Input Service Distributor (ISD) under GST:

An ISD is a type of taxpayer registered as an ISD under GST for distribution of ITC proportionally to its branches having the same PAN as ISD but different GSTN by issuing ISD invoices.
Know All About ISD under GST

Input Service Distributor (ISD) under GST
UPDATE: From 1st April 2025, Businesses must take Input Service Distributor (ISD) registration for distribution of common Input Tax Credit (ITC). They no Longer have option of cross charge method. What is ISD under GST? The concept of Input Service Distributor (ISD) under GST has being emerged from Service tax law, which provides the supplier of goods or services or both to distribute common Input Tax Credit available to his other units located in different states having separate GSTIN on same PAN, since there is no concept of centralized registration in GST. Definition of ISD As per Section2(61)of CGST Act, 2017, "Input Service Distributor" means an office of the supplier of goods or services or both whichreceives tax invoicesissued under section 31 towards thereceipt of input servicesand issues a prescribed document for the purposes of distributing the credit of central tax, State tax, integrated tax or Union territory tax paid on the said services to a supplier of taxable goods or services or both having the same Permanent Account Number as that of the said office It is important to note that the ISD mechanism is meant only for distributing the credit on common invoices pertaining to input services only and not goods (inputs or capital goods). Manner of Distribution of Credit by Input Service Distributor As per Section 20 of CGST Act, 2017The Input Service Distributor shall distribute the credit of central tax as central tax or integrated tax and integrated tax as integrated tax or central tax, by way of issue of a document containing the amount of input tax credit being distributed in such manner as may be prescribed. ISD may distribute the credit in the following manner:| Credit of | CGST | IGST |
| Credit as | CGST (If Recipient is in Same State) | IGST (If Recipient is in other State) |
| IGST (If Recipient is in other State) | CGST (If Recipient is in same State) |
(i) if the recipients of credit have turnover in their States or Union territories in the financial year preceding the year during which credit is to be distributed, the said financial year; or
(ii) if some or all recipients of the credit do not have any turnover in their States or Union territories in the financial year preceding the year during which the credit is to be distributed, the last quarter for which details of such turnover of all the recipients are available, previous to the month during which credit is to be distributed;
(b) the expression recipient of credit means the supplier of goods or services or both having the same Permanent Account Number as that of the Input Service Distributor; (c) the term turnover, in relation to any registered person engaged in the supply of taxable goods as well as goods not taxable under this Act, means the value of turnover, reduced by the amount of any duty or tax levied under entry 84 of List I of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution and entries 51 and 54 of List II of the said Schedule. Recovery of Excess Credit Distributed: As per Section 21 of CGST Act, 2017 Where the Input Service Distributor distributes the credit in contravention of the provisions contained in section 20 resulting in excess distribution of credit to one or more recipients of credit, the excess credit so distributed shall be recovered from such recipients along with interest, and the provisions of section 73 or section 74, as the case may be, shall, mutatis mutandis, apply for determination of amount to be recovered. Procedure for distribution of ITC by ISD [Rule 39] Rule 39 of CGST Rule. Procedure for distribution of input tax credit by Input Service Distributor.- (1) An Input Service Distributor shall distribute input tax credit in the manner and subject to the following conditions, namely,- (a) the input tax credit available for distribution in a month shall be distributed in the same month, and the details thereof shall be furnished in FORM GSTR-6 in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII of these rules; (b) The ISD shall, in accordance with clause iv, separately distribute the amount of- Ineligible ITC [Section 17(5) of CGST Act, 2017
- Eligible ITC;
(i) reduced from the amount to be distributed in the month in which the credit note is included in the return in FORM GSTR-6; or
(ii) added to the output tax liability of the recipient where the amount so apportioned is in the negative by virtue of the amount of credit under distribution being less than the amount to be adjusted.
(2) If the amount of input tax credit distributed by an Input Service Distributor is reduced later on for any other reason for any of the recipients, including that it was distributed to a wrong recipient by the Input Service Distributor, the process specified in clause (j) of sub-rule (1) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, for reduction of credit. (3) Subject to sub-rule (2), the Input Service Distributor shall, on the basis of the Input Service Distributor credit note specified in clause (h) of sub-rule (1), issue an Input Service Distributor invoice to the recipient entitled to such credit and include the Input Service Distributor credit note and the Input Service Distributor invoice in the return in FORM GSTR-6 for the month in which such credit note and invoice was issued. Tax Invoice for Credit Distribution As per Rule 54 of CGST Rules, 2017, an ISD have to issue an ISD Invoice for the distribution of credit to his other units having separate GSTIN. Submission of Return by an ISD Every ISD shall, on the basis of details contained in FORM GSTR-6A [Auto Populated], and where required, after adding, correcting or deleting the details, furnish electronically the return in FORM GSTR-6, containing the details of tax invoices on which credit has been received and those issued under section 20. Frequently Asked Questions (i) Whether CGST can be distributed as SGST and whether SGST can be distributed as CGST within the states and between the states Ans. No. Section 20(1) does not permit the distribution of CGST as SGST and vice versa. This flows from the fundamentals of the GST law, wherein the credit of CGST cannot be utilized against SGST and vice versa. (ii) Whether the Input Service Distributor is liable to furnish details of inward and outward supplies Ans. Input Service Distributor is not liable to furnish the details of inward and outward supplies. Input Service Distributor is liable to file a return in GSTR-6 on or before the 13th of the month succeeding the tax period. The details relating to input tax credit distributed are communicated to the recipient in Part B of GSTR-2A. (iii) Is ISD required to file an Annual Return Ans. No, ISD is not required to file an Annual Return. Examples 1. XYZ Ltd as an ISD has input service credit of 55 lakhs used by more than one location, to be distributed among recipients locations X, Y and Z. The turnover of X, Y, and Z in the preceding financial year was 30 crores, 15 crores and 5 crores, respectively. The credit of 5 lakhs pertains to input service received only by Z. The credit attributable to X, Y, and Z are as follows:| Particulars | Amount (in Rs.) |
| Total Credit to be distributed as ISD | 55 Lakhs |
| Credit of service used only by Z location | 5 Lakhs |
| Credit available for distribution for all units | 50 Lakhs |
| Credit distributable to X | 30 Lakhs |
| (30 crores / 50 crores * 50 Lakhs) | |
| Credit distributable to Y | 15 Lakhs |
| (15 crores /50 crores * 50 Lakhs) | |
| Credit distributable to Z | 10 Lakhs |
| (5 crores / 50 crores * 50 Lakhs =5 Lakhs) | |
| (Credit directly attributable to Z =5 Lakhs) |
| (i) | - | CGST paid on services used only for Mumbai Unit: Rs. 300000/- |
| (ii) | - | IGST, CGST & SGST paid on services used for all units: Rs. 1200000/- |
| (iii) | - | Total Turnover of the units for the Financial Year 2017-18 are as follows:- |
| Unit | Turnover (Rs.) |
| Mumbai | 5,00,00,000 |
| Jaipur | 3,00,00,000 |
| Delhi | 2,00,00,000 |
| Total | 10,00,00,000 |
| Particulars | Total Credit Available | Mumbai | Jaipur | Delhi |
| CGST paid on services used only for Delhi Unit. | 3,00,000 | 3,00,000 | - | - |
| IGST, CGST & SGST paid on services used in all units- Distribution on pro rata basis to all the units which are operational in the current year (Refer Note1) | 12,00,000 | 6,00,000 | 3,60,000 | 2,40,000 |
| Total | 15,00,000 | 9,00,000 | 3,60,000 | 2,40,000 |
| (a) | - | Unit Mumbai: (50000000/100000000)*1200000 = Rs. 600000/- |
| (b) | - | Unit Jaipur: (30000000/100000000)*1200000 = Rs. 360000- |
| (c) | - | Unit Delhi: (20000000/100000000)*1200000 = Rs. 240000/- |
| (a) | - | If the recipient of credit has turnover in their State in the preceeding financial year of the year in which credit is distributed Such financial year. |
| (b) | - | If some or all recipients do not have any turnover in their State in the preceeding financial year of the year in which credit is distributed, the Last quarter for which details of such turnover of all the recipients are available, previous to the month during which credit is to be distributed. |
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