Rule 4 of IGST Rules 2017: Supply of Services Attributable to Different States or UTs

Provisions under Rule 4 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Rules, 2017 relating to supply of services attributable to different States or Union territories under section 12(3) of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, applicable w.e.f. 01/01/2019, are as under:

IGST Rule 4: Supply of Services Attributable to Different States or UTs

The supply of services attributable to different States or Union territories, under sub section (3) of section 12 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter in these rules referred to as the said Act), in the case of-

(a) services directly in relation to immovable property, including services provided by architects, interior decorators, surveyors, engineers and other related experts or estate agents, any service provided by way of grant of rights to use immovable property or for carrying out or co-ordination of construction work; or

(b) lodging accommodation by a hotel, inn, guest house, homestay, club or campsite, by whatever name called, and including a houseboat or any other vessel; or

(c) accommodation in any immovable property for organising any marriage or reception or matters related thereto, official, social, cultural, religious or business function including services provided in relation to such function at such property; or

(d) any services ancillary to the services referred to in clauses (a), (b) and (c),

where such immovable property or boat or vessel is located in more than one State or Union territory, shall be taken as being in each of the respective States or Union territories, and in the absence of any contract or agreement between the supplier of service and recipient of services for separately collecting or determining the value of the services in each such State or Union territory, as the case maybe, shall be determined in the following manner namely:-

(i) in case of services provided by way of lodging accommodation by a hotel, inn, guest house, club or campsite, by whatever name called (except cases where such property is a single property located in two or more contiguous States or Union territories or both) and services ancillary to such services, the supply of services shall be treated as made in each of the respective States or Union territories, in proportion to the number of nights stayed in such property;

(ii) in case of all other services in relation to immovable property including services by way of accommodation in any immovable property for organising any marriage or reception etc., and in cases of supply of accommodation by a hotel, inn, guest house, club or campsite, by whatever name called where such property is a single property located in two or more contiguous States or Union territories or both, and services ancillary to such services, the supply of services shall be treated as made in each of the respective States or Union territories, in proportion to the area of the immovable property lying in each State or Union territory;

(iii) in case of services provided by way of lodging accommodation by a house boat or any other vessel and services ancillary to such services, the supply of services shall be treated as made in each of the respective States or Union territories, in proportion to the time spent by the boat or vessel in each such State or Union territory, which shall be determined on the basis of a declaration made to the effect by the service provider.

Illustration 1: A hotel chain X charges a consolidated sum of Rs 30,000/- for stay in its two establishments in Delhi and Agra, where the stay in Delhi is for 2 nights and the stay in Agra is for 1 night. The place of supply in this case is both in the Union territory of Delhi and in the State of Uttar Pradesh and the service shall be deemed to have been provided in the Union territory of Delhi and in the State of Uttar Pradesh in the ratio 2:1 respectively. The value of services provided will thus be apportioned as Rs 20,000/- in the Union territory of Delhi and Rs 10,000/- in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

Illustration 2: There is a piece of land of area 20,000 square feet which is partly in State S1 say 12,000 square feet and partly in State S2, say 8000 square feet. Site preparation work has been entrusted to T. The ratio of land in the two states works out to 12:8 or 3:2 (simplified). The place of supply is in both S1 and S2. The service shall be deemed to have been provided in the ratio of 12:8 or 3:2 (simplified) in the States S1 and S2 respectively. The value of the service shall be accordingly apportioned between the States.

Illustration 3: A company C provides the service of 24 hours accommodation in a houseboat, which is situated both in Kerala and Karnataka inasmuch as the guests board the house boat in Kerala and stay there for 22 hours but it also moves into Karnataka for 2 hours (as declared by the service provider). The place of supply of this service is in the States of Kerala and Karnataka. The service shall be deemed to have been provided in the ratio of 22:2 or 11:1 (simplified) in the states of Kerala and Karnataka, respectively. The value of the service shall be accordingly apportioned between the States.

Amendments History:

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Commentary on Rule 4 of the IGST Rules, 2017

Rule 4 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Rules, 2017 deals with the supply of services attributable to different States or Union territories under section 12(3) of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. The rule specifically covers services related to immovable property, lodging accommodations and organizing events on immovable property.

The rule states that when an immovable property or boat or vessel is located in more than one State or Union territory, the supply of services should be considered in each of the respective States or Union territories. If there is no contract or agreement between the supplier and the recipient specifying the value of services in each State or Union territory, the rule prescribes a method to determine the distribution of the service value.

For lodging accommodations (excluding properties located in contiguous States or Union territories) and related ancillary services, the supply of services should be treated as made in each of the respective States or Union territories in proportion to the number of nights stayed in the property.

For all other services related to immovable property, including accommodations for organizing events and cases where the property is located in contiguous States or Union territories, the supply of services should be treated as made in each of the respective States or Union territories in proportion to the area of the property in each State or Union territory.

For services provided by way of lodging accommodation on a houseboat or any other vessel and related ancillary services, the supply of services should be treated as made in each of the respective States or Union territories in proportion to the time spent by the boat or vessel in each State or Union territory. This is determined based on a declaration made by the service provider.

The rule provides three illustrations to help understand the application of these provisions in different scenarios:

i) In the case of a hotel chain providing accommodation in two establishments in different States or Union territories, the service value is apportioned based on the ratio of nights stayed in each establishment.

ii) For site preparation work on land located in two States, the service value is apportioned based on the ratio of land area in each State.

iii) In the case of a houseboat providing accommodation and moving between two States, the service value is apportioned based on the ratio of time spent in each State as declared by the service provider.

In summary, Rule 4 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Rules, 2017 addresses the distribution of services when they are attributable to multiple States or Union territories. The rule aims to provide clarity on how the value of services should be apportioned in cases where there is no contract or agreement specifying the value for each State or Union territory.

By defining the apportionment methodology for various types of services related to immovable property, lodging accommodations and organizing events on immovable property, Rule 4 ensures a fair distribution of service value among the involved States or Union territories. This helps in accurately determining the IGST liability and avoiding disputes related to the place of supply.

It is important for businesses to be aware of these provisions and apply them correctly in their transactions, as this can have a direct impact on their tax liabilities and compliance with the IGST Act. Proper understanding and implementation of Rule 4 will contribute to a smoother and more efficient tax regime for both businesses and tax authorities.

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Note: The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Rules 2017 were initially notified by CBEC vide Integrated Tax Notification 4/2017 dated 28/06/2017 (Rule 1 & 2). Subsequently, IGST Rule 3 has been inserted vide Notification 12/2017 and IGST Rules 4 to 9 have been inserted vide Notification 4/2018. Information on this page is a Rule-wise compilation of Amendments made by various Notifications issued by CBIC from time to time, with best possible efforts for accuracy. In any case, E&OE. For official/ updated information, please visit CBIC website.