Question 1

How does GST work on lorry freight paid to a goods transport agency?

Accepted Answer

A goods transport agency, identified by its issue of a consignment note, is taxed in one of two ways. By default, specified recipients such as companies and registered persons pay 5 percent under reverse charge on the freight and can claim it as ITC. Alternatively, the GTA may opt to pay tax itself under forward charge, at 5 percent without ITC or 18 percent with ITC after the September 2025 rate rationalisation replaced the earlier 12 percent option, by filing the prescribed declaration for the financial year; the invoice should state this option. Transport by an individual lorry owner without a consignment note is not a GTA service and is exempt. Check each transporter's invoice wording before deciding who pays the tax.

Question 2

Why are so many businesses suddenly receiving GST notices these days?

Accepted Answer

Enforcement has shifted from manual selection to data analytics. The portal now automatically compares GSTR-1 with GSTR-3B and flags tax shortfalls through DRC-01B intimations under Rule 88C, and compares GSTR-2B with GSTR-3B to flag excess ITC through DRC-01C under Rule 88D. E-way bill, e-invoice, TDS and income tax data are also cross-matched, and limitation deadlines for older financial years have pushed departments to clear pending demands in batches. The practical lesson for Kundrathur businesses is that mismatches no longer go unnoticed, so month-wise reconciliation before filing is now essential hygiene rather than a year-end exercise.

Question 3

We hire cabs monthly for employee transport in Kundrathur. Who pays the GST?

Accepted Answer

If the cab operator is not a body corporate, charges 5 percent, and your business is a body corporate, the liability shifts to you under reverse charge. The entry covers renting of motor vehicles designed to carry passengers where the cost of fuel is included in the consideration. If the operator is itself a company, or bills at the higher rate with full ITC, 18 percent since the September 2025 rate rationalisation, forward charge applies and the operator collects the tax. Remember that even after paying RCM, the ITC on employee transport in vehicles seating up to thirteen is blocked under Section 17(5) unless providing the transport is obligatory for the employer under a law.

Question 4

My footwear shop sells chappals at Rs.300 and shoes at Rs.4,000 on the same bill. How do I invoice this?

Accepted Answer

One invoice can comfortably carry both rates. Each pair is tested against the Rs.2,500 sale-value threshold independently, so the chappals are billed at 5% and the Rs.4,000 shoes at 18%, as separate line items under their footwear HSN codes in Chapter 64. Your GSTR-1 HSN summary will then show turnover split across the two rates. Ensure the billing software picks the rate from the item price automatically rather than from a fixed product master, because the same article sold at different price points can legitimately fall in different slabs. A quick POS configuration check prevents months of wrong-rate billing; call +91 - 9600 606 444 to arrange one.

Question 5

How do I decide whether to charge CGST plus SGST or IGST on an invoice?

Accepted Answer

Compare two data points: the location of the supplier and the place of supply determined under the IGST Act. If both fall in the same state, the supply is intra-state and you charge CGST plus SGST; if they fall in different states, it is inter-state and you charge IGST. The buyer's billing address alone is not the test; the place of supply rules for the specific goods or service govern. Common traps include hotel stays, property-linked services and bill-to ship-to chains, where the place of supply departs from the customer's address. Configuring these rules in your billing software saves Kundrathur businesses repeated corrections; call +91 - 9600 606 444 for a setup review.

Question 6

What is the GST treatment for an event management company handling corporate events?

Accepted Answer

Event management services attract 18 percent with full input tax credit. Place of supply rules deserve attention: for organising an event for a registered client, the place of supply is the client's location, so a Chennai company organising a Goa offsite for a Bengaluru-registered client charges IGST to Karnataka. For unregistered clients, the place of supply is where the event is actually held. Admission tickets are taxed where the event takes place. Getting the state wrong means the client's credit is jeopardised and the tax may need repayment under the correct head, so event companies serving multi-state clients should map each contract before invoicing.

Question 7

Can my GST registration be cancelled for not filing returns?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under Rule 21A, the department can suspend a GSTIN where returns are not filed for a continuous period, and Section 29 permits cancellation where a regular taxpayer has not filed returns for six months (two quarters for QRMP, and a composition taxpayer defaulting on the annual return beyond three months). During suspension you cannot issue tax invoices or file returns, which freezes the business. If cancellation happens, revocation must be sought through REG-21 within 90 days after clearing all dues. If you have received a suspension notice in Kundrathur, call +91 - 9600 606 444 immediately.

Question 8

What is the place of supply for freight and courier charges on goods?

Accepted Answer

For transportation of goods, including by courier, Section 12(8) fixes the place of supply as the location of the recipient where the recipient is registered. Where the recipient is unregistered, it is the location where the goods are handed over for transportation. So a registered Kundrathur manufacturer paying a transporter for a Chennai-to-Delhi movement has Tamil Nadu as the place of supply, and the RCM liability is paid as CGST plus SGST if the transporter is also in Tamil Nadu. This rule matters chiefly for paying reverse charge on GTA freight under the correct heads, because paying IGST where CGST and SGST were due creates a refund-and-repay exercise later.

Question 9

We conduct training programmes and events in different cities. Which state's GST applies?

Accepted Answer

Two rules operate. For admission to an event, including tickets to exhibitions or conferences, the place of supply is where the event is held. For organising an event or providing training, the place of supply is the registered recipient's location when the client is registered; if the client is unregistered, it shifts to the venue where the event or training is actually performed. So a Kundrathur trainer running a workshop in Hyderabad for a registered Chennai company charges CGST plus SGST of Tamil Nadu, but the same workshop sold to unregistered individuals is taxed in Telangana. Invoice each engagement after checking the client's registration.

Question 10

I declare income under Section 44ADA. Does that mean I am exempt from GST?

Accepted Answer

No, this is a common myth. Section 44ADA is a presumptive taxation scheme under the Income Tax Act that lets professionals declare fifty percent of gross receipts as income; it has nothing to do with GST. GST liability depends solely on aggregate turnover crossing the registration threshold and the nature of your supplies. In fact, the two departments now cross-match data, so gross receipts reported in your ITR and Form 26AS that exceed the GST turnover you declared are a known trigger for notices. Treat the two laws as parallel obligations, each with its own limits and filings.

Question 11

Is GST charged before or after the discount shown on my invoice?

Accepted Answer

Discounts given before or at the time of supply and recorded on the face of the invoice are excluded from the value of supply under Section 15(3)(a). You therefore charge GST on the net amount after discount. For example, a Rs.10,000 item with a 10 percent trade discount shown on the invoice is taxed on Rs.9,000. The condition is documentation: the discount must appear on the invoice itself. Informal reductions settled outside the bill do not reduce taxable value. Retail schemes such as festival discounts and trade margins should always be structured to print on the invoice.

Question 12

What GST rate applies to cars and two-wheelers now?

Accepted Answer

Small cars, meaning petrol cars up to 1200cc and diesel cars up to 1500cc with length not exceeding 4 metres, attract 18 percent GST, down sharply from the earlier 28 percent plus cess. Larger cars, SUVs above these specifications, attract the 40 percent rate, but with the compensation cess gone, the overall burden on most of them is still lower than before. Motorcycles up to 350cc are at 18 percent, while those above 350cc attract 40 percent. Electric vehicles continue at a concessional 5 percent. Dealers must also apply these rates to demo vehicle sales.

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