Whether closing stock be adjusted for Target Incentive Discounts received from suppliers and GST Treatment, Goods and Services Tax - GST

[PANKAJ MASKARA]

Can Target Incentive Discounts received from suppliers be reduced from the value of closing stock? What is the correct GST treatment for such discounts?

Also, if the discount is not adjusted, it result in overstated profit because the Unsold closing stock is shown at a higher value.

Posts / Replies

[Ramanathan Seshan]

Dear Pankaj-sir,

Yes, Target Incentive Discounts (also called year-end or volume-based discounts) received from suppliers can and often should be adjusted against the value of closing stock, provided certain conditions are met. Let’s break this into two parts: accounting treatment and GST treatment under Indian law.

🔹 1. Accounting Treatment of Target Incentive Discounts

Yes, such discounts should ideally reduce the cost of purchases, and consequently, reduce the value of closing stock if they relate to the goods still in stock. This aligns with the matching principle and ensures profit is not overstated.

• Rationale: If you received goods with an implicit discount (incentive), the effective cost of those goods has reduced. If unsold stock is carried at the higher cost (before discount), it inflates the closing stock value and overstates profit.

• How to adjust:

  • If the discount is known and quantifiable at year-end, you should apportion it over the related inventory.

  • Journal Entry:

    plaintext

    CopyEdit

    Supplier Incentive Receivable A/c Dr To Purchase A/c / Inventory A/c

🔹 2. GST Treatment of Target Incentive Discounts

Under Section 15 of the CGST Act, discounts can reduce the taxable value (and thus GST liability) only if:

✅ Conditions for GST Reduction:

1. The discount is established in terms of a pre-agreed contract (i.e., known at or before the time of supply), and

2. The recipient reverses the proportionate Input Tax Credit (ITC) related to the discount.

🔸 Types of Discounts:

Type	GST Treatment	Accounting Treatment
Pre-supply Discount (e.g., trade discount shown on invoice)	Excluded from taxable value (no GST)	Reduces purchase cost
Post-supply Discount (e.g., year-end incentive)	Can reduce taxable value only if pre-agreed and ITC is reversed	Reduces cost of inventory if related to closing stock

🔹 3. What If Discount Is Not Adjusted?

If the Target Incentive Discount is not adjusted:

• Profit is overstated (closing stock is shown at higher cost).

• Financial statements do not reflect true performance.

• Taxable income may be higher (leading to more income tax).

• GST ITC remains unaffected unless reversed or credit note is issued as per GST norms.

✅ Summary:

Aspect	Treatment
Accounting	Reduce cost of inventory/purchases if discount relates to unsold goods
GST	Allowed only if pre-agreed and ITC reversed; else no adjustment
If Not Adjusted	Overstated profit and mismatched inventory valuation

Regards,

S Ram

[YAGAY andSUN]

Accounting and GST Treatment of Target Incentive Discounts (TID)

1. Can Target Incentive Discounts be Reduced from Closing Stock Value?

Yes, from an accounting and income tax perspective, Target Incentive Discounts (TID) received from suppliers can and should be apportioned to inventory cost, especially if they are linked to purchases and achieved based on cumulative targets.

According to:

• ICDS-II (Valuation of Inventory) under Income Tax Act

• AS-2 / Ind AS-2 on Inventory Valuation,

Purchase cost includes all discounts and rebates (including target-based) that are linked to purchase volume or milestones.

If the discount relates to past purchases that are still unsold, a proportion of the TID should logically be reduced from the closing stock value, failing which the inventory would be overvalued, and profit overstated — as you rightly pointed out.

2. GST Treatment of Target Incentive Discounts

Under Section 15(3) of the CGST Act, a discount is allowed as a deduction from the value of supply only if:

• It is known at the time of supply (e.g., mentioned in agreement/invoice), or

• If given after supply, then:

  • It must be established in terms of a pre-existing agreement,

  • It must be linked to specific invoices, and

  • The recipient must reverse ITC proportionately.

In the case of TIDs:

• They are usually given after supply, based on achieving a purchase target over a period.

• If the agreement meets the above conditions, suppliers can issue a credit note under Section 34, and you must reverse the corresponding ITC.

• If conditions are not satisfied (e.g., discount not linked to specific invoices), the supplier cannot reduce the GST liability, and the discount is treated as a financial credit (non-GST impact).

✅ Summary Table

Aspect	Treatment
Accounting (Closing Stock)	Yes, proportionate TID should reduce inventory value
Income Tax (ICDS/AS-2)	TID reduces cost of purchase, hence affects closing stock
GST (Supplier Side)	Can reduce value only if conditions in Sec 15(3) are met
GST (Recipient Side)	ITC reversal required if credit note issued and matched to invoices