CBIC clarification on various issues pertaining to GST treatment of vouchers

Clarification on various issues pertaining to GST treatment of vouchers

CBIC has issued Circular No. 243/37/2024-GST dated 31.12.2024 clarifying  various issues with respect to vouchers such as whether transactions in voucher are a supply of goods and/or services, whether GST is leviable on trading of vouchers by distributor/sub-distributor and whether unredeemed vouchers (breakage) are taxable. The following FAQs has been issued in this regard:

Question 1.: Whether “transactions in vouchers” falls under the category of supply of goods and/or services?

Answer: irrespective of whether voucher is covered as a pre-paid instrument recognized by RBI or not, the voucher is just an instrument which creates an obligation on the supplier to accept it as consideration or part consideration and the transactions in voucher themselves cannot be considered either as a supply of goods or as a supply of services. However, supply of underlying goods and/or services, for which vouchers are used as consideration or part consideration, may be taxable under GST.

Question 2. What would be the GST treatment of transactions in vouchers by distributors/sub-distributors/ agents etc.?

Answer: There are primarily two models for distribution of vouchers through distributors/ sub distributors/ agents, etc.

(i) Where vouchers are distributed through the distributors/ sub-distributors/ dealers on Principal-to-Principal (P2P) basis.

As per section 9 (1) of CGST Act, GST is chargeable on the supply of goods and/or services. As the transaction in vouchers is neither supply of goods nor supply of services, therefore, pure trading of vouchers in this case would not constitute either supply of goods or supply of services. Accordingly, such trading of vouchers would not be leviable to GST as per section 9 (1) of CGST Act.

(ii) Where vouchers are distributed using agents/ distributors/ sub-distributors on commission/ fee basis.

In such cases, distributors/sub-distributors/agents do not operate autonomously, do not own the vouchers and only act as agent of the voucher issuer. In such cases, GST would be payable by such distributor/sub-distributor/agent, acting as an agent of the voucher issuer, on the commission/fee or any other amount by whatever name called, for such purpose, as a supply of services to the voucher issuer.

Question 3. What would be GST treatment of additional services such as advertisement, co-branding, marketing & promotion, customization services, technology support services, customer support services etc.

Answer: There may be cases where additional services such as advertisement, co-branding, customization services, technology support services, customer support services, etc. are provided by either the distributor/ sub-distributor or by another person to the voucher issuer against a service fee/ service charge/ affiliate charge or any other amount, by whatever name called, as per contract/agreement between such service provider and the service recipient (voucher issuer). In such a case, the said service fee/ service charge/ affiliate charge or other amount for supply of such additional services to the voucher issuer as per the terms of contract/agreement, would be liable to GST at the applicable rate in the hands of the said service provider.

Question 4. What would be the GST treatment of unredeemed vouchers (breakage)?

Answer: The amount attributable to unredeemed vouchers (breakage) would not be taxable as per the provisions of section 9(1) of CGST Act. Further, in view of the the principle laid out in the Circular No. 178/10/2022-GST dated 03.08.2022, it emerges that where the voucher is issued for the purpose of redemption in respect of a supply of goods and/or services and there is no express or implied agreement, oral or written, between the issuer of voucher and redeemer for payment of any amount or charges by the redeemer to the voucher issuer in case of non-redemption of the voucher, it cannot be considered that non-redemption of voucher by the redeemer tantamounts to supply of services. Therefore, it appears that the amount attributable to non-redemption of voucher (breakage) would not constitute as a “monetary value of any act or forbearance, in respect of, in response to, or for the inducement of, the supply of goods or services or both, whether by the recipient or by any other person”. Therefore, no GST appears to be payable on such amount attributable to non-redemption of voucher (breakage).

Download CBIC Circular No. 243/37/2024-GST Click Here >>

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