Question 1

Is GST payable on my YouTube AdSense earnings?

Accepted Answer

AdSense payments come from a Google entity located outside India and are remitted in convertible foreign exchange, so for an Indian creator this revenue generally qualifies as export of services, zero-rated when supplied under an LUT after registration. The income still counts towards your Rs.20 lakh aggregate turnover, so a creator whose combined receipts cross the threshold must register even if the entire revenue is export. Brand sponsorships from Indian companies, by contrast, are domestic supplies taxable at 18 percent. Keep the remittance advices safely, as they establish the forex receipt if you later claim a refund of input tax credit.

Question 2

Does compensation cess still apply on any goods?

Accepted Answer

For most goods, no. With the rate restructuring of 22 September 2025, compensation cess was discontinued on items such as cars, and the demerit burden was merged into the single 40 percent rate. The cess continues only on pan masala and specified tobacco products during the transition period while past compensation cess loan obligations are being discharged. A practical point for traders: balances of unutilised compensation cess credit cannot be cross-utilised against CGST, SGST or IGST liability, so businesses holding old cess credit should evaluate their position rather than assuming it will set off future tax.

Question 3

How is the place of supply decided when I sell goods?

Accepted Answer

Section 10 of the IGST Act gives the tests. Where the sale involves movement of goods, the place of supply is the location where the movement terminates for delivery to the recipient, whoever arranges the transport. Where there is no movement, it is the location of the goods at the time of delivery, which covers over-the-counter sales and sales of installed machinery in place. Where goods are assembled or installed at site, the place of supply is the site of installation. Getting this right decides whether you charge CGST plus SGST or IGST, and a Otteri seller delivering to a Bengaluru buyer charges IGST because delivery terminates in Karnataka.

Question 4

What is the GST rate for salons, gyms and yoga centres?

Accepted Answer

From 22 September 2025, beauty and physical well-being services, covering salons, barbers, beauty parlours, gyms, fitness centres and yoga institutes, attract 5 percent GST without input tax credit, reduced from the earlier 18 percent. The condition attached to the concessional rate is important: because credit is barred, the GST paid on your rent, equipment, cosmetics and consumables becomes part of your cost base. Service businesses in Otteri moving to the 5 percent rate should reprice services keeping this embedded tax in mind, and must not continue charging 18 percent, since excess tax collected has to be deposited with the government.

Question 5

What is self-invoicing under RCM and is there a time limit for it?

Accepted Answer

When you receive supplies liable to reverse charge from an unregistered supplier, Section 31(3)(f) requires you, the recipient, to issue an invoice on yourself, because the supplier cannot issue a tax invoice. You must also issue a payment voucher when paying the supplier. From 1 November 2024, Rule 47A prescribes a firm deadline: the self-invoice must be issued within thirty days of receiving the supply. This document is not a formality; the time limit for claiming the RCM credit is reckoned from the self-invoice, and its absence can cost you the credit besides inviting penalty. Maintain a monthly self-invoice series covering rent, freight, legal fees and similar unregistered-supplier heads.

Question 6

Is GST payable on hostel or paying guest accommodation in Otteri?

Accepted Answer

A specific exemption effective 15 July 2024 covers accommodation services supplied at a value up to Rs.20,000 per person per month, provided the accommodation is supplied for a minimum continuous period of ninety days. Student hostels and working men's or women's PGs in Otteri charging within this limit for long stays are therefore exempt. Where the monthly charge exceeds Rs.20,000, or the stay is shorter than ninety days, the supply is taxable like ordinary accommodation. Operators should maintain stay records and agreements evidencing the duration, because the ninety-day condition is what officers test first during verification.

Question 7

What documents must I prepare for reverse charge purchases from unregistered suppliers?

Accepted Answer

Two documents are required. First, a self-invoice: Section 31(3)(f) obliges you to issue an invoice on yourself for goods or services received from an unregistered supplier on which you pay tax under reverse charge, and under Rule 47A this self-invoice must be issued within thirty days of receiving the supply. Second, a payment voucher under Rule 52 at the time of making payment to the supplier. The self-invoice is the document on which you claim the input tax credit of the reverse charge tax paid. Freight from unregistered transporters and advocate fees are typical cases where businesses miss this paperwork.

Question 8

What happened to the old 12 percent and 28 percent GST slabs?

Accepted Answer

Both slabs were abolished with effect from 22 September 2025. Nearly all goods that were at 12 percent moved down to 5 percent, and the bulk of the 28 percent items moved to 18 percent, with only a small set of luxury and demerit goods shifted up to the special 40 percent rate. This means old rate charts, printed price lists and software masters created before September 2025 are unreliable. Before quoting or billing, confirm the current rate against the CBIC rate notifications for your exact HSN code, or call +91 - 9600 606 444 and we will verify it for your product list.

Question 9

Should I claim a refund of my accumulated ITC or just carry it forward?

Accepted Answer

Carry-forward suits businesses whose future output tax will absorb the credit within a few months, since it avoids refund paperwork. A refund makes sense when the credit keeps growing and will never be absorbed, which is typical for exporters under LUT and businesses with inverted duty structure, because idle credit is interest-free money locked with the government. Remember that refunds are only available in categories permitted by Section 54; ordinary accumulated credit from slow sales cannot be refunded. A quick review of your credit ledger trend over six months usually makes the right answer obvious.

Question 10

How many digits of the HSN code must I print on my tax invoices?

Accepted Answer

Under Notification 78/2020 Central Tax, taxpayers with aggregate turnover up to Rs.5 crore in the preceding financial year must mention a 4-digit HSN code on all B2B tax invoices, though it is optional on B2C invoices. Taxpayers with turnover above Rs.5 crore must mention 6-digit HSN codes on every invoice, including B2C. Eight digits are required for specified goods such as certain chemicals and for export documentation. Services follow the same rule using SAC codes, which begin with 99. Printing truncated or wrong codes on invoices creates mismatches later, so set the codes correctly in your billing software once.

Question 11

Our company paid fees to a lawyer. Who pays the GST on this?

Accepted Answer

You do, as the recipient. Legal services supplied by an individual advocate, a firm of advocates or a senior advocate to a business entity are notified under Section 9(3), so the advocate does not charge GST and your business pays 18 percent under reverse charge in cash through GSTR-3B, claiming it back as ITC if otherwise eligible. Relief exists for small recipients: legal services to a business entity whose turnover is within the registration threshold are exempt. Since the advocate is usually unregistered, remember to raise a self-invoice and payment voucher for the transaction. Litigation-heavy businesses in Otteri should reconcile their legal expense ledger against RCM paid every quarter.

Question 12

Do I have to issue an invoice for every small cash sale in my shop?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. Where the value of a supply is less than Rs.200, the buyer is unregistered, and the buyer does not ask for an invoice, you may skip issuing an individual tax invoice. Instead, you must prepare one consolidated tax invoice at the close of each day covering all such small sales. The moment a customer demands an invoice, or the sale is Rs.200 or more, a proper invoice is required. Retail counters typically issue system receipts to every customer anyway, which is cleaner practice, but the daily consolidated invoice is the legal minimum for petty sales.

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