Input tax credit from fictitious suppliers requires proof of actual goods receipt; invoices and payments alone cannot sustain eligibility.
Input tax credit claimed from non-existent suppliers requires proof of genuine receipt and physical movement of goods; invoices and banking payments alone do not discharge the claimant's burden where foundational facts indicate fictitious supplies, permitting recourse to Section 74 with interest and penalty. Section 74 requires deliberate non-disclosure to evade tax and does not apply to disclosed reverse-charge expenses absent fraud, wilful misstatement or suppression; the remaining liability falls under Section 73. Section 75(8) permits appellate modification of tax, interest and penalty, including a verified GSTR-3B/GSTR-2A mismatch. Sections 73 and 74 permit consolidated notices spanning multiple financial years.
Issues: (i) Whether the first appellate authority could itself modify the GSTR-3B/GSTR-2A mismatch demand under Section 75(8); (ii) Whether Section 74 could govern the reverse-charge demand where the expenses were disclosed and fraud, wilful misstatement or suppression was not established; (iii) Whether Section 74 applied to input tax credit claimed on invoices issued by non-existent suppliers; and (iv) Whether a consolidated show-cause notice for multiple financial years was permissible under Section 74.
Issue (i): Whether the first appellate authority could itself modify the GSTR-3B/GSTR-2A mismatch demand under Section 75(8).
Analysis: Section 75(8) authorises an appellate authority to modify the tax determined by the proper officer, with consequential modification of interest and penalty. The mismatch liability was computed after verification of GSTR-2A, GSTR-3B and voluntary reversals through DRC-03, and the Revenue had not specifically challenged that computation in its appeal.
Conclusion: The appellate authority validly modified and confirmed the mismatch demand under Section 73; this issue was decided in favour of the assessee.
Issue (ii): Whether Section 74 could govern the reverse-charge demand where the expenses were disclosed and fraud, wilful misstatement or suppression was not established.
Analysis: The accounts and annual financial statements disclosed the relevant expenses. Local conveyance, specified freight, professional charges and travel expenses were found not taxable under reverse charge, leaving only a reduced liability. Suppression for Section 74 requires deliberate non-disclosure to evade tax, which was not established on the disclosed records.
Conclusion: The reduced reverse-charge demand was recoverable under Section 73, not Section 74; this issue was decided in favour of the assessee.
Issue (iii): Whether Section 74 applied to input tax credit claimed on invoices issued by non-existent suppliers.
Analysis: Under Section 155, the claimant bears the burden of establishing entitlement to input tax credit. Invoices and banking payments alone did not establish actual physical movement of goods. The notice contained foundational facts showing that the suppliers were non-existent from registration and had issued invoices without genuine supplies; the absence of delivery evidence and the incorrect self-assessment supported the inference of fraud and wilful misstatement.
Conclusion: The input tax credit demand was enforceable under Section 74 with applicable interest and penalty; this issue was decided in favour of the Revenue.
Issue (iv): Whether a consolidated show-cause notice for multiple financial years was permissible under Section 74.
Analysis: Sections 73 and 74 permit notices and statements for any period or such periods, rather than restricting proceedings to a single financial year. Fraudulent input tax credit transactions may require examination of connected transactions across financial years.
Conclusion: A consolidated show-cause notice covering multiple financial years was legally permissible; this issue was decided in favour of the Revenue.
Final Conclusion: The modified liabilities for the GSTR-3B/GSTR-2A mismatch and reverse-charge demand remain governed by Section 73, whereas the input tax credit demand based on invoices from non-existent suppliers is governed by Section 74; the multi-year notice is valid.
Ratio Decidendi: A claimant of input tax credit must establish genuine receipt and actual physical movement of goods; invoices and banking payments alone do not discharge that burden where the notice discloses foundational facts of fictitious suppliers and fraudulent availment, permitting recourse to Section 74.