Fully electronic refund process through FORM GST RFD-01 and single disbursement.

Mandatory Electronic GST Refunds via FORM GST RFD-01 from Sept 26, 2019 under CGST Act Rules

The circular mandates a fully electronic refund process for various GST refund categories via FORM GST RFD-01, effective from 26.09.2019, superseding prior manual procedures. Refund applications and supporting documents must be submitted online, with physical submissions discontinued. The jurisdictional officer processes applications electronically, issuing acknowledgements or deficiency memos within 15 days of application reference number generation. Provisional refunds of 90% may be granted, with final orders issued after scrutiny. Refund disbursements for all tax heads are centralized through the assigned Central or State tax officer and executed via the Public Financial Management System after bank account validation. Specific guidelines address refunds of unutilized input tax credit, deemed exports, compensation cess, inverted tax structure, and transitional credit. The circular clarifies procedural aspects, including handling of deficiency memos, reassignment of applications, and interest on delayed refunds, ensuring uniform and efficient refund administration under the CGST Act.