Automated GST Refund for Exporters Likely from June

Exporters of goods and services as well as suppliers to SEZ units are likely to get GST refunds automatically from June as the Revenue Department plans to introduce faceless scrutiny of refunds and faster claim settlement, an official said.

Under GST, every person making a claim of refund on account of ‘zero-rated’ supplies has two options. Either he can export without payment of integrated tax under Bond/ LUT and claim a refund of accumulated Input Tax Credit (ITC) or he may export on payment of integrated tax and claim refund thereof.

Currently, the facility of automatic refund is available only for those exporters who have paid Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) while exporting goods. Since the GST Network (GSTN) systems are integrated with Customs, refunds are generally transferred to the bank accounts of such exporters within a fortnight.

However, manufacturing exporters and suppliers to SEZ, who want to claim a refund of ITC, have to file an application in Form GST RFD-01A on the common portal and thereafter manually submit a print out of the form along with other documents to the jurisdictional officer.

Once implemented, the time period for such refunds will come down to about a fortnight from months at present.

“The Revenue Department and GSTN are working to make the process of seeking tax refund by all exporters faceless by next month. It would make the process faster and also help in eliminating fake refunds,” an official said.

GST refunds of exporters run into thousands of crores and any delay in the processing of refund claims blocks working capital of exporters.

AMRG & Associates Partner Rajat Mohan said fully computerised tax refund in case of export of services would be based on a comprehensively integrated GSTN system which connects with RBI servers to track the receipt of payments and link them automatically with invoice level information.

“Tax refunds for inverted duty structure could also be copiously automated in future, however, it would require GSTN system to be loaded with HSN-enabled invoice level information by every vendor, so that only eligible tax credits could be processed without any human intercession,” he added.