instrument itself: an enabling provision is one it says it was made under, which is the power it rests on. The rest it names without resting on.

Other instruments under the same Act

All of the The Uttar Pradesh Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017