Filing of Annual returns by composition taxpayers – Negative Liability in GSTR-4
Filing of Annual returns by composition taxpayers – Negative Liability in GSTR-4
Composition taxpayers are reporting negative
liability appearing in their GSTR-4 since
FY 2019-20, taxpayers has to pay the liability through Form GST CMP-08 on
quarterly basis while GSTR-4 Return is required to be filed on annual basis
after end of a financial year.
Why is there Negative Liability in GSTR-4?
Taxpayers should fill up table 6 of GSTR-4
mandatorily. In case, there is no liability, the said table may be filled up
with ‘0’ value. If no liability is declared in table 6, it is presumed that no
liability is required to be paid, even though, taxpayer may have paid the
liability through Form GST CMP-08.
In such cases, liability paid through GST
CMP-08 becomes excess tax paid and moves to Negative Liability Statement for
utilization of same for subsequent tax period’s liability.
Where did the tax
payer go wrong?
Liability paid through Form GST CMP-08 is
auto-populated in table 5 of the GSTR-4 for convenience of the taxpayers.
Taxpayers who do not fill up table 6 of GSTR-4 i.e. no liability is declared, even
though, taxpayer may have paid the liability through Form GST CMP-08; since the
‘Tax payable’ in GSTR-4 is computed after reducing the liability declared in
GST CMP-08 and then auto-populated in table 5. Thus, if nothing is declared in
table 6, then the negative liability entry appears in GSTR-4.
How to correct the
negative liability?
If table 6 of GSTR-4 has not been filled due to
oversight, a ticket may be raised to nullify the amount available in negative
liability statement. If there is no liability to be paid during the year, the
liability paid through Form GST CMP-08 shall move to negative liability
statement and the same excess amount can be utilised to pay the liability of
future tax periods.
Source:https://www.caclubindia.com/news/filing-annual-returns-by-composition-taxpayers-negative-liability-gstr-4-20494.asp