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2022 (9) TMI 726 - NAPA - GSTProfiteering - purchase of flat - it is alleged that the Respondent had not passed on the commensurate benefit of input tax credit (ITC) to him by way of commensurate reduction in price against payments due to him - contravention of section 171 of CGST Act - Penalty - HELD THAT:- The Authority determines that the Respondent has realized an additional amount of Rs. 1,56,77,149/- which includes both the profiteered amount @ 2.44% of the taxable amount (base price) and GST @ 12% on the said profiteered amount from the 71 home buyers/shop buyers/ recipients of supply including Applicant No. 1 during the period from 01.07.2017 to 30.09.2019 which was required to be passed on the eligible home buyers of his impugned project. The details of eligible home buyers/shop buyers/ recipients of supply to whom supply has been made by Respondent in the impugned Project and from whom additional amount on account of benefit of ITC had been realized by the Respondent during the aforesaid period along with details of such additional amount is given in Annexure-’A’ to this Order. Since, all the home buyers/shop buyers/ recipients of supply are identifiable as per the documents placed on record and therefore, the Respondent is directed to pass on the profiteered amount along with the interest @ 18% per annum (from the dates from which the said profiteered amount was collected by him from each of them till the date such amount is passed on/returned/refunded), if not already passed on / returned / refunded, within a period of 3 months from the date of passing of this Order as per the details mentioned in Annexure-‘A’, failing which the said amounts shall be recovered as per the provisions of the CGST Act, 2017 - this Authority under Rule 133 (3) (a) of the CGST Rules, 2017 orders that the Respondents shall reduce the prices to be realized from the home buyers/shop buyers/ recipients of supply in the above Project commensurate with the benefit of ITC received by him. Penalty - HELD THAT:- The Respondent has denied the benefit of ITC to the buyers of his flats/customers/recipients in contravention of the provisions of Section 171 (1) of the CGST Act, 2017. The Authority holds that the Respondent has committed an offence by violating the provisions of Section 171 (1) during the period from 01.07.2017 to 30.09.2019, and therefore, he is liable for imposition of penalty under the provisions of Section 171 (3A) of the above Act. However, perusal of the provisions of the said Section 171 (3A) shows that it has been inserted in the CGST Act, 2017 w.e.f. 01.01.2020 vide Section 112 of the Finance Act, 2019 and it was not in operation during the period from 01.07.2017 to 30.09.2019. Hence, the said penalty under Section 171 (3A) cannot be imposed on the Respondent retrospectively i.e. with respect to the period to which this Order relates. The Authority has a reason to believe that since the Respondent has been found to have contravened the provisions of Section 171 of the CGST Act 2017 in respect of the subject project “Bhagwati Eminence” and hence there is every possibility that similar contravention may has taken place with his other projects. This Authority in terms of Rule 133 (5)(a) of the CGST Rules 2017 also directs the DGAP to investigate profiteering in relation to other Projects executed by the Respondent if any, under the provision of section 171 of the CGST Act 2017. This Order having been passed today falls within the limitation prescribed under Rule 133(1) of the CGST Rules, 2017.
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