Exporters of services today accumulate CENVAT credit on both input services and input goods as they are unable to set-off their input levies. Speedy grant of refund of accumulated & unutilised CENVAT credit will help in ease of doing business by unlocking the accumulated credit.

 Central Board of Excise &Customs (CBEC) has declared this year as the “Year of Tax Payer Services”. In order to enable speedy grant of such refunds to the exporters of services, a scheme has been formulated whereby on submission of a certificate from the statutory auditor/Chartered Accountant as well as the claimant, a provisional payment of 80% of the claimed amount will be made within 5 working days.

 This scheme will be applicable to all refund claims which are pending as on 31-3-2015 and have not been disposed of by way of a sanction order. Details of the scheme are contained in Circular 187/6/2015-Service Tax dated 10-11-2015 which can be accessed on www.cbec.gov.in

Refund of CENVAT credit: provisional expedited payments to exporters of services upon auditor certification to unlock accumulated credits. The scheme provides that exporters of services submitting a statutory auditor/Chartered Accountant certificate and claimant declaration will receive a provisional payment of 80% within five working days for accumulated and unutilised CENVAT credit claims pending as on 31-3-2015 that have not been disposed of by a sanction order, with detailed procedures set out in Circular 187/6/2015-Service Tax.