Affiliation Fees Collected By Universities Liable To GST: Madras High Court

On Wednesday, the Madras High Court held that affiliation fees collected by universities from affiliated colleges are liable to GST and are not exempt under Notification No. 12/2017-Central Tax (Rate). A Division Bench of Justice G. Jayachandran and Justice K.K. Ramakrishnan delivered the ruling. The judges were hearing a writ petition filed by Bharathidasan University, challenging the GST demand notices issued for the assessment years 2019-2020 to 2022-23. They held: "In India, there are...

Bombay High Court Urges SOP To Stop GST, MVAT Notices Against Properties With Prior CERSAI-Registered Security Interest

Observing that such petitions are being filed “in large numbers”, the Bombay High Court has advised State tax departments to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to prevent issuance of demand notices where banks already have prior CERSAI registration of their security interests. A Division Bench of Justices Manish Pitale and Shreeram V. Shirsat made the observation while allowing two writ petitions filed by Bharat Co-operative Bank Mumbai Ltd challenging GST and MVAT demand notices, a...

Bombay High Court Sets Aside Composite GST Notice Against ICAD School

The Bombay High Court on Friday set aside a composite show cause notice spanning five financial years, issued to ICAD School of Learning Private Limited, a JEE and NEET coaching centre that offers hostel and mess facilities.On 6 February 2026, a Bench of Justice Anil L. Pansare and Justice Nivedita P. Mehta emphasised that consolidation defeats the statutory scheme of assessment and recovery for distinct financial years.Taking note of the GST framework, which mandates filing of returns with...

GST Appeal Limitation Starts From Date Of Rejection Of Rectification Order: Gujarat High Court

Recently, the Gujarat High Court clarified that when a rectification application is filed, the limitation period for filing an appeal under Section 107 of the CGST Act runs from the date of disposal of the rectification application, not the original order. A Division Bench comprising Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice Pranav Trivedi noted the delay in adjudication where a rectification application against an original order dated 12 August 2024 was filed on 5 November 2024, to be decided within...

2017 CBIC Circular On Proper Officers' Powers Under CGST Act Is Valid: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court upheld a 2017 Circular issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) assigning functions to officers under the CGST Act, holding that it is legally valid when issued pursuant to a proposal by the Commissioner in the Board and approved by the Board under Section 168(2) of the CGST Act, 2017. In a judgement dated 2 February 2026, a Bench of Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Ajay Digpaul dismissed a challenge to the validity of Circular No. 3/3/2017,...

No DIN? RFN On GST Orders Enough To Prove Digital Signature: Andhra Pradesh High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has reiterated its view that the presence of a system-generated Reference Number (RFN) on GST orders issued through the portal is sufficient to establish that the document has been digitally signed. A Division Bench of Justice R Raghunandan Rao and Justice T.C.D. Sekhar dismissed a writ petition challenging GST assessment orders on the ground that they lacked physical signatures or a Document Identification Number (DIN). The bench held that once an order is issued...

GST Appellate Authority Cannot Invoke Limitation Act To Condone Delay Beyond One Month: Rajasthan High Court

The Rajasthan High Court has recently held that a GST appellate authority cannot condone delay beyond one additional month after the expiry of the three-month statutory period for filing an appeal, even if sufficient cause is shown. Setting out the law, the court ruled that Section 107(4) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, permits the Appellate Authority to condone delay only up to one month and that it can't take recourse to Section 5 of the Limitation Act to extend that period...

Amicable Settlement In Commercial GST Dispute Allows Quashing of FIR: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court recently quashed an FIR and released the frozen corporate bank accounts of Indian Compressors Ltd., clarifying that where a dispute is essentially commercial and private in nature, and the parties have voluntarily arrived at an amicable settlement, criminal proceedings may be quashed under Section 482 Cr.P.C., even for non-compoundable offences. A Bench of Justice Uday Kumar noted: "Where the dispute is essentially commercial and private in character, and the parties...

GST Appeal Filed Beyond Statutory Limitation Period Cannot Be Condoned: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court has dismissed a writ petition challenging the rejection of a Goods and Services Tax (GST) appeal against a demand order on the ground of limitation, clarifying that a High Court cannot condone delay in filing an appeal beyond the maximum period prescribed by the statute. The Division Bench of Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice Pranav Trivedi dismissed an appeal by M/S. Agarwal Enterprises and cautioned that taxpayers are required to remain vigilant and regularly verify...

Orissa High Court Grants Bail To Accused In ₹ 85 Crore GST Fraud Case

The Orissa High Court recently granted bail to an accused in a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case, where he was alleged to have fraudulently availed Rs. 85 crores of Input Tax Credit (ITC). The Single Bench of Justice G. Satapathy was hearing the accused, who was being prosecuted by the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Bhubaneswar, under provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. The accused was implicated under Sections 132(1)(b) (fraudulently availing input tax...

Seeking To Quash GST Summons During Inquiry Is Essentially Seeking Anticipatory Bail: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has refused to interfere with GST summons issued to two Panipat-based traders, holding that summons under Section 70 of the CGST Act are meant only to aid an inquiry and do not amount to the start of coercive proceedings. Dismissing the challenge, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said that an attempt to quash summons at the inquiry stage is, in substance, an attempt to seek protection from arrest. "Seeking setting aside of Summons, is essentially seeking interim protection or...

Prior GST Payments To Authorities Can Be Adjusted Against Pre-Deposit For Filing Appeal: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has recently held that any money deposited by a taxpayer with the GST authorities, in the facts of the case, prior to filing an appeal under Section 107 of the Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, must be adjusted towards the mandatory pre-deposit required for filing the appeal.In the present case, an interest liability of Rs 1.43 Crore was raised against Excel Vehicles, a unit of My Auto World Kanpur Private Limited, against which the taxpayer preferred an appeal under...