Recent Changes And Simplifications In Filing of GSTR-9 & GSTR-9C

Recent Announcement by CBIC:

In order to provide relief to the taxpayers, the government has announced to extend the due date of filing of GSTR-9 (Annual Return) and GSTR-9C (Reconciliation statement) for the financial year 2017-18 to 31st December 2019 and for the financial year 2018-19 to 31st March 2020. Apart from this, CBIC has also simplified these forms by making various fields as optional. CBIC has notified the amendments for simplification of GSTR-9 and 9C vide Notification No. 56/2019- Central Tax dated 14.11.2019.

Simplifications announced in GSTR-9:

1. 1. Separate details of credit and debit note, supplies or tax declared or reduced through amendment earlier required in Table 4I  to Table 4L is no more required which is a big relief to the taxpayers. Now, this data can be merged with the details provided in Table-4B to 4E. (This is applicable for supplies on which tax is payable)
   2. Separate details of credit and debit note, supplies declared or reduced through amendment earlier required in Table 5H  to Table 5K is no more required which is a big relief to the taxpayers. Now, this data can be merged with details provided in Table 5A to 5F. (This is applicable for supplies on which Tax is NOT payable).
   3. Earlier separate reporting of Exempted, Nil rated and Non-GST supplies were required in Table-5D to 5F but after this announcement, it is the option to report them on a consolidated basis in Table-5D in exemption column only.
   4. Earlier, bifurcation of Input Tax credit (Normal/RCM/ Import) among Inputs, Input services, and capital goods was required which is now optional to report on a consolidated basis under ‘inputs’ only.
   5.  Separate reporting of ITC of RCM supplies from registered and unregistered suppliers is optional now and all such information now consolidated and reported in a registered supplier tab on a consolidated basis in Table-6D.
   6. Reversal of Input Tax credit which was separately required under Table 7A to 7E can now be shown on a consolidated basis in Table 7H. As, Table 7A to 7E are not covering reversals on account of TRAN-1 credit and Tran-2 credit, so these two credits continue to be reported separately.
   7. Now option to provide Details required in Table 8A to 8D in duly signed PDF format in Form GSTR-9C  (without CA certification)
   8. Now It is the option of the Taxpayer to not to fill the following information:

• Table 12 & Table 13 (Reversal of ITC availed and ITC availed during the preceding year)
• Table 15A to 15G (particulars of Demand and Refund)
• Table 16A to 16C (Supplies received from composition supplier, deemed supply and goods sent on approval basis)
• Table 17 & 18 ( HSN wise summary detail of supplies)

Simplifications announced in GSTR-9C:

• Earlier, Separate details for adjustment in turnover were required in Table 5B to Table 5N which is now no more mandatory and it could be shown on a consolidated basis in table 5O now
• Details of ITC booked in earlier FY but claimed in Current FY (Table 12B)  and Details of ITC booked in Current FY to be claimed in subsequent FY (Table 12C) is not required to be given as it is optional now.
• Expense wise bifurcation of ITC and reconciliation of ITC is no more required as Table 14 is also optional for filing.

So, after all these relaxations on industry demand in GSTR 9 and GSTR 9C, Now taxpayers can timely file their annual returns on time with much more accuracy and efficiency.