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The Tax Publishers CGST--Circular Circular No. 178/10/2022-GST, dtd. 3-8-2022 [F.No. 190354/176/2022-TRU] GST Applicability on Liquidated Damages, Compensation and Penalty Arising out of Breach of Contract or Other Provisions of Law, Regarding In certain cases/instances, questions have been raised regarding taxability of an activity or transaction as the supply of service of agreeing to the obligation to refrain from an act or to tolerate an act or a situation, or to do an act. Applicability of GST on payments in the nature of liquidated damage, compensation, penalty, cancellation charges, late payment surcharge etc. arising out of breach of contract or otherwise and scope of the entry at para 5 (e) of Schedule II of Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as, "CGST Act") in this context has been examined in the following paragraphs. 2. "Agreeing to the obligation to refrain from an act or to tolerate an act or a situation, or to do an act" has been specifically declared to be a supply of service in para 5 (e) of Schedule II of CGST Act if the same constitutes a "supply" within the meaning of the Act. The said expression has following three limbs: - a. Agreeing to the obligation to refrain from an act- Example of activities that would be covered by this part of the expression would include non-compete agreements, where one party agrees not to compete with the other party in a product, service or geographical area against a consideration paid by the other party. Another example of such activities would be a builder refraining from constructing more than a certain number of floors, even though permitted to do so by the municipal authorities, against a compensation paid by the neighbouring housing project, which wants to protect its sunlight, or an industrial unit refraining from manufacturing activity during certain hours against an agreed compensation paid by a neighbouring school, which wants to avoid noise during those hours. b. Agreeing to the obligation to tolerate an act or a situation- This would include activities such a shopkeeper allowing a hawker to operate from the common pavement in front of his shop against a monthly payment by the hawker, or an RWA tolerating the use of loud speakers for early morning prayers by a school located in the colony subject to the school paying an agreed sum to the RWA as compensation. c. Agreeing to the obligation to do an act- This would include the case where an industrial unit agrees to install equipment for zero emission/discharge at the behest of the RWA of a neighbouring residential complex against a consideration paid by such RWA, even though the emission/discharge from the industrial unit was within permissible limits and there was no legal obligation upon the individual unit to do so. 3. The description "agreeing to the obligation to refrain from an act or to tolerate an act or a situation, or to do an act" was intended to cover services such as described above. However, over the years doubts have persisted regarding various transactions being classified under the said description. 3.1. Some of the important examples of such cases are Service Tax/GST demands on -- i. Liquidated damages paid for breach of contract; ii. Compensation given to previous allottees of coal blocks for cancellation of their licenses pursuant to Supreme Court Order; SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL CONTENT

The Tax Publishers

CGST--Circular

Circular No. 178/10/2022-GST, dtd. 3-8-2022 [F.No. 190354/176/2022-TRU]

GST Applicability on Liquidated Damages, Compensation and Penalty Arising out of Breach of Contract or Other Provisions of Law, Regarding

In certain cases/instances, questions have been raised regarding taxability of an activity or transaction as the supply of service of agreeing to the obligation to refrain from an act or to tolerate an act or a situation, or to do an act. Applicability of GST on payments in the nature of liquidated damage, compensation, penalty, cancellation charges, late payment surcharge etc. arising out of breach of contract or otherwise and scope of the entry at para 5 (e) of Schedule II of Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as, "CGST Act") in this context has been examined in the following paragraphs.

2. "Agreeing to the obligation to refrain from an act or to tolerate an act or a situation, or to do an act" has been specifically declared to be a supply of service in para 5 (e) of Schedule II of CGST Act if the same constitutes a "supply" within the meaning of the Act. The said expression has following three limbs: -

a. Agreeing to the obligation to refrain from an act-

Example of activities that would be covered by this part of the expression would include non-compete agreements, where one party agrees not to compete with the other party in a product, service or geographical area against a consideration paid by the other party.

Another example of such activities would be a builder refraining from constructing more than a certain number of floors, even though permitted to do so by the municipal authorities, against a compensation paid by the neighbouring housing project, which wants to protect its sunlight, or an industrial unit refraining from manufacturing activity during certain hours against an agreed compensation paid by a neighbouring school, which wants to avoid noise during those hours.

b. Agreeing to the obligation to tolerate an act or a situation-

This would include activities such a shopkeeper allowing a hawker to operate from the common pavement in front of his shop against a monthly payment by the hawker, or an RWA tolerating the use of loud speakers for early morning prayers by a school located in the colony subject to the school paying an agreed sum to the RWA as compensation.

c. Agreeing to the obligation to do an act-

This would include the case where an industrial unit agrees to install equipment for zero emission/discharge at the behest of the RWA of a neighbouring residential complex against a consideration paid by such RWA, even though the emission/discharge from the industrial unit was within permissible limits and there was no legal obligation upon the individual unit to do so.

3. The description "agreeing to the obligation to refrain from an act or to tolerate an act or a situation, or to do an act" was intended to cover services such as described above. However, over the years doubts have persisted regarding various transactions being classified under the said description.

3.1. Some of the important examples of such cases are Service Tax/GST demands on --

i. Liquidated damages paid for breach of contract;

ii. Compensation given to previous allottees of coal blocks for cancellation of their licenses pursuant to Supreme Court Order;