QUESTION

ABC booked a residential apartment in Vrindavan(U.P.) at a BSP of Rs. 2150/- psf having a carpet area of 850 sq. ft in 2017. 50% of price of the apartment was paid before 01.04.2019 and 40% payment was made after 01.04.2019. The Builder has got the CC recently & now at the time of registry, he is demanding balance amount of 10% along with 5% GST on entire BSP and also on an amount of Rs. 3 lacs comprising of stilt parking, electricity deposit, one time maintenance charges and EDC/IDC. Whether in the light of 34th GST Council meeting held on 19.03.2019 in which decisions regarding reduced GST rates on affordable housing were taken and subsequent Central tax (Rate) Notification No. 3/2019 came in force along with other relevant notifications in consequence thereof, whether the Builder is right in his demand for 5% on entire amount or how much the apartment owner is liable to pay in this case. The Builder has not charged any GST till date. Pl. also clarify where a rate of 1%/0.5% of GST for affordable housing as recommended by the GST council is mentioned in the afore-said notification, as therein a rate of 0.75% is mentioned which when added with State notification, comes to 1.5%.

ANSWER

Facts of the case:

Rate of GST for affordable housing

Law applicable:

Notification No. 11/2017 Central Tax (rate)

3. Heading 9954

  Services by way of loading, unloading, packing, storage or warehousing of rice.

(i) Construction of affordable residential apartments by a promoter in a Residential Real Estate Project (herein after referred to as RREP) which commences on or after 1st April, 2019 or in an ongoing RREP in respect of which the promoter has not exercised option to pay central tax on construction of apartments at the rates as specified for item (ie) or (if) below, as the case may be, in the manner prescribed therein, intended for sale to a buyer, wholly or partly, except where the entire consideration has been received after issuance of completion certificate, where required, by the competent authority or after its first occupation, whichever is earlier.
(Provisions of paragraph 2 of this notification shall apply for valuation of this service)
 

0.75

Provided that the central tax at the rate specified in column (4) shall be paid in cash, that is, by debiting the electronic cash ledger only;

Provided also that credit of input tax charged on goods and services used in supplying the service has not been taken except to the extent as prescribed in Annexure I in the case of REP other than RREP and in Annexure II in the case of RREP;

Provided also that the registered person shall pay, by debit in the electronic credit ledger or electronic cash ledger, an amount equivalent to the input tax credit attributable to construction in a project, time of supply of which is on or after 1st April, 2019, which shall be calculated in the manner as prescribed in the Annexure I in the case of REP other than RREP and in Annexure II in the case of RREP;

Provided also that where a registered person (landowner- promoter) who transfers development right or FSI (including additional FSI) to a promoter (developer- promoter) against consideration, wholly or partly, in the form of construction of apartments, -

(i) the developer- promoter shall pay tax on supply of construction of apartments to the land owner promoter, and

(ii) such landowner ' promoter shall be eligible for credit of taxes charged from him by the developer promoter towards the supply of construction of apartments by developer- promoter to him, provided the landowner promoter further supplies such apartments to his buyers before issuance of completion certificate or first occupation, whichever is earlie and pays tax on the same which is not less than the amount of tax charged from him on construction of such apartments by the developer-promoter.

Explanation. -
(i) 'developer- promoter' is a promoter who constructs or converts a building into apartments or develops a plot for sale,

(ii) 'landowner- promoter' is a promoter who transfers the land or development rights or FSI to a developer- promoter for construction of apartments and receives constructed apartments against such transferred rights and sells such apartments to his buyers independently.

32[(iii) the landowner-promoter shall be eligible to utilise the credit of tax charged to him by the developer-promoter for payment of tax on apartments supplied by the landowner-promoter in such project.]

Provided also that eighty percent of value of input and input services, [other than services by way of grant of development rights, long term lease of land (against upfront payment in the form of premium, salami, development charges etc.) or FSI (including additional FSI), electricity, high speed diesel, motor spirit, natural gas], used in supplying the service shall be received from registered supplier only;

Provided also that inputs and input services on which tax is paid on reverse charge basis shall be deemed to have been purchased from registered person; Provided also that where value of input and input services received from registered suppliers during the financial year (or part of the financial year till the date of issuance of completion certificate or first occupation of the project, whichever is earlier) falls short of the said threshold of 80 per cent., tax shall be paid by the promoter on value of input and input services comprising such shortfall at the rate of eighteen percent on reverse charge basis and all the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (12 of 2017) shall apply to him as if he is the person liable for paying the tax in relation to the supply of such goods or services or both;

Provided also that notwithstanding anything contained herein above, where cement is received from an unregistered person, the promoter shall pay tax on supply of such cement at the applicable rates on reverse charge basis and all the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (12 of 2017), shall apply to him as if he is the person liable for paying the tax in relation to such supply of cement;

(Please refer to the illustrations in annexure III)

Explanation. -
1. The promoter shall maintain project wise account of inward supplies from registered and unregistered supplier and calculate tax payments on the shortfall at the end of the financial year and shall submit the same in the prescribed form electronically on the common portal by end of the quarter following the  financial year. The tax liability on the shortfall of inward supplies from unregistered person so determined shall be added to his output tax liability in the month not later than the month of June following the end of the financial year.

2. Notwithstanding anything contained in Explanation 1 above, tax on cement received from unregistered person shall be paid in the month in which cement is received.

3. Input Tax Credit not availed shall be reported every month by reporting the same as ineligible credit in GSTR-3B [Row No. 4 (D)(2)]

(ia) Construction of residential apartments other than affordable residential apartments by a promoter in an RREP which commences on or after 1st April, 2019 or in an ongoing RREP in respect of which the promoter has not exercised option to pay central tax on construction of apartments at the rates as specified for item (ie) or (if) below, as the case may be, in the manner prescribed therein, intended for sale to a buyer, wholly or partly, except where the entire consideration has been received after issuance of completion certificate, where required, by the competent authority or after its first occupation, whichever is earlier.
(Provisions of paragraph 2 of this notification shall apply for valuation of this service)
 
3.75

(ib) Construction of commercial apartments (shops, offices, godowns etc.) by a promoter in an RREP which commences on or after 1st April, 2019 or in an ongoing RREP in respect of which the promoter has not exercised option to pay central tax on construction of apartments at the rates as specified for item (ie) or (if) below, as the case may be, in the manner prescribed therein, intended for sale to a buyer, wholly or partly, except where the entire consideration has been received after issuance of completion certificate, where required, by the competent authority or after its first occupation, whichever is earlier.
(Provisions of paragraph 2 of this notification shall apply for valuation of this service)
 

3.75

(ic) Construction of affordable residential apartments by a promoter in a Real Estate Project (herein after referred to as REP) other than RREP, which commences on or after 1st April, 2019 or in an ongoing REP other than RREP in respect of which the promoter has not exercised option to pay central tax on construction of apartments at the rates as specified for item (ie) or (if) below, as the case may be, in the manner prescribed therein, intended for sale to a buyer, wholly or partly, except where the entire consideration has been received after issuance of completion certificate, where required, by the competent authority or after its first occupation, whichever is earlier.
(Provisions of paragraph 2 of this notification shall apply for valuation of this service)
 

0.75

(id) Construction of residential apartments other than affordable residential apartments by a promoter in a REP other than a RREP which commences on or after 1st April, 2019 or in an ongoing REP other than RREP in respect of which the promoter has not exercised option to pay central tax on construction of apartments at the rates as specified for item (ie) or (if) below, as the case may be, in the manner prescribed therein, intended for sale to a buyer, wholly or partly, except where the entire consideration has been received after issuance of completion certificate, where required, by the competent authority or after its first occupation, whichever is earlier. (Provisions of paragraph 2 of this notification shall apply for valuation of this service)

3.75

 

SECTION 8 OF CGST ACT

(a) a composite supply comprising two or more supplies, one of which is a principal supply, shall be treated as a supply of such principal supply; and
 

Interpretation:

Concessional rates of GST in case of construction of Affordable Residential Apartments will be applicable subject to conditions prescribed in S.No. 3 of Notification No. 11/2017 Central Tax (rate) reproduced above. Therefore if the Builder has not fulfilled the conditions sepcified, then concessional rates will not be applicable and also you cannot compel the Builder to charge concessional rates if Builder does not fall in the category of concessional rates.

With regards to charging of GST on Rs 3 lacs for services comprising of stilt parking,electricity deposit, one time maintenance charges and EDC/IDC, since these are part of construction services as these services cannot be supplied independently, further you don't have choice to take these facilities or not, therefore these will be considered as composite supply of service where Principal supply is construction service.

GST will be charged on Rs 3 lacs at the rate applicable on construction service.
 

Conclusion:
Concessional rates will be applicable subject to fulfillment of conditions specified, tax on services of stilt parking,electricity deposit, one time maintenance charges and EDC/IDC will be charged at the rates applicable on construction services
(Reply dt. 23/11/2021)