Input Tax Liability can be utilized against Output Tax Liability.

Case Details:

Issue- In the above case, the Respondent Department have continued to disallow the Input Tax Credit (ITC) under Section 10(3) of the KVAT Act, 2003 on the ground that the claim of Input Tax Credit against the Output Tax Liability of the petitioner did not pertain to the same ‘Tax period’ for which Output Tax Liability and Net Tax Liability was to be determined in accordance with Section 10(3) of the Act. the question arises was that Whether the claim of deduction or set off of Input Tax Credit against Output Tax Liability of the dealer can be restricted or denied on the ground of any time frame within which such Sales Invoices on the basis of which ITC is claimed should pertain or information or record of such ITC Invoices should be informed in the Returns to be filed, particularly if such time frame is restricted to the period of ‘Tax Period’ which can be as short as a month or a quarter, or the period of filing of Returns being 20 days from the end of month concerned or maximum six months from the end of ‘Tax period’ even for filing of Revised Returns disclosing errors and omissions?

Held- It was held that the claim of ITC cannot be restricted and denied on the stated grounds by Revenue. It cannot be denied only because ITC claim is not made in respect of Sale Invoices which are not pertaining to same Tax Period, nor it can be denied on the ground that such claim is not made immediately in the month or months following the month of purchase of goods in question. The machinery provisions of filing of Returns under Section 35 of the KVAT Act cannot defeat the substantive claims under Section 10(3) of the Act. The Revenue is entitled only to verify that the Sale Invoices are genuine and valid and such ITC claim is not duplicate, fictitious or bogus. Article 265 of the Constitution of India does not entitle the State to retain such tax paid by Selling Dealers and deny the claim of ITC credit or set off in the hands of the Purchasing Dealers who claim such ITC against their Output Tax Liability when they sell goods further, incurring such Output Tax liability.