Time of Supply of Goods & Services Under GST

A detailed analysis of Section 12

As per Section 12 (1) of Model GST law the liability to pay CGST / SGST on the goods or services shall arise at the time of supply as determined in terms of the provisions of this section.

The time of supply of goods shall be the earlier of the following dates, namely,-

(a) the date of issue of invoice by the supplier or the last date on which he is required, under section 28*, to issue the invoice with respect to the supply; or

(b) the date on which the supplier receives the payment with respect to the supply:

PROVIDED that where the supplier of taxable goods receives an amount up to one thousand rupees in excess of the amount indicated in the tax invoice, the time of supply to the extent of such excess shall, at the option of the said supplier, be the date of issue of invoice.

Explanation 1.- For the purposes of clauses (a) and (b), the supply shall be deemed to have been made to the extent it is covered by the invoice or, as the case may be, the payment.

Explanation 2.- For the purpose of clause (b), “the date on which the supplier receives the payment” shall be the date on which the payment is entered in his books of accounts or the date on which the payment is credited to his bank account, whichever is earlier.

Detailed explanation to Section 28

A registered taxable person supplying taxable goods shall, before or at the time of- removal of goods for supply to the recipient, where the supply

1. involves movement of goods, or
2. delivery of goods or making available thereof to the recipient, in any other case,

Shall issue a tax invoice* showing the description, quantity and value of goods, the tax charged thereon and such other particulars as may be prescribed:

PROVIDED that the Central/State Government may, on the recommendation of the Council, by notification, specify the categories of goods and/or supplies in respect of which the tax invoice shall be issued within such time as may be prescribed.

Tax invoice

(1) Subject to rule 5, a tax invoice referred to in section 23 shall be issued by the supplier containing the following details:-

(a) name, address and GSTIN of the supplier;

(b) a consecutive serial number containing only alphabets and/or numerals, unique for a financial year;

(c) date of its issue;

(d) name, address and GSTIN/ Unique ID Number, if registered, of the recipient;

(e) name and address of the recipient and the address of delivery, along with the name of State and its code, if such recipient is unregistered and where the taxable value of supply is fifty thousand rupees or more;

(f) HSN code of goods or Accounting Code of services;

(g) description of goods or services;

(h) quantity in case of goods and unit or Unique Quantity Code thereof;

(i) total value of goods or services;

(j) taxable value of goods or services taking into account discount or abatement, if any;

(k) rate of tax (CGST, SGST or IGST);

(l) amount of tax charged in respect of taxable goods or services (CGST, SGST or IGST);

(m) place of supply along with the name of State, in case of a supply in the course of inter-State trade or commerce;

(n) place of delivery where the same is different from the place of supply;

(o) whether the tax is payable on reverse charge;

(p) the word “Revised Invoice” or “Supplementary Invoice”, as the case may be, indicated prominently, where applicable along with the date and invoice number of the original invoice; and

(q) signature or digital signature of the supplier or his authorized representative.

Provided that the Board/Commissioner may, by notification, specify -

(i) the number of digits of HSN code for goods or, as the case may be, the Accounting Code for services, that a class of taxable persons shall be required to mention, for such period as may be specified in the said notification, and

(ii) the class of taxable persons that would not be required to mention the HSN code for goods or, as the case may be, the Accounting Code for services, for such period as may be specified in the said notification:

Provided further that in case of exports, the invoice shall carry an endorsement

“SUPPLY MEANT FOR EXPORT ON PAYMENT OF IGST” or “SUPPLY MEANT FOR EXPORT UNDER BOND WITHOUT PAYMENT OF IGST”, as the case may be, and shall, in lieu of the details specified in clause (e), contain the following details:

• name and address of the recipient;
• address of delivery;
• name of the country of destination; and
• number and date of application for removal of goods for export [ARE-1].

(2) The invoice referred to in sub-rule (1), in case of taxable supply of services, shall be issued within a period of thirty days from the date of supply of service:

Provided that in case of continuous supply of services, the invoice shall be issued within a period of thirty days from the date when each event specified in the contract, which requires the recipient to make any payment to the supplier of services, is completed:

Provided further that where the supplier of service is a banking company or a financial institution including a non-banking financial company, the period within which the invoice is to be issued shall be forty five days from the date of supply of service.

Manner of Issuing Invoice

(1) The invoice shall be prepared in triplicate, in case of supply of goods, in the following manner:–

• the original copy being marked as ORIGINAL FOR RECIPIENT;
• the duplicate copy being marked as DUPLICATE FOR TRANSPORTER; and
• the triplicate copy being marked as TRIPLICATE FOR SUPPLIER.

Provided that the duplicate copy is not required to be carried by the transporter if the supplier has obtained an Invoice Reference Number under sub-rule (4).

(2) The invoice shall be prepared in duplicate, in case of supply of services, in the following manner:-

• the original copy being marked as ORIGINAL FOR RECEIPIENT; and
• the duplicate copy being marked as DUPLICATE FOR SUPPLIER.

(3) The serial number of invoices issued during a tax period shall be furnished electronically through the Common Portal in FORM GSTR-1.

(4) A registered taxable person may obtain an Invoice Reference Number from the Common Portal by uploading, on the said Portal, a tax invoice issued by him in FORM GST INV-1, and produce the same for verification by the proper officer as required under section 61 in lieu of the tax invoice.

(5) The Invoice Reference Number shall be valid for a period of 30 days from the date of uploading.

Time of supply of Services

A registered taxable person supplying taxable services shall, before or after the provision of service but within a period prescribed in this behalf, issue a tax invoice, showing the description, value, the tax payable thereon and such other particulars as may be prescribed:

PROVIDED that the Central/State Government may, on the recommendation of the Council, by notification, specify the categories of services in respect of which any other document issued in relation to the supply shall be deemed to be a tax invoice, subject to such conditions and limitations as may be prescribed.

Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (1) and (2):

(a) a registered taxable person may, within one month from the date of issuance of certificate of registration and in such manner as may be prescribed, issue a revised invoice against the invoice already issued during the period starting from the effective date of registration till the date of issuance of certificate of registration to him;

(b) a registered taxable person supplying exempted goods and/or services or paying tax under the provisions of section 9 shall issue, instead of a tax invoice, a bill of supply containing such particulars and in such manner as may be prescribed:

PROVIDED that the registered taxable person may not issue a bill of supply if the value of the goods or services supplied is less than one hundred rupees except where the recipient of the goods or services requires such bill.

(c) a registered taxable person shall, on receipt of advance payment with respect to any supply of goods or services by him, issue a receipt voucher or any other document, including therein such particulars as may be prescribed, evidencing receipt of such payment;

(d) a registered taxable person who is liable to pay tax under sub-section (3) of section 8 shall issue an invoice in respect of goods or services received by him on the date of receipt of goods or services from a person who is not registered under the Act.

In case of continuous supply of goods, where successive statements of accounts or successive payments are involved, the invoice shall be issued before or at the time each such statement is issued or, as the case may be, each such payment is received.

In case of continuous supply of services

(a) where the due date of payment is ascertainable from the contract, the invoice shall be issued before or after the payment is liable to be made by the recipient but within a period prescribed in this behalf whether or not any payment has been received by the supplier of the service;

(b) where the due date of payment is not ascertainable from the contract, the invoice shall be issued before or after each such time when the supplier of service receives the payment but within a period prescribed in this behalf;

(c) where the payment is linked to the completion of an event, the invoice shall be issued before or after the time of completion of that event but within a period prescribed in this behalf.

In a case where the supply of services ceases under a contract before the completion of the supply, the invoice shall be issued at the time when the supply ceases and such invoice shall be issued to the extent of the supply effected before such cessation.

For the purposes of sub section (4) and (5), the Central or a State Government may on the recommendation of the Council, specify, by notification, the supply of goods or services that shall be treated as continuous supply of goods or services.

Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where the goods (being sent or taken on approval or sale or return or similar terms) are removed before it is known whether a supply will take place, the invoice shall be issued before or at the time when it becomes known that the supply has taken place or six months from the date of removal, whichever is earlier.

Explanation.- The expression “tax invoice” shall be deemed to include a document issued by an Input Service Distributor under section 21, and shall also include any revised invoice issued by the supplier in respect of a supply made earlier.

In case of supplies in respect of which tax is paid or liable to be paid on reverse charge basis, the time of supply shall be the earliest of the following dates, namely—

• the date of the receipt of goods, or
• the date on which the payment is made, or
• the date immediately following thirty days from the date of issue of invoice by the supplier:

PROVIDED that where it is not possible to determine the time of supply under clause (a), (b) or (c), the time of supply shall be the date of entry in the books of account of the recipient of supply.

Explanation - For the purpose of clause (b), “the date on which the payment is made” shall be the date on which the payment is entered in the books of accounts of the recipient or the date on which the payment is debited in his bank account, whichever is earlier.

In case of supply of vouchers, by whatever name called, by a supplier, the time of supply shall be-

• the date of issue of voucher, if the supply is identifiable at that point; or
• the date of redemption of voucher, in all other cases; 

In case it is not possible to determine the time of supply under the provisions of sub-section (2), (3) or (4) the time of supply shall

• in a case where a periodical return has to be filed, be the date on which such return is to be filed, or
• in any other case, be the date on which the CGST/SGST is paid.

Time of supply of services

(1) The liability to pay CGST/SGST on services shall arise at the time of supply, as determined in terms of the provisions of this section.

(2) The time of supply of services shall be the earlier of the following dates, namely:-

• the date of issue of invoice by the supplier or the last date on which he is required, under section 28, to issue the invoice with respect to the supply; or
•  the date on which the supplier receives the payment with respect to the supply:

PROVIDED that where the supplier of taxable service receives an amount up to one thousand rupees in excess of the amount indicated in the tax invoice, the time of supply to the extent of such excess shall, at the option of the said supplier, be the date of issue of invoice.

Explanation 1.- For the purposes of clauses (a) and (b), the supply shall be deemed to have been made to the extent it is covered by the invoice or, as the case may be, the payment.

Explanation 2.- For the purpose of clause (b), “the date on which the supplier receives the payment” shall be the date on which the payment is entered in his books of accounts or the date on which the payment is credited to his bank account, whichever is earlier.

(3) In case of supplies in respect of which tax is paid or liable to be paid on reverse charge basis, the time of supply shall be the earlier of the following dates, namely-

• the date on which the payment is made, or
• the date immediately following sixty days from the date of issue of invoice by the supplier:

PROVIDED that where it is not possible to determine the time of supply under clause (a) or (b), the time of supply shall be the date of entry in the books of account of the recipient of supply:

PROVIDED FURTHER that in case of ‘associated enterprises’, where the supplier of service is located outside India, the time of supply shall be the date of entry in the books of account of the recipient of supply or the date of payment, whichever is earlier.

Explanation.- For the purpose of clause (a), “the date on which the payment is made” shall be the date on which the payment is entered in the books of accounts of the recipient or the date on which the payment is debited in his bank account, whichever is earlier.

(4) In case of supply of vouchers, by whatever name called, by a supplier, the time of supply shall be-

• the date of issue of voucher, if the supply is identifiable at that point; or
• the date of redemption of voucher, in all other cases;

(5) Where it is not possible to determine the time of supply of services in the manner specified in sub-sections (2), (3) or (4), the time of supply shall -

• in a case where a periodical return has to be filed, be the date on which such return is to be filed; or
• in any other case, be the date on which the CGST/SGST is paid.