Input Tax credit eligible for Canteen services provided by an entity (employer) to its employees

Input Tax credit eligible for Canteen services provided by an entity (employer) to its employees

The Government vide its recent Circular No. 172/04/2022-GST dated 6^th July 2022 has clarified various important issues under GST, where the Industry players needed a clear cut clarity on, and to avoid any further disputes and possible litigation. One such issue is from the perspective of availability of Input Tax Credit of goods or services under Section 17(5)(b) of the Central Tax act (CGST Act), where such goods or services or both are being used by an entity (employer) for its employees under an existing obligation of law for the time being in force.

Clarification issued in the Circular

Just to briefly state the issue at hand, the Government substituted section 17(5) of the CGST Act with effect from 1^st February 2019. After the substitution, a proviso after sub- clause (iii) of clause (b) of sub-section (5) of section 17 of the Central Tax Act was inserted which provides:

“Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such goods or services or both shall be available, where it is obligatory for an employer to provide the same to its employees under any law for the time being in force.”

The Circular dated 6^th July 2022 has clarified that the above proviso is applicable to the whole of clause (b) of sub-section (5) of section 17 of the Central Tax Act and not limited to clause (iii) of Section 17(5)(b) of the CGST Act, which means that input tax credit would be available on all the following goods or services provided in section 17(5)(b) of the CGST Act which is: 

1. Food and beverages, outdoor catering, beauty treatment, health services, cosmetic and plastic surgery leasing, renting or hiring of motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or clause (aa) except when used for the purposes specified therein, life insurance and health insurance:
2. Membership of a club, health and fitness centre;
3. Travel benefits extended to employees on vacation such as leave or home travel concession

where it is obligatory for an employer to provide the same to its employees under any law for the time being in force.

Issue at hand

Now with respect to the issue at hand of input tax credit on canteen services, it is relevant to state here that various companies have been maintaining canteen facility at their premises for its employees as mandatorily required under the provisions of the Factories Act, 1948. Such canteen facility providing food/beverages/catering to the employees is generally run by a third party vendor (Canteen service provider). As per the arrangement, part of the Canteen charges is borne by the entity(employer) wherein the vendor charges  the entity with GST. The remaining portion is borne by the employees. The said employees’ portion of canteen charge is collected by the entity(employer) and paid to the Canteen Service Provider. There has been no dispute with respect to the charges of employee portion collected by the entity (employer) and paid to the Canteen service provider (vendor). The same doesn’t tantamount to be supply under GST.

Denial of Input Tax credit by authorities  

However, disputes had arisen on the availability of Input Tax credit for the GST paid on purchase of canteen services by the employer (entity) to the Canteen service provider (Vendor). In various Advance rulings the ‘proviso’ in question was interpreted to be not applicable for Section 17(5)(b)(i) of the Act and made applicable only for Section 17(5)(b)(iii) of the Act.

In IN RE: M/S. TATA MOTORS LTD. [2021 (8) TMI 735 - AUTHORITY FOR ADVANCE RULING, GUJARAT],the Advance Ruling authority held

8.3 we hold that Section 17(5)(b)(i) sub-clause ending with a colon and followed by a provisio which ends with a semicolon is to be read as independent sub-clause, independent of sub-clause Section 17(5)(b)(iii) and its proviso [of sub-clause (iii)]. Thereby, the provisio to Section 17(5)(b)(iii) is not connected to the sub-clause of Section 17(5)(b)(i) and cannot be read into it.

Similar inferences have been drawn inIN RE: M/S. EMCURE PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED, [2022 (4) TMI 1335 - AUTHORITY FOR ADVANCE RULING, GUJARAT]andIN RE: M/S. MUSASHI AUTO PARTS PVT. LTD [2020 (2) TMI 1416 - AUTHORITY FOR ADVANCE RULING, HARYANA]

In all these Rulings, the effects of the proviso to cover all the goods and services mentioned in clause (b) of Section 17 of the CGST Act have been negated, in view of which Input Tax credit for the GST paid on purchase of canteen services by the employer (entity) to the Canteen service provider (Vendor) has been ‘denied’.

As a result of the said Rulings the GST authorities have been raising objections on the eligibility of credit and denying or asking the entities to reverse the same during investigations/audits with interest.  

Comments & Conclusion

In view of the above background, the present Circular clarifying the applicability of the said ‘proviso’ to the entire clause (b) of sub-section (5) of section 17 results in settling the issue of availability of Input Tax credit to entities (employers) providing Canteen services through third party vendors. It also resolves any other unwarranted issues which may arise on any goods or services enumerated in the said clause. The clarification is positive in nature and widens the scope of eligibility of input tax credit for the entities and gives relief from any unwarranted litigation.

Annexure –  Extract of the Circular 172/04/2022 dated 6^th July 2022