Guidance on GST Compliance and Document Requirements for Trade Show Participation

[Ramanathan Seshan]

Dear Experts,

My company is planning to participate in a Trade Show at an event in X City, State of Maharashtra, on May 15th and 16th, 2025, and we need to transfer some finished goods and assets from my head office in Y City, State of Tamil Nadu, to the event. I do not have any retail outlets in X City, but I have a retail outlet only in Z City of Maharashtra.

Requesting you to provide guidance on the following:

1. GST Compliance:

   • What are the necessary GST procedures for transferring goods across state borders for a Trade Show?

   • Do I need to take CTP Registration or any other specific tax documentation since I do not have a retail outlet in X City?

   • Are there any exemptions or special rules for participating in trade shows that I should be aware of?

2. Documents for Transport:

   • What documents should accompany the goods during transit?

   • Do I need an E-way Bill for inter-state movement, or is there a specific delivery challan or other documents required for transporting goods for a Trade Show?

   • Are there any other documentation requirements that would be specific to the event or the transport of goods to a location where I don’t have an established presence?

3. Additional Procedures:

   • Are there any other regulatory procedures I should be aware of when moving goods for an event in a state where I don’t have a permanent retail presence?

4. Sales at the Trade Show:

   • In case there is a sale initiated at the fair or after the fair, should there be a separate GST return filed for this, or is it sufficient to disclose it in the GSTR-1?

Regards,

S Ram

[YAGAY andSUN]

GST Compliance for Transferring Goods for a Trade Show

When transferring goods from your head office in Y City, Tamil Nadu to participate in a Trade Show in X City, Maharashtra, the following GST compliance aspects need to be addressed:

1. Inter-State Movement of Goods (GST Procedures)

Since the goods are being moved from Tamil Nadu (State of origin) to Maharashtra (State of destination), this qualifies as inter-state supply under GST. Here are the key GST-related steps:

• GST on Inter-State Supply: When transferring goods between states for business purposes (like a trade show), GST is applicable. This is considered an inter-state supply under Section 7 of the CGST Act, and the tax will be charged as IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax).
• GST Invoice: Since this is a transfer of goods for business purposes, you should issue a tax invoice (as per GST norms) from your head office in Y City to the location where the goods are being sent (X City). This will have IGST mentioned on the invoice.

2. CTP Registration or Special Tax Documentation

Regarding the need for CTP (Commercial Tax Practitioner) Registration:

• No Need for CTP Registration: CTP registration is not required solely for participating in a trade show. However, since you do not have a retail outlet in X City but have one in Z City, you are not required to take GST registration in X City unless you cross the threshold for GST registration in Maharashtra due to sales or services from the event.
• Special Tax Documentation: If no sales are made directly at the trade show and the goods are not sold there, there is no need to take additional tax registration or documentation in X City. You will continue to file your returns under your Maharashtra-based outlet (Z City).

3. Exemptions or Special Rules for Trade Shows

While there are no specific exemptions related to GST for participating in trade shows, certain activities might be categorized as "business promotional activities", and the goods sent for such purposes may not always result in tax liability if not sold. However, if you plan to sell goods during the event or after the event, GST would apply.

Documents for Transport

1. Documents Required for Transporting Goods

When moving goods across states, particularly for a trade show, the following documents should accompany the goods during transport:

• GST Invoice: This should be issued by your head office (in Y City) to the event venue (X City). It should include IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) if applicable.
• Delivery Challan: If the goods are being sent temporarily to the trade show and will not be sold immediately, it is advisable to prepare a delivery challan instead of a full tax invoice. The delivery challan can be used to indicate the goods being moved temporarily without immediate sale.
• E-way Bill: As goods are moving inter-state (from Tamil Nadu to Maharashtra), an E-way Bill is mandatory if the value of the goods exceeds ₹50,000. The E-way Bill serves as an electronic document that tracks the movement of goods and ensures compliance with the GST Act.
  • If the value of the goods being moved is below ₹50,000, an E-way Bill may not be required, but it is recommended to check the specific goods value and transport regulations to be certain.

2. Documents Specific to the Event or Location without Permanent Presence

• Temporary Nature of Event: Since you don’t have a permanent outlet in X City, it’s important to document the temporary nature of your presence at the trade show, which may be done through the delivery challan and keeping a record of the goods being transported for event purposes only.
• Participation Documents: You may need to provide event registration documents or any agreements related to your participation in the trade show to ensure clarity on the nature of goods being transferred for non-retail purposes.

Sales at the Trade Show

If you plan to make any sales at the event (either during or after the trade show), the following GST-related steps apply:

1. GST on Sales at the Event

• Sale at Trade Show: If you sell goods during the trade show or shortly after it, this will be considered as a supply of goods under GST. The applicable GST rate (usually CGST + SGST or IGST, depending on whether the sale is within the state of Maharashtra or to other states) will be charged to the buyer.

2. GST Returns

• Disclosing Sales in GSTR-1: Sales made during or after the trade show will need to be disclosed in your regular GST return. This will be GSTR-1, where the details of outward supplies are reported. You would report the sale transaction as an outward supply.
• No Separate GST Return for Trade Show Sales: There is no need to file a separate return specifically for the trade show sales. The sale will be accounted for as part of your regular GST filings.
• Invoice Generation: When sales occur at the trade show, you must issue a GST-compliant tax invoice to the buyer. The invoice should specify whether IGST or CGST + SGST applies based on the location of the buyer and the transaction.

Additional Considerations

• GST on Exhibition and Promotional Activities: If you are only exhibiting goods without making any sales at the trade show, no tax would be due on the goods themselves. However, if any goods are sold or services (such as consulting, demonstrations, or advertising) are provided during the show, GST will apply accordingly.
• Registration in Other States: If you sell goods at the event and the turnover exceeds the threshold for GST registration in Maharashtra or any other state, you may be required to obtain GST registration in that state. However, this depends on the scale and nature of sales conducted at the event.

Conclusion

To summarize, here are the key actions required for GST compliance for your inter-state transport of goods for the Trade Show in X City, Maharashtra:

• GST Invoice with IGST for inter-state movement of goods.
• Delivery Challan (if goods are not sold immediately) alongside the GST invoice.
• E-way Bill if goods' value exceeds ₹50,000 for inter-state transport.
• Regular GST Return filing (GSTR-1) for sales made at the event, if any.
• No need for CTP registration or additional tax documentation unless you cross the threshold for registration in Maharashtra.

By following these procedures, you can ensure that your participation in the trade show complies with GST requirements and avoids any legal issues.

[VENU K]

It is a good practice not to post AI generated answers in this forum. Currently AI is not smart enough to even understand that what the querist meant by  CTP was  Casual Taxable Person and not Commercial Tax Practitioner. Moreover it is an insult to the hard work and dedication of our experts who spend a lot of their time and energy to provide expert opinion free of cost.

Coming to the query 

Since the registered person has a registration in Maharashtra, whatever is sent to unit in Maharashtra will have to be billed as IGST supply . If something is brought back to Tamilnadu, then again it will be required to be so billed. It will also be necessary to add the city where the fair is conducted as an additional place of business. Then billings could be done from the exhibition venue itself. E way bill will be required in the normal course of business.

This is a simple and straight away method in my opinion.

[VENU K]

AI generated answers will defeat the very purpose of this form. The querist himself  could ask Chat GPT. He would not require the help of another expert to do it.

People are asking questions here because they would like to get first hand advise from experts who have dedicate hours of their time to spread knowledge.

[Shilpi Jain]

Bill to your existing registration at MH and ship to the exhibition location. Let the MH GSTIN bill to the customers for the sale. 

Left over goods can either be sent back to TN on invoice and EWB or taken to MH office under EWB and delivery challan.

[Ramanathan Seshan]

Venu-sir and Shilpi-mam thanks for your valuable reply

[Ramanathan Seshan]

YAGAY and SUN sir thanks for your detailed write up