CHAPTER X – PAYMENT OF TAX
Section 49 – Payment of Tax, Interest, Penalty, and Other Amounts
- Modes of Payment:
Tax, interest, penalty, or fees can be paid via:- Internet banking
- Credit/Debit cards
- NEFT/RTGS
- Other prescribed modes
Payments are credited to the Electronic Cash Ledger (ECL).
- Input Tax Credit (ITC):
- ITC claimed in returns is credited to the Electronic Credit Ledger (ECL).
- ITC can be used to pay output tax (IGST, CGST, SGST/UTGST).
- Utilisation Rules:
- IGST credit → IGST first, then CGST/SGST
- CGST credit → CGST first, then IGST
- SGST/UTGST credit → SGST/UTGST first, then IGST
- CGST cannot be used for SGST/UTGST and vice versa.
- Refunds:
- Balance in cash or credit ledger after payments can be refunded under Section 54.
- Electronic Liability Register:
- All liabilities are maintained electronically.
- Payment of dues follows this order:
- Self-assessed tax of previous periods
- Self-assessed tax of current period
- Any other dues including demands under Sections 73/74
- Transfer of Amounts:
- A registered person can transfer amounts in the cash ledger to another tax type or another person’s ledger (conditions apply).
- Limitation on ITC Use:
- Government may restrict the proportion of output tax payable via credit ledger.
Key Definitions:
- Tax dues: Only the tax itself, excludes interest, fee, and penalty.
- Other dues: Interest, penalty, fee, or any other amount payable.
Section 49A – Utilisation of ITC
- ITC on CGST, SGST, or UTGST can be used only after fully utilising IGST credit for payment of taxes.
Section 49B – Order of ITC Utilisation
- The Government may prescribe the order and manner of using ITC for different taxes.
Section 50 – Interest on Delayed Payment
- Delayed Payment:
- Interest is charged on tax not paid on time, at a rate ≤ 18%.
- Interest starts from the day after the tax was due.
- Wrongly Availed ITC:
- Interest is charged on wrongly claimed ITC at a rate ≤ 24%.
Section 51 – Tax Deduction at Source (TDS)
- Applicability:
- Certain government departments, local authorities, and notified persons must deduct 1% TDS on supplies exceeding ₹2.5 lakh.
- Payment of TDS:
- Deducted amount must be paid to the Government within 10 days after the month-end.
- TDS Certificate:
- Deductee gets a certificate of TDS in prescribed form.
- Claiming Credit:
- Deductee claims TDS in electronic cash ledger.
- Penalty/Interest:
- Deductor pays interest on TDS not remitted.
- Refunds handled under Section 54.
Section 52 – Tax Collection at Source (TCS)
- Applicability:
- E-commerce operators must collect up to 1% TCS on net value of supplies made through them.
- Payment & Statements:
- Collected amount is paid within 10 days after month-end.
- Operators must furnish monthly and annual statements electronically.
- Rectification of Errors:
- If errors are found, rectification must be done in the next month’s statement, subject to interest payment.
- Matching with Supplier Returns:
- TCS details are matched with suppliers’ outward supplies.
- Discrepancies lead to addition to supplier’s output tax liability with interest.
- Notice for Information:
- Authorities may require operators to provide details of stock or supplies; failure leads to a penalty up to ₹25,000.
Section 53 – Transfer of ITC
- ITC used for IGST payment reduces the central tax account; the corresponding amount is transferred to IGST account.
Section 53A – Transfer of Certain Amounts
- Amounts transferred from the cash ledger under CGST to SGST/UTGST ledger are adjusted in the respective state/UT accounts.