245/02/2025-GST : Clarifications regarding applicability of GST on certain services.

Circular No. 245/02/2025-GST

F. No. CBIC-190354/2/2025-TO(TRU-II)-CBEC
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
(Tax Research Unit)

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 28^th of January, 2025

To,

The Principal Chief Commissioners/ Chief Commissioners/ Principal Commissioners/
Commissioners of Central Tax (All) / The Principal Director Generals/ Director Generals
(All)

Madam/Sir,

Subject: Clarifications regarding applicability of GST on certain services – reg.

Based on the recommendations of the GST Council in its 55^th meeting held on 21^st December 2024, at Jaisalmer, and in exercise of the powers conferred under section 168(1) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, clarifications on various issues are being issued through this Circular, as under:

2. Applicability of GST on penal charges being levied by the Regulated Entities (REs) in view of RBI instructions dated 18.08.2023 directing such Regulated Entities (REs) to levy penal charges in place of penal interest.

2.1 Representations have been received seeking clarification on the applicability of GST on penal charges being levied by the Regulated Entities (REs) in view of RBI instructions dated 18.08.2023 directing such Regulated Entities (REs) to levy penal charges in place of penal interest.

2.2 Regulated Entities (REs) such as banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have been instructed, vide RBI instructions dated 18.08.2023, to discontinue the use of penal interest for non-compliance with loan terms. As per the instructions, instead of penal interest, REs are to levy penal charges for non-compliance with loan terms. The intent of levying penal charges is essentially to inculcate a sense of credit discipline. These instructions are effective from 01.01.2024, and do not apply to credit cards, external commercial borrowings, trade credits and structured obligations which are covered under product specific directions.

2.3 It is being viewed by certain field formations that penal charges so levied are in the nature of payment/consideration for tolerating an act or situation. Similar issues were examined in Circular No. 178/10/2022-GST dated 03.08.2022, wherein it has already been clarified that certain payments such as liquidated damages for breach of contract are not a consideration for tolerating an act or situation. They are rather amounts recovered to deter such acts; such amounts are for preventing breach of contract or non-performance and are thus mere ‘events’ in a contract. It has been further clarified that the essence of a contract is its ‘performance’ and not its ‘breach’, meaning thereby that parties enter into a contract for execution and not for its breach.

2.4 Penal charges levied by REs, in compliance with RBI directions dated 18.08.2023, are essentially in the nature of charges for breach of terms of contract and hence, fall within the ambit of the above clarification.

2.5 Thus, as recommended by the 55^th GST Council, it is hereby clarified that no GST is payable on the penal charges levied by Regulated Entities, in compliance with RBI directions dated 18.08.2023, for non-compliance with material terms and conditions of loan contract by the borrower.

3. Whether GST exemption under Sl. No. 34 of notification No. 12/2017-CTR dated 28.06.2017 is available to payment aggregators in relation to settlement of an amount, up to two thousand rupees in a single transaction, transacted through credit card, debit card, charge card or other payment card services?

3.1 Representations have been received seeking clarity on the applicability of GST exemption under Sl. No. 34 of notification No. 12/2017-CTR dated 28.06.2017 to Payment Aggregators (PAs) in relation to settlement of an amount, up to two thousand rupees in a single transaction, transacted through credit card, debit card, charge card or other payment card services.

3.2 The matter has been examined. Payment Aggregators (PAs) are entities that facilitate e-commerce sites and merchants to accept various payment instruments from their customers without the need for the e-commerce sites and merchants to create a separate payment integration system of their own. In the process, PAs receive payments from customers, pool and transfer them on to the merchants within a specified time period.

3.3 The exemption under Sl. No. 34 of notification No. 12/2017-CT(Rate) dated 28.06.2017 is available to acquiring banks. For the purpose of the said exemption entry, the term ‘acquiring bank’ has been explained as under:

“acquiring bank” means any banking company, financial institution including non-banking financial company or any other person, who makes the payment to any person who accepts such card.

3.4 Clause 8 of the RBI’s Guidelines on Regulation of Payment Aggregators and Payment Gateways dated 17.03.2020, pertaining to ‘Settlement and Escrow Account Management’ makes it clear that the PAs receive payments from customers in an escrow account, and are obligated to do the final settlement with the merchant within time periods specified by RBI. Therefore, the RBI regulated PAs, involved in the settlement process of making payments to the merchant, are covered by the second part of the definition of acquiring bank, i.e. “any other person, who makes the payment to any person who accepts such card” and hence, fall within the definition of acquiring bank, for the purpose of the exemption under Sl. No. 34 of notification No. 12/2017-CTR dated 28.06.2017, as they make the payment to the merchants who accept credit cards, debit cards, charge cards or other payment card services.

3.5 Further, the RBI’s Guidelines dated 17.03.2020 clearly distinguish between Payment Aggregators and Payment Gateways (PGs), keeping in view their role vis-à-vis handling funds. PAs are defined as entities who receive payments from customers, pool and transfer them on to the merchants within a specified time period. On the other hand, PGs are defined as entities that provide technology infrastructure to route and facilitate processing of an online payment transaction without any involvement in handling of funds.

3.6 Thus, as recommended by the 55^th GST Council, it is hereby clarified that GST exemption under Sl. No. 34 of notification No. 12/2017-CTR dated 28.06.2017 is available to RBI regulated Payment Aggregators (PAs) in relation to settlement of an amount, up to two thousand rupees in a single transaction, transacted through credit card, debit card, charge card or other payment card services, as PAs fall within the definition of ‘acquiring bank’ given in the Explanation to the said exemption entry. It is also clarified that this exemption is limited to payment settlement function only, which involves handling of money, and does not cover Payment Gateway (PG) services.

4. Regularizing payment of GST on research and development services provided by Government Entities against consideration in the form of grants received from Government Entities.

4.1 The GST Council, in its 54^th meeting held on 09.09.2024 recommended exempting research and development services provided by Government Entities or research associations, universities, colleges or other institutions, notified under clauses (ii) or (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, against consideration in the form of grants. The same has been exempted w.e.f. 10.10.2024 vide notification No. 08/2024-CT(Rate) dated 8.10.2024.

4.2 There were certain interpretational issues with respect to the taxability, or otherwise, of supply of research and development services by Government Entities against grants received from the Government Entities like DRDO, CSIR, SERB etc. These issues now stand resolved, for the period starting from 10.10.2024, with the issuance of notification No. 08/2024-CT(Rate) dated 08.10.2024 which specifically exempted research and development services provided by Government Entities or research associations, universities, colleges or other institutions, notified under clauses (ii) or (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, against consideration in the form of grants.