F.No. 20001/4/2024-GST
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
(Department of Revenue)
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
GST Policy Wing
To,
The Principal Chief Commissioners/ Chief Commissioners/ Principal Commissioners/Commissioners of Central Tax (All)
The Principal Directors General/ Directors General (All)
Madam/Sir,
Subject: Clarification on various issues pertaining to taxability and valuation of supply of services of providing corporate guarantee between related persons.
1.1 As per the recommendations of the GST Council, sub-rule (2) was inserted in Rule 28 of Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as the "CGST Rules") vide Notification No. 52/2023-Central Tax dated 26th October, 2023 to provide for a specific clause for valuation of supply of services of providing corporate guarantee to any banking company or financial institution by an entity on behalf of a related person. Besides, Circular No. 204/16/2023-GST dated 27th October, 2023 was also issued as per the recommendations of the GST Council, to provide clarity regarding the applicability of the said sub-rule. Subsequently, based on the recommendations of the GST Council, sub-rule (2) of Rule 28 of CGST Rules has been amended retrospectively with effect from 26.10.2023 vide notification No. 12/2024 dated 10th July 2024.
1.2 In this regard, various representations have been received from trade and industry, seeking clarifications on various issues pertaining to the taxability and valuation of the supply of services of providing corporate guarantee between related persons as per the said rule.
2. Therefore, in order to ensure uniformity in the implementation of the provisions of
law across the field formations, the Board, in exercise of its powers conferred by section 168 (1) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as "CGST Act"), hereby clarifies the issues as under:
Also, where intra-group corporate guarantees have been issued before 26th October 2023, which are still in force today, would they be liable to pay GST on "1% of the amount of such guarantee offered" on such guarantees?
Therefore, in respect of supply of services of providing corporate guarantee between related persons, in respect of corporate guarantee issued or renewed before 26th October 2023, the valuation of the said supply is to be done in accordance with Rule 28, as it existed during that time. However, if the corporate guarantee is issued or renewed on or after 26th October 2023, then the valuation of the said supply will be required to be done as per Rule 28(2) of CGST Rules.
Further, it is also clarified that the recipient of the service of providing corporate guarantee shall be eligible to avail the ITC, subject to other conditions specified in the Act and the Rules made thereunder, irrespective of when the loan is actually disbursed to the recipient, and irrespective of the amount of loan actually disbursed.
Therefore, if the loan issued by the banking company/ financial institution is taken over by another banking company/ financial institution, the said activity of taking over of the loan does not fall under the service of providing corporate guarantee to any banking company or financial institution by a supplier to a recipient. Therefore, it is clarified that in such cases, there will be no impact on GST, unless there is issuance of fresh corporate guarantee or there is a renewal of the existing corporate guarantee. However, if the takeover of the loan is followed/ accompanied by issuance of fresh corporate guarantee, then GST would be payable on the same.
For instance, if there are two co-guarantors, A and B, who jointly provide a corporate guarantee to a banking/ financial institution on behalf a related recipient C for Rs. 1 crore, then A and B shall each pay GST on 0.5% of the amount guaranteed.
However, if in the above case of A and B providing corporate guarantee jointly to a banking/ financial institution on behalf a related recipient C for Rs 1 crore, A provides guarantee for 60% of the guarantee amount and B provides guarantee for the remaining 40% of the guaranteed amount, then GST shall be payable by A and B proportionately i.e., 0.6% and 0.4% of the amount guaranteed. This is to say that A shall pay GST on 1% of the amount guaranteed by A, i.e., 1% on Rs. 60 lakhs and B shall pay GST on 1% of the amount guaranteed by B, i.e., 1% on Rs. 40 lakhs.
However, in cases where such guarantee is provided by the foreign/ overseas entity for a related entity located in India, then GST would be payable under reverse charge mechanism, by the recipient of service, i.e., the related entity located in India.
Therefore, it is clarified that the value of supply of the service of providing corporate guarantee to a banking company or a financial institution on behalf of a related recipient shall be one per cent of the amount guaranteed per annum or the actual consideration, whichever is higher.
Accordingly, the value of supply of the service of providing corporate guarantee to a banking company or a financial institution on behalf of a related recipient for a particular number of years shall be one per cent of the amount of such guarantee offered multiplied by the number of years for which the said guarantee is offered or the actual consideration whichever is higher.
In addition to the above, in cases where the corporate guarantee is provided for a period less than a year, say 6 months (half a year), then in those cases as well, the valuation may be done on proportionate basis for the said period, i.e., in this case, the value of the said supply of services may be taken as half of one per cent of the amount of such guarantee offered (6/12 * one per cent), or the actual consideration, whichever is higher.
To illustrate the same, if a corporate guarantee is issued for a period of say five years, then the value of such guarantee is to be calculated at one per cent per year of the amount of such guarantee offered, or the actual consideration, whichever is higher, i.e., the value of such corporate guarantee provided would be 5% of the amount guaranteed or the actual consideration, whichever is higher. Therefore, GST would be payable on such amount at the time of issuance of such corporate guarantee, i.e., 5% of the amount guaranteed or the actual consideration, whichever is higher.
However, if a corporate guarantee is issued, say for a period of one year and is renewed five times, for a period of one year each, then tax would be payable on one per cent of the amount of such guarantee offered, or the actual consideration, whichever is higher, on the issue of such corporate guarantee in the first year as well as on every renewal in subsequent years.
Accordingly, it is clarified that in cases involving the supply of service of corporate guarantees provided between related persons, where full input tax credit is available to the recipient of services, the value declared in the invoice shall be deemed to be the value of supply of the said service.
3. It is requested that suitable trade notices may be issued to publicize the contents of this Circular.
4. Difficulties, if any, in implementation of this Circular may please be brought to the notice of the Board. Hindi version would follow.
(Sanjay Mangal)
Principal Commissioner (GST)