Query regarding GST and E-Way Bill compliance for movement of cranes on lease/rent across India

company is engaged in the business of hiring/leasing cranes and is registered under GST in Maharashtra.

Cranes are frequently moved across various states for leasing/rental purposes. In many instances, a crane may be stationed temporarily in a state where the company does not hold a GST registration, either:

  1. While awaiting deployment to a customer, or
  2. Between completion of one rental contract and commencement of another.

In such cases, we seek guidance on the following:

  • For generating an e-Way Bill for interstate movement of cranes, how should the fields "Bill From," "Bill To," "Dispatch From," and "Dispatch To" be populated when the crane is being moved for leasing purposes and not pursuant to a sale transaction?
  • If a crane is temporarily parked or stationed in another state without any fixed office, warehouse, or place of business, is the company required to obtain GST registration in that state or declare the location as an Additional Place of Business (APOB)?
  • Would the GST implications differ if the crane remains in a state for an extended period before being leased to a customer?
  • Are there any specific GST/e-Way Bill provisions, circulars, or advance rulings governing the movement of capital goods such as cranes for hiring/leasing operations?

Any guidance or practical experience on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Replies (2)
Quick Summary
A crane leasing company sought GST and E-Way Bill guidance for interstate movement of cranes. The discussion highlighted using Delivery Challans and E-Way Bills for non-sale movements, with temporary parking in another state generally not requiring GST registration unless a fixed place of business exists.

The company's Maharashtra GSTIN is sufficient for nationwide crane rental operations as long as supplies are billed from Maharashtra. The E-Way Bill is generated using a Delivery Challan with same GSTIN as both consigner and consignee. Registration in other states is only triggered by fixed establishment — not temporary crane positioning.

Hope this helps! Feel free to follow up with specific state scenarios.

Interstate crane leasing sits in a specific category under GST where the supply of services rules govern the transaction, not normal goods e-way bill rules.

On your four questions:

1. E-Way Bill fields for transit movement (not a sale): For movement of cranes on the company own account without a sale, generate the e-way bill with a Delivery Challan. Use your Maharashtra GSTIN as both the Bill From and Consignee (Bill To). Dispatch From is the current physical location and Dispatch To is the destination. Document type: For Own Use or Others. No separate GSTIN is needed for the destination state just because of this transit movement.

2. Registration during temporary positioning: Under section 22 of the CGST Act, registration is triggered by a fixed place of business in a state. Temporary crane positioning between contracts, without a fixed office or deployed employees, does NOT create a registration liability. The crane is a capital asset, not a place of business.

3. Extended stay: Duration alone does not trigger registration. What matters is whether a fixed establishment (office, warehouse, permanently stationed staff) comes into existence. A crane parked on a client site without infrastructure does not meet this test.

4. Relevant circulars: CBIC Circular 210/4/2022 covers For Own Use e-way bill generation for capital goods movement. Maharashtra GSTIN continues to govern the IGST supply for interstate crane rental.

For field-by-field e-way bill mapping and delivery challan format, see this [e-way bill compliance guide](https://taxgarden.in/blog/e-way-bill-generation-step-by-step-ewb-portal-india-2026).

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