Renting of Residential Dwelling - Impact of Tweaking the Exemptions on Industry

You have mentioned in Table sr. no. 2 as "Let out for any non-residential use", and its being taxable under RCM if given to Registered Person. What do you mean by Non-residential use. Since even if the residential property is given for commercial, it is taxable under Forward charge Basis. Kindly please elaborate more on your understanding.

In our article we have tried to cover various scenarios for letting out of residential property. We will try to explain the concern raised by yourself.

It can be noted here that two changes have been made separately vide two notifications i.e. 1st change has been made in exemption notification and second change has been made RCM notification.

The provisions you are referring to pertains to the exemption notification which has been made vide Notification No. 4/2022 -CT(R) dated 13-07-2022. You will appreciate that the earlier exemption and even the amended exemption limits its scope to letting out of residential property for use as residence. The scenario for letting out the same for non-residential purpose was taxable in earlier regime also.

Furthermore, in case of RCM, the change is made by notification no. No. 5/2022 -CT(R) dated 13-07-2022 vide which following services has been brought under reverse charge;

Now, in the above entry, the words ‘used as residence’ has not been used. Meaning thereby, use by the tenant who is a registered person is irrelevant for the purpose of RCM. Residential property can be used for residential as well as commercial. That’s why, in my view,

Let out for any non residential Use: Taxable @ 18% • In case let out to Registered person -Taxable under Reverse Charge • In other cases - Taxable under forward charge @ 18%

Hope it clarifies the matter. If you have different view, kindly do share do that I can also analysis the same once again.

Dear Chitreshji,
Thank you for your reply. I understood the thin point you have made about "used as a residence" is now removed, so now if residential dwell used for commercial purposes, then the same will be covered in RCM, rather than FCB

Dear sir,

It is very much clear that department while inserting entry 5AA in RCM notification has created a confusion as to whether RCM is applicable when residential dwelling used for residential purpose or commercial purpose.

However, if we read 47th GST Council Recommendations, it was recommended only for renting of residential dwelling for use as residence to the registered persion (which was removed from exemption).

Once it is removed from exemption obviously it should be taxable, which they brought it under RCM.

Moreover in 47th GST Council Recommendations there was no discussion on the point i.e., shifting of taxable point from FC to RCM. when there was no such recommendation from GST Council being constitutional body created under Article 279-A, whether notification is valid or not?

Sir, in case of residential accommodations let out to company (registered) who gives it to employees is shown completely exempted. Stating that Entry1 of Schedule 3 of CGST Act 2017, which talks about services provided by employee to employer......

In this context, the following need clarification:

1. Let out residential accommodation to company (registered) who gives to employees is liable to GST under RCM and thereafter upon accommodating it to its employees "no further GST under Forward Charge from employee"

2. Let out residential accommodation to company (registered) who gives to employees is liable to GST under RCM and thereafter upon accommodating it to its employees "no further GST under Forward Charge from employee", if this residential accommodation is a sole property (like transit Guest house) and accommodating to employees on sharing of rooms basis by charge in a token money.

3. How it will impact if instead of let out or residential property, a company build a guest house / residential unit for accommodating to its employees on temporary basis like on tour etc. by chargin token rent amount.