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2024 (2) TMI 1121 - MADRAS HIGH COURTRefund claim - export of service - zero rated supply - receipt in convertible foreign exchange - Paypal directly credits the amounts received in Indian currency directly into the petitioner's account. - whether the petitioner is entitled for refund of the tax borne on input and final service exported to its overseas customers? - HELD THAT:- There is no dispute that the petitioner is providing services of its clients through its online portal to customers/client. The payments for the services provided by the petitioner are routed through an intermediary namely Paypal with whom the petitioner has an arrangement - As an intermediary, Paypal directly credits the amounts received in Indian currency directly into the petitioner's account. As far as export proceeds, the amounts are received in convertible foreign exchange by the said intermediary namely Paypal. The amounts are first credited into its account with CITI Bank of the said intermediary namely Paypal. Thereafter, amounts in Indian currency are transferred from the intermediaries CITI Bank account to the petitioner's account with HDFC Bank after deduction of its service charges. As per Regulation 3(2)(b) of the Foreign Exchange Management (Manner of Receipt and Payment) Regulations, 2016 any other mode of receipt of export proceeds for an export from India in accordance with the directions issued by the Reserve Bank of India to authorized dealers from time to time - Thus, if payments are routed through an intermediary to person like petitioner, the intermediary should be an authorised person to receive such payment in convertible foreign exchange. As an intermediary, the petitioner is required to only credit the amounts in convertible foreign exchange into Reserve Bank of India. Merely because the receipts are rooted through the intermediary and received in Indian currency ipso facto would not mean that the petitioner has not exported services within the meaning of Section 2(6) of the IGST Act, 2017. Receipt of payment by an intermediary for and on behalf of its client like the petitioner will qualify as payment received by the client. As the only requirement is with the payments received is freely convertible foreign exchange has to be directly remitted into the authorized dealers account as otherwise an intermediary will be violate the requirements of the foreign exchange. Thus, without doubt, the petitioner is entitled for refund. Reference to Circular No.88/07/2019-GST dated 01.02.2019 to concluded that the petitioner has not realized the amount in freely convertible foreign exchange therefore cannot be countenanced. The impugned order passed by the 1st respondent Additional Commissioner (Appeals I) upholding the orders passed by the 2nd respondent is unsustainable and is therefore liable to be set aside and is accordingly set aside - Petition allowed.
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