Clauses (c) and (d) of Section 17(5) of the CGST Act are constitutional, allowing for reasonable classification regarding input tax credit for construction of immovable property.

JUDGMENT :

ABHAY S. OKA, J.

FACTUAL ASPECTS

1. The issues which broadly arise in this group of matters concern clauses (c) and (d) of sub-section (5) of Section 17 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (“the CGST Act”). There is a challenge to the constitutional validity of the said provision. There is a prayer for reading down the said provision.

2. In Civil Appeal Nos. 2948 and 2949 of 2023, the first respondent is engaged in the construction of a shopping mall for the purpose of letting out premises in the malls to different tenants. Vast quantities of material, inputs and services are required for the construction of the malls in the form of cement, sand, steel, aluminium, wires, plywood, paint, lifts, escalators, air-conditioning plants, electrical equipment, transformers, building automation systems etc., and also consultancy services, architectural services, legal and other professional services, engineering services and other services including the services of a special team of international designers specialised in the construction of Malls. These goods and services used in the construction of the mall are taxable under the CGST Act. It is the case of the first respondent that it has accumulated input credit of GST amounting to more than Rs. 34 crores by the purchase/supply of goods and services consumed and used in the construction of the shopping mall. At the same time, the first respondent's letting out of units in the shopping mall attracts CGST based on the rent received by the first respondent since it amounts to the supply of service under the CGST Act. Therefore, the first respondent was desirous of availing the Input Tax Credit (ITC) accumulated against the rental income received by it upon letting out the mall premises.

According to the first respondent, when it approached the concerned authorities, it was advised to deposit GST on rent without deducting ITC because of the exception carved out by Section 17(5)(d).

3. The first respondent filed a writ petition before the High Court of Orissa seeking a declaration that Section 17(5)(d) of the CGST Act and the corresponding provisions of the Orissa Goods and Services Act, 2017 do not apply to the construction of immovable property intended for letting out on rent. A prayer in the alternative was made that in the event it is held that the bar under Section 17(5)(d) is applicable even to the construction of immovable property intended for letting out, a declaration be issued that Section 17(5)(d) is violative of Articles 14 and 19 (1)(g) of the Constitution of India. A consequential prayer was made to issue a writ of mandamus to enjoin the present appellants, who were respondents in the writ petition, to grant the benefit of ITC to the first and second respondents.

4. By the impugned judgment dated 17th April 2019, the High Court held that in view of the decision of this Court in the case of Eicher Motors Limited & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors., (1999) 2 SCC 361, Section 17(5)(d) was required to be read down as the very purpose of ITC is to benefit the assessee. The High Court held that if the assessee is required to pay GST on the rental income from the mall, it is entitled to ITC on the GST paid on the construction of the mall. It was held that the narrow interpretation given by the Department to Section 17(5)(d) would frustrate the very object of the Act. Civil Appeal No. 2949 of 2023 takes exception to the same judgment.

5. In the Writ Petitions, the petitioners contend that due to the restrictions imposed by Section 17(5)(c) and Section 17(5)(d) of the CGST Act, they are unable to avail the credit on GST paid on goods and services used in the construction of factory premises, buildings etc against the GST received by them for the renting/leasing/letting out etc. of the premises. GST is being recovered on the supply of goods and services used in the construction of commercial office buildings, and GST is also being recovered on rentals collected. Accordingl