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Centre, States Apportion Rs 12,000-Crore IGST In August

As much as Rs 50,000 crore was settled between the Centre and states in June, and Rs 35,000 crore in February this year.



A worker holds his goods and services tax (GST) papers in his store at a wholesale market in the Old Delhi area of Delhi, India. (Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg)
A worker holds his goods and services tax (GST) papers in his store at a wholesale market in the Old Delhi area of Delhi, India. (Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg)

As much as Rs 12,000 crore lying in Integrated Goods and Services Tax pool has been apportioned between the centre and states.

The central government will get about Rs 6,000 crore and the remaining would be distributed among the states in proportion to their revenue collection in August, said an official requesting anonymity.

The apportionment would help improve the indirect tax position of both the centre and states. This is the third time that the IGST funds have been divided between the centre and states. As much as Rs 50,000 crore was settled between the centre and states in June, and Rs 35,000 crore in February this year.

"Funds accumulated in the IGST pool are gradually coming down. This shows that businesses are utilising the accumulated IGST to pay taxes,” the official said. “Also timely payment of taxes and filing of returns have helped in lowering the balance in IGST pool."

A policy decision has been taken that when some substantial amount accrues to IGST pool it should be apportioned, so that funds do not lie idle with the Centre, the official said.

The tax levied on consumption of goods or rendering of service is split equally between the Centre and the states under GST. Such tax is known as Central-GST or CGST and State-GST or SGST.

On inter-state movement of goods as well as imports, IGST is levied, which accrues to the centre. A cess is levied on top of these taxes on sin and luxury goods which make up for the compensation kitty used to make good of any revenue shortfall faced by states on implementation of GST.

Post the amendments brought about in the GST law earlier this month, credit of IGST which includes IGST paid on the port (import of goods) would be first adjusted towards any tax payable under the GST regime.

This unallocated tax credit due to IGST would be allocated towards center and states easily. This would also reduce the hassles of going through GST Council approval for ad hoc distribution of the same, Rajat Mohan, partner, AMRG & Associates, said.

Once the amendments are implemented, a major portion of unmarked IGST credits would be marked to a consumption state, thereby considerably reducing the necessity of ad hoc distribution of IGST revenues, Mohan said. “This new mechanism would give higher expendable revenues for the states and centre in a transparent and efficient manner.”