Taxation of Job Work in GST Law: The term “Job Work” is defined in section 2(68) of CGST Act, 2017 as any treatment or process undertaken by a person on goods belonging to another registered person and the expression “job worker” shall be construed accordingly;.

The above definition has been enhanced which includes any treatment or process which will also cover repairs, calibration, testing etc. etc. At present scenario the Job Work has been defined in Central Excise Law as “Job Work” means processing or working upon of raw material or semi-finished goods supplied to the job worker, so as to complete a part or whole of the process resulting in the manufacture or finishing of an article or any operation which is essential for aforesaid process.

Input Tax Credit in respect of Inputs and Capital Goods sent for Job Work

The principal is eligible to take input tax credit on inputs or capital goods sent to a job worker for job work. The principal shall be entitled to take credit of input tax on inputs even if the inputs or capital goods are directly sent to a job worker for job work without being first brought to his place of business.

Where the inputs sent for job work are NOT received back by the principal after completion of job work within ONE YEAR of being sent out, it shall be deemed that such inputs had been supplied by the principal to the job worker on the day when the said inputs were sent out. However in case the inputs are sent directly to a job worker, the period of one year shall be counted from the date of receipt of inputs by the job worker.

Where the capital goods sent for job work are not received back by the principal within a period of THREE YEARS of being sent out, it shall be deemed that such capital goods had been supplied by the principal to the job worker on the day when the said capital goods were sent out. However in case the capital goods are sent directly to a job worker, the period of THREE YEARS shall be counted from the date of receipt of capital goods by the job worker.

It may be noted that time limit of 1 year or 3 year in case of inputs or capital goods respectively shall apply to moulds and dies, jigs and fixtures, or tools sent out to a job worker for job work.

Supply/Turnover of Job Worker for Threshold Exemption

The supply of goods, after completion of job work, by a registered job worker shall be treated as the supply of goods by the principal and the value of such goods shall not be included in the aggregate turnover of the registered job worker. The responsibility for keeping proper accounts for the inputs or capital goods shall lie with the Principal.

Any waste and scrap generated during the job work may be supplied by the job worker directly from his place of business on payment of tax, if such job worker is registered, or by the principal, if the job worker is not registered.

Explanation.––For the purposes of job work, input includes intermediate goods arising from any treatment or process carried out on the inputs by the principal or the job worker.

Transitional Provisions Relating to Job Work

Where any inputs received at a place of business had been removed as such or removed after being partially processed to a job worker for further processing, testing, repair, reconditioning or any other purpose in accordance with the provisions of existing law prior to 01-07-2017 and such inputs are returned to the said place on or after 01-07-2017, NO TAX shall be payable if such inputs, after completion of the job work or otherwise, are returned to the said place within 6 Months from 01-07-2017.

The period of 6 Months may, on sufficient cause being shown, be extended by the Commissioner for a further period not exceeding 2 months. If these inputs are not returned within the said period the input tax credit shall be liable to be recovered.

Procedure of Job Work under GST

(1) The Principal may send any Inputs or Capital Goods, without payment of tax, to a job worker for job work and from there subsequently send to another job worker and likewise, and shall,––

(a)  bring back inputs, after completion of job work or otherwise, or capital goods, other than moulds and dies, jigs and fixtures, or tools, within one year and three years, respectively, of their being sent out, to any of his place of business, without payment of tax;

(b) supply such inputs, after completion of job work or otherwise, or capital goods, other than moulds and dies, jigs and fixtures, or tools, within one year and three years, respectively, of their being sent out from the place of business of a job worker on payment of tax within India, or with or without payment of tax for export, as the case may be:

The principal shall not supply the goods from the place of business of a job worker in accordance with the provisions of this clause unless the said principal declares the place of business of the job worker as his additional place of business except in a case—

(i)   where the job worker is registered under section 25; or

(ii)   where the principal is engaged in the supply of such goods as may be notified by the Commissioner.

a

Introduction

Job-work sector constitutes a significant industry in the Indian economy. It includes outsourced activities that may or may not culminate into manufacture. The term Job-work itself explains the meaning. It is the processing of goods supplied by the principal. The concept of job work already exists in Central Excise, wherein a principal manufacturer can send inputs or semi-finished goods to a job worker for further processing. Many facilities, procedural concessions have been given to the job workers as well as the principal supplier who sends goods for job work.The whole idea is to make principal responsible for meeting compliances on behalf of the job-worker on the goods processed by him (job-worker), considering the fact that typically the job- workers are small persons who are unable to comply with the discrete provisions of the law.

The GST Act makes special provisions with regard to removal of goods for job-work and receiving back the goods after processing from the job-worker without payment of GST. The benefit of these provisions shall be available both to the principal and the job-worker.

What is Job work?

Section 2(68) of the CGST Act, 2017 defines job work as ‘any treatment or process undertaken by a person on goods belonging to another registered person’. The one who does the said job would be termed as ‘job worker’. The ownership of the goods does not transfer to the job-worker but it rests with the principal. The job-worker is required to carry out the process specified by the principal, on the goods.Job work Procedural aspects:

Certain facilities with certain conditions are offered in relation to job work, some of which are as under:

a)       A registered person (Principal) can send inputs/ capital goods under intimation and subject to certain conditions without payment of tax to a job worker and from there to another job worker and after completion of job work bring back such goods without payment of tax. The principal is not required to reverse the ITC availed on inputs or capital goods dispatched to the job-worker.

b)       Principal can send inputsor capital goods directly to the job worker without bringing them to his premises, still the principal can avail the credit of tax paid on such inputs or capital goods.

c)       However, inputs and/or capital goods sent to a job worker are required to be returned to the principal within 1 year and 3 years, respectively, from the date of sending such goods to the job worker.

d)        After processing of goods, the job-worker may clear the goods to-

(i)    Another job-worker for further processing;

(ii)  Dispatch the goods to any of the place of business of the principal without payment of tax;

(iii) Remove the goods on payment of tax within India or without payment of tax for export outside India on fulfilment of conditions.

The facility of supply of goods by principal to the third party directly from the premises of the job-worker on payment of tax in India likewise with or without payment of tax for export may be availed by the principal on declaring premise of the job-worker as his additional place of business in registration. In case the job-worker is a registered person under GST, even declaring the premises of the job worker as an additional place of business is not required.

Before supplying goods to the job-worker, the principal would be required to intimate the Jurisdictional Officer containing the details of description of inputs intended to be sent by the principal and the nature of processing to be carried out by the job-worker. The said intimation shall also contain the details of another job-worker, if any.

The inputs or capital goods shall be sent to the job worker under the cover of a challan issued by the principal. The challan shall be issued even for the inputs or capital goods sent directly to the job worker.The challan shall contain the details specified in rule 10of the Invoice Rules.

The responsibility for keeping proper accounts for the inputs or capital goods shall lie with the principal.

Input Tax credit on goods supplied to job worker

Section 19 of the CGST Act, 2017 provides that the principal (a person supplying taxable goods to the job- worker) shall be entitled to take the credit of input tax paid on inputs sent to the job- worker for the job work. Further, the proviso also provides that the principal can take the credit even when the goods have been directly supplied to the job-worker without bringing into the premise of the principal. The principal need not wait till the inputs are first brought to his place of business.

Time Limits for return of processed goods

As per section 19 of the CGST Act, 2017, inputs and capital goods after processing shall be returned back to principal within one year or three years respectively of their being sent out. Further, the provision of return of goods is not applicable in case of moulds and dies, jigs and fixtures or tools supplied by the principal to the job-worker.

Extended meaning of input

As per the explanation provided in section 143 of the CGST Act, 2017, where a certain process is carried out on the input before removal of the same to the job worker, such product after carrying out the process to be referred as the intermediate product. Such intermediate products can also be removed without the payment of tax. Therefore, both input and intermediate products can be cleared without payment of duty to the job-worker.

Waste clearing provisions

Pursuant to section 143 (5) of the CGST Act, 2017, waste generated at the premises of the job-worker may be supplied directly by the registered job worker from his place of business on payment of tax or s such waste may be cleared by the principal, in case the job-worker is not registered.

Transitional provisions: Inputs as such or partially processed inputs which are sent to a job worker prior to introduction of GST under the provisions of existing law [Central Excise] and if such goods are returned within 6 months from the appointed day i.e. 1st July, 2017 no tax would be payable. If such goods are not returned within prescribed time, the input tax credit availed on such goods will be liable to be recovered.

If manufactured goods are removed, prior to the appointed day, without payment of duty for testing or any other process which does not amount to manufacture, and such goods are returned within 6 months from the appointed day, then no tax will be payable. For the purpose of these provisions during the transitional period, the manufacturer and the job worker are required to declare the details of such goods sent/received for job work in prescribed format GST TRAN-1, within 90 days of the introduction of GST.