CENVAT CREDIT: RECENT AMENDMENTS

We have just entered into the third month of 2014 and Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 (in short, CCR), which governs the Cenvat Credit of Central Excise Duty and Service Tax, have already been amended four times so far as indicated below :

Earlier, CCR rules were last amended in December, 2013 only. These amendments have been briefly discussed hereunder.

First Amendment

Cenvat Credit (First Amendment) Rules, 2014 have been notified vide Notification No. 1/2014-CX (NT) dated 08.01.2014 w.e.f. 08.01.2014 to amend Rule 3 of the Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 (in short CCR). In Rule 3, following changes have taken place:

1. explanation to sub rule (5B) omitted
2. in sub-rule (5C), following two explanations added:

'Explanation 1 .- The amount payable under sub-rules (5), (5A), (5B) and (5C), unless specified otherwise, shall be paid by the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service by debiting the CENVAT credit or otherwise on or before the 5th day of the following month except for the month of March, where such payment shall be made on or before the 31st day of the month of March.

Explanation 2.- If the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service fails to pay the amount payable under sub-rules (5), (5A), (5B) and (5C), it shall be recovered, in the manner as provided in rule 14, for recovery of CENVAT credit wrongly taken and utilised.'

The changes provide for the reversal of Cenvat Credit taken on input services used for manufacture of goods on which duty is remitted under rule 21 of Central Excise Rules, 2002. Sub-rule (5C)  of Rule 3 of the Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 has been amended to provide that  Cenvat credit taken on input services used in or in relation to the manufacture or  production of goods on which payment of duty is remitted under Rule 21 of the Central Excise Rules, 2002, shall also be reversed by the assessee. Also, sub­ rules (5B) and (5C) of Rule 3 of the CCR have been amended to provide that the amount payable by the assessee in respect of removal of  input or capital goods under sub-rules (5), (5A) and (5B) of Rule 3 and reversal of input  and input service credit under sub-rule (5C) should be paid latest by the 5th day of the following month except for March, where it should be paid by 31st March. If the amount so payable is not paid by the assessee, it shall be recovered under Rule 14 of the Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 considering it as Cenvat credit wrongly taken and utilized.

Second Amendment  

Cenvat Credit (Second Amendment) Rules 2014 have been notified vide Notification No. 2/2014-CX(NT) dated 20.01.2014 w.e.f. 20.01.2014 to amend Rule 12 of the CCR. Accordingly, Rule 12 of the Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004, which provides special dispensation in respect of  inputs manufactured in factories located in specified areas of North East Region,  Kutch District of Gujarat, State of Jammu and Kashmir and State of Sikkim has been amended to include reference to Notification No. 1/2010-C.E., dated 6-2-2010 providing exemption to all goods other than specified in Annexure and cleared from specified units in Jammu and Kashmir.

Third Amendment

Cenvat credit (Third Amendment) Rules, 2014 have been notified vide Notification No. 5/2014-CE (NT) dated 24.02.2014 w.e.f. 1.4.2014 to amend Rule 7 of CCR in respect of manner of distribution of credit by Input Service Distributor (ISD). The explanation defining 'relevant period' has also been substituted.

Accordingly, Service Tax credit attributable to service used by one or more units exclusively engaged in manufacture of exempted goods or rendition of exempted service shall be barred from distribution of credit. Further, credit of services used wholly by a unit shall be distributed only to that unit. Pro-rata distribution of Service Tax credit shall be based on turnover of units using said service during relevant period to total turnover of all its units operational in current year, during said relevant period.

'Relevant period' shall mean -

(a)   If the assessee has turnover in the ‘financial year’ preceding to the year during which credit is to be distributed for month or quarter, as the case may be, the said financial year; or

(b)   If the assessee does not have turnover for some or all the units in the preceding financial year, the last quarter for which details of turnover of all the units are available, previous to the month or quarter for which credit is to be distributed.”.

Thus, the ratio of distribution of cenvat credit to concerned unit for financial year 2014-15 would be  turnover of a concerned unit for the financial year 2013-14, as divided by turnover of all the related units for the financial year 2013-14.

Fourth Amendment

Cenvat Credit (Fourth Amendment) Rules 2014 have been notified vide Notification No. 9/2014-CE (NT) dated 28.02.2014 w.e.f. 01.04.2014 to amend Rule 9 of CCR. Accordingly, in Rule 9 which deals with documents and accounts, in sub-rule (8), registered importer has also been added and accordingly, he shall also be required to submit within 15 days from the end of each quarter, a prescribed return, in electronic form to the Superintendent of the Central Excise.