The Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017
Chapter-XIX Offences and Penalties
Section 122: Penalty for certain offences.
122. (1) Where a taxable person who–
(i) supplies any goods or services or both without issue of any invoice or issues an incorrect or false invoice with regard to any such supply;
(ii) issues any invoice or bill without supply of goods or services or both in violation of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder;
(iii) collects any amount as tax but fails to pay the same to the Government beyond a period of three months from the date on which such payment becomes due;
(iv) collects any tax in contravention of the provisions of this Act but fails to pay the same to the Government beyond a period of three months from the date on which such payment becomes due;
(v) fails to deduct the tax in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 51, or deducts an amount which is less than the amount required to be deducted under the said sub-section, or where he fails to pay to the Government under sub-section (2) thereof, the amount deducted as tax;
(vi) fails to collect tax in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 52, or collects an amount which is less than the amount required to be collected under the said sub-section or where he fails to pay to the Government the amount collected as tax under sub-section (3) of section 52;
(vii) takes or utilises input tax credit without actual receipt of goods or services or both either fully or partially, in contravention of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder;
(viii) fraudulently obtains refund of tax under this Act;
(ix) takes or distributes input tax credit in contravention of section 20, or the rules made thereunder;
(x) falsifies or substitutes financial records or produces fake accounts or documents or furnishes any false information or return with an intention to evade payment of tax due under this Act;
(xi) is liable to be registered under this Act but fails to obtain registration;
(xii) furnishes any false information with regard to registration particulars, either at the time of applying for registration, or subsequently;
(xiii) obstructs or prevents any officer in discharge of his duties under this Act;
(xiv) transports any taxable goods without the cover of documents as may be specified in this behalf;
(xv) suppresses his turnover leading to evasion of tax under this Act;
(xvi) fails to keep, maintain or retain books of account and other documents in accordance with the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder;
(xvii) fails to furnish information or documents called for by an officer in accordance with the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder or furnishes false information or documents during any proceedings under this Act;
(xviii) supplies, transports or stores any goods which he has reasons to believe are liable to confiscation under this Act;
(xix) issues any invoice or document by using the registration number of another registered person;
(xx) tampers with, or destroys any material evidence or document; (xxi) disposes off or tampers with any goods that have been detained, seized, or attached under this Act,
1[shall be] liable to pay a penalty of ten thousand rupees or an amount equivalent to the tax evaded or the tax not deducted under section 51 or short deducted or deducted but not paid to the Government or tax not collected under section 52 or short collected or collected but not paid to the Government or input tax credit availed of or passed on or distributed irregularly, or the refund claimed fraudulently, whichever is higher.
2[(1A) Any person who retains the benefit of a transaction covered under clauses (i), (ii), (vii) or clause (ix) of sub-section (1) and at whose instance such transaction is conducted, shall be liable to a penalty of an amount equivalent to the tax evaded or input tax credit availed of or passed on.]
3[(1B) 4[Any electronic commerce operator, who is liable to collect tax at source under section 52,]—
(i) allows a supply of goods or services or both through it by an unregistered person other than a person exempted from registration by a notification issued under this Act to make such supply;
(ii) allows an inter-State supply of goods or services or both through it by a person who is not eligible to make such inter-State supply; or
(iii) fails to furnish the correct details in the statement to be furnished under sub-section (4) of section 52 of any outward supply of goods effected through it by a person exempted from obtaining registration under this Act,
shall be liable to pay a penalty of ten thousand rupees, or an amount equivalent to the amount of tax involved had such supply been made by a registered person other than a person paying tax under section 10, whichever is higher.]
(2) Any registered person who supplies any goods or services or both on which any tax has not been paid or short-paid or erroneously refunded, or where the input tax credit has been wrongly availed or utilised,—
(a) for any reason, other than the reason of fraud or any wilful misstatement or suppression of facts to evade tax, shall be liable to a penalty of ten thousand rupees or ten per cent. of the tax due from such person, whichever is higher;
(b) for reason of fraud or any wilful misstatement or suppression of facts to evade tax, shall be liable to a penalty equal to ten thousand rupees or the tax due from such person, whichever is higher.
(3) Any person who–
(a) aids or abets any of the offences specified in clauses (i) to (xxi) of sub-section (1);
(b) acquires possession of, or in any way concerns himself in transporting, removing, depositing, keeping, concealing, supplying, or purchasing or in any other manner deals with any goods which he knows or has reasons to believe are liable to confiscation under this Act or the rules made thereunder;
(c) receives or is in any way concerned with the supply of, or in any other manner deals with any supply of services which he knows or has reasons to believe are in contravention of any provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder;
(d) fails to appear before the officer of central tax, when issued with a 5[summons] for appearance to give evidence or produce a document in an inquiry;
(e) fails to issue invoice in accordance with the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder or fails to account for an invoice in his books of account,
shall be liable to a penalty which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees.
References
Enforcement:
Enforced w.e.f. July 01, 2017 [Notification No. G.S.R. 658(E) dated 28.06.2017].
Amendments:
1. Corrected by Corrigendum with the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017, dated 09.08.2017, for the words ‘‘he shall be’’.
2. Inserted by Finance Act, 2020, w.e.f. 01.01.2021 [vide Notification No. 92/2020–Central Tax dated 22.12.2020].
3. Inserted by Finance Act, 2023 w.e.f. 01.10.2023 [vide Notification No. 28/2023–Central Tax dated 31.07.2023].
4. Substituted by Finance (No. 2) Act, 2024, w.e.f. 01.10.2023, for the words “Any electronic commerce operator who”.
5. Corrected by Corrigendum with the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017, dated 09.08.2017, for the words ‘‘summon’’.
Circulars:
C1. Procedure for interception of conveyances for inspection of goods in movement, and detention, release and confiscation of such goods and conveyances. [Circular No. 41/15/2018-GST dated 13.04.2018]
C2. Clarifications of issues under GST related to casual taxable person and recovery of excess Input Tax Credit distributed by an Input Service distributor [Circular No. 71/45/2018-GST dated 26.10.2018]
C3. All registered persons making supply of goods or services or both in the course of inter-State trade or commerce shall specify the place of supply along with the name of the State in the tax invoice. Contravention of any of the provisions of the Act or the rules made there under attracts penal action under the provisions of sections 122 or 125 of the CGST Act. [Circular No. 90/09/2019-GST dated 18.02.2019]
C4. Clarification on various issues relating to applicability of demand and penalty provisions under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 in respect of transactions involving fake invoices. [Circular No. 171/03/2022-GST dated 06.07.2022]
C5. In cases of supplies received from unregistered suppliers, where tax has to be paid by the recipient under RCM and where invoice is to be issued by the recipient of the supplies in accordance with section 31(3)(f) of CGST Act, the relevant financial year for calculation of time limit for availment of input tax credit under the provisions of section 16(4) of CGST Act will be the financial year in which the invoice has been issued by the recipient under section 31(3)(f) of CGST Act. In case, the recipient issues the invoice after the time of supply of the said supply and pays tax accordingly, he will be required to pay interest on such delayed payment of tax. Further, in cases of such delayed issuance of invoice by the recipient, he may also be liable to penal action under the provisions of Section 122 of CGST Act.[Circular No. 211/5/2024-GST dated 26.06.2024]