Dear Sir,
I have perceived the facts of the case as under. You were having registration at two different places. From place X, you have sent material under a cover of an invoice. Based on that, your customer would have taken credit of Excise duty.
Now your X unit has been closed down. Customer wants to return the goods under a cover of an invoice at Y unit. Can the credit of the duty be taken at Y unit.
In that regard, customer would have paid the amount as per the provision of Rule 3(5) of the Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 which reads as: ‘ Rule 3(5) When inputs or capital goods, on which CENVAT credit has been taken, are removed as such from the factory, or premises of the provider of output service, the manufacturer of the final products or provider of output service, as the case may be, shall pay an amount equal to the credit availed in respect of such inputs or capital goods and such removal shall be made under the cover of an invoice referred to in rule 9:’
Further, Rule 3(6) of the Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 states that the amount paid under Rule 3(5) shall be eligible as CENVAT credit as if it was a duty paid.
Thus, the goods returned by the customer shall be considered as duty paid considering the above provisions.
However, care must be taken to ensure that the duty paying document prepared by your customer at the time of returning goods should be addressed to the existing unit and goods must reach at the existing unit.
Thus, you can avail the goods in the second unit (unit Y) as well as you can also avail its credit. There is no bar in the Central Excise Act on this.
Regards,
CA Rohan Thakkar
9228720536