What Expenses Can Be Claimed as Input Tax Credit ITC?
This article explains which expenses businesses can claim as Input Tax Credits and how to calculate and claim them.
For small business owners, understanding the ins and outs of ITC will help save a significant amount of money. GST software can help you readily claim the right amount of ITC and meet GST requirements. It simplifies the process and ensures you get the most out of your ITC.
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What is Input Tax Credit?
An input tax credit (ITC) is the tax you already paid when buying goods or services. Deduct this amount from the total tax owed. ITC is a system that guarantees the prevention of axe cascading. Cascading taxes mean levying tax on tax. To learn more, read our complete guide to Input Tax Credit .
Who Can Claim ITC?
Section 16 of the CGST Act outlines a few conditions for claiming ITC. These conditions are as follows:
- Only those with a GST registration and who have submitted their GSTR-2 returns may claim the input tax credit.
- The dealer must possess a tax invoice or debit note from the input service provider.
- You must receive the products, services, or both.
- The supplier has made the GST payment to the government for this supply.
- You can only use the input tax credit when you receive the final batch of goods after purchasing them in parts.
- You cannot claim an input tax credit if you have claimed depreciation on the tax of a capital good.
- The registered taxpayer should pay the supplier within 180 days of invoice ice.
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Eligibility & Conditions for Claiming ITC Under GST
Eligibility For ITC
The following are the eligibility criteria for the input tax credit:
- You can claim input tax credits used for business purposes. You cannot claim credits used for non-business purposes, excluding blocked credits, as input tax credits.
- We give a proportionate credit when you use the product or service for taxable and exempt goods or services.
- Applicable for registered taxpayers only.
- Goods that are zero-rated for tax still allow credits on input goods or services provided.
Eligibility & Conditions for Taking ITC Under GST
Section 16 of the GST Act outlines the eligibility and conditions for taking ITC. A registered person can claim ITC if:
- They have a tax invoice or debit note.
- They have received the goods or services.
- The supplier has paid the tax to the government.
- They have filed the GST return.
General Case: Eligibility and Conditions for Taking Input Tax Credit
Businesses must ensure the following to claim ITC:
- GST-Registered users.
- They have received goods or services.
- They possess a tax invoice or debit note from a supplier.
- The supplier has paid the tax.
- They have filed the required GST returns .
Compliance Conditions: Invoice Rules, Time Limits & 180-Day Payment Rule
Input Tax Credit looks simple on paper, but in practice it is allowed only when some basic eligibility and timing conditions are met. If any of these are missed, ITC can be blocked, reversed or questioned later.
Basic conditions to claim ITC
A registered person can normally claim ITC only if all these are satisfied.
- You have a proper tax invoice/debit note or other prescribed document issued by a registered supplier.
- You have received the goods or services (including receipt in instalments where applicable).
- The supplier has paid the tax to the government through their returns.
- You have furnished your GST return (GSTR-3B) for that period.
If any of these pillars is missing, ITC is technically not available or can be held back.
Invoice rules and timing
- ITC can be taken only against a valid tax invoice which clearly shows GSTINs, invoice number, date, HSN/SAC, taxable value and tax breakup (CGST/SGST/IGST).
- Where goods are received in multiple lots, ITC is available only on receipt of the last lot.
- For debit notes, the time limit to avail ITC is linked to the financial year of the debit note, not the original invoice.
Time limit for availing ITC
There is an outer time limit to claim ITC for a financial year. In simple terms, ITC relating to a particular year must be availed by the earlier of:
- The return for November of the following financial year, or
- The date of filing the annual return for that year.
After this point, any leftover ITC for that year generally lapses, even if basic conditions were otherwise met.
180-day payment rule
There is also a rule connected to payment to the supplier.
- If you have claimed ITC but do not pay the value plus tax to the supplier within 180 days from the date of invoice, you must:
- Reverse the ITC proportionate to the unpaid amount, and
- Pay interest from the date of original credit till the date of reversal.
- Once you actually pay the supplier later, you can re-avail the ITC (without re-paying interest).
This 180-day rule encourages timely payment to suppliers and proper flow of tax in the chain.
Documentation Checklist for Claiming ITC
A clean ITC claim is always supported by strong documentation. This not only helps during department enquiries but also when CAs review books or prepare reconciliations.
A practical checklist looks like this.
1. Registration and master data
- Valid GST registration of your business.
- Updated customer and vendor master with correct GSTIN, address and state.
2. Supplier documents
- Tax invoices with:
- Supplier and recipient GSTIN
- Invoice number and date
- Description of goods/services
- HSN/SAC, quantity, taxable value
- GST rate and amount (CGST/SGST/IGST/cess)
- Debit notes/credit notes, where applicable.
3. Proof of receipt of goods/services
- Goods receipt note (GRN) or delivery challan acknowledgement.
- Lorry receipt, e-way bill details, or transport documents where relevant.
- For services, work completion reports, emails, contracts or usage logs.
4. Payment and accounting records
- Bank statements or payment vouchers showing value plus tax paid to the supplier.
- Proper ledger posting of purchases, expenses and ITC in books.
- Where 180-day rule applies, clear tracking of due dates and reversals.
5. Reconciliation documents
- GSTR-2B / 2A vs purchase register reconciliation working.
- Notes explaining mismatches and their resolution (pending invoices, supplier errors, timing differences).
- Any internal approvals for blocking or releasing specific ITC items.
6. Special cases
- Documentation for capital goods, including asset register and intended use.
- Separate records for exempt, non business and mixed-use inputs (for Rule 42/43 type apportionment).
If these documents are maintained and organised, most ITC disputes can be explained and resolved quickly.
Expenses Eligible for ITC Claims
Companies claim ITC solely for commercial endeavours. This rule excludes expenses for personal use, exempt goods, or goods not eligible for ITC claims. Companies can use ITC to purchase raw materials, packing materials, spare parts, consumables, printing, and stationery items.
Claim ITC on capital goods such as:
- Plant and machinery
- Support structures used for plant and machinery
- Motor vehicles used for transportation of goods
- Repairs required for such transporting trucks
- Electronics, furniture, appliances, etc.
Taxpayers can get tax credits for various expenses. It includes cleaning, rent, internet, cell phones, bank fees, repairs, advertising, legal fees, and conferences.
Blocked / Ineligible ITC Expenses (Section 17(5))
The following commodities or services are not eligible for the input tax credit under GST:
- Businesses use motor vehicles for functional purposes or to offer taxable services. These services include passenger transportation, product transport, vehicle operation instruction, or similar transportation services.
- Registered taxpayers cannot use the goods or services they receive to provide the same type of service. This rule does not apply to outdoor catering, cosmetic and plastic surgery, and health services.
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- If your employer doesn’t provide car rental, life insurance, or health insurance, you may need to get them separately.
- Employees on vacation receive travel benefits such as leave or home travel discounts.
- Goods and services, in addition to equipment, are the main items received for constructing real estate. However, they cannot use them to provide work contract services.
- Goods or services that have received tax payments under the composition program.
- Goods or services purchased for personal use.
- We gave away goods as gifts or samples or disposed of them.
- Tax paid following the discovery of fraud, willful deception, or suppression.
- Individuals pay tax for releasing commodities that authorities have impounded or confiscated.
- They released items that authorities had seized after paying taxes.
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Common Credit in ITC
A company may acquire capital goods, input commodities, and services from outside sources. Additionally, it may use the items and services acquired for private or commercial purposes. Under GST, businesses know the aggregate input tax credit on all such purchases as Proportionate Credit or Common Credit. The taxpayer cannot claim credit for inputs utilised for private purposes. Therefore, you should apply the standard credit when paying the production tax liability.
Utilise the standard credit under two fundamental criteria:
- You can use ITC only for commercial purposes, not for personal use of goods and services.
- ITC is eligible only for selling taxable goods and services.
- ITC does not apply to exempted supplies.
Practical Examples: Eligible, Ineligible & Mixed-Use Scenarios
Examples make ITC rules easier to understand. Here are three simple scenarios you can relate to.
1. Fully eligible ITC – clean case
A manufacturing company buys raw material for ₹10,00,000 + 18% GST (₹1,80,000) from a registered supplier.
- Goods are received at the factory.
- Supplier files GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B correctly, tax appears in the buyer’s GSTR-2B.
- Buyer pays the supplier within 60 days through bank.
- Purchase is used fully for taxable supplies.
Here, the company can safely claim full ITC of ₹1,80,000, subject to time limit and proper documentation.
2. Clearly ineligible ITC – blocked credit
A business buys a motor car primarily for use by its directors, not for further supply of vehicles, nor for an eligible specific business use covered by exceptions.
- Invoice shows GST of ₹2,40,000 on the car.
- Car is used for personal and general office travel, not as a taxi, not for training or resale.
Under the blocked credit rules, ITC on many such motor vehicles is not allowed except in specified cases. So, even though the invoice has GST, this ITC must not be claimed. The GST becomes a cost.
3. Mixed-use scenario – taxable + exempt supplies
A company runs both:
- A taxable trading business, and
- An exempt education service under the same GSTIN.
It purchases office rent and common software services used by both divisions. GST on these comes to ₹1,20,000 for the year and these are treated as common input services.
- Annual taxable turnover = ₹3,00,00,000
- Annual exempt turnover = ₹1,00,00,000
- Total turnover = ₹4,00,00,000
Proportion of exempt turnover = 1,00,00,000 ÷ 4,00,00,000 = 25%
- ITC relating to exempt part (to be reversed) = 25% of ₹1,20,000 = ₹30,000
- Eligible ITC for taxable supplies = ₹90,000
In practice, this apportionment is usually done monthly or for each tax period based on the rules, but the logic remains the same.
Putting it all together, ITC is safest when:
- Invoice and receipt conditions are respected.
- Time limits and 180-day rule are tracked.
- Documentation is complete and reconciled with 2B.
- Mixed-use and blocked credits are identified early and treated carefully.
This discipline keeps the credit chain clean and reduces the risk of future GST demands, interest and disputes.
How to Calculate ITC?
Let’s consider an example to understand better how to calculate the input tax credit.
For Rs. 500, Mr Sharma, a steel manufacturer, purchased raw steel to make steel plates and glasses. He spent another Rs. 100 on more raw materials. Assume that the GST for steel is 18%, and the GST for the other raw materials is 28%. As a result, the business invested Rs. 90 in raw steel and Rs. 28 in different raw materials. Mr Sharma spent a total of Rs. 118 on input tax.
Mr Sharma sells his goods for Rs. 800 plus GST after factoring in the production costs of steel plates and glasses made from other raw materials. If the tax on a steel utensil is 18%, Mr Sharma will generate an invoice for Rs. 944 on the steel plates and glasses, making the tax on his goods Rs. 144. Therefore, Mr Sharma pays the distributor Rs. 144 in GST for each sale. He paid Rs. 118 under GST when he bought his input raw materials. He can now deposit the Rs. 26 difference with the government after subtracting the Rs. 118 he paid toward input GST from the Rs. 144 GST. Retailers and distributors charge GST and are eligible for the Input Tax Credit at all subsequent levels.
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ITC Under Special Cases—ITC for Capital Goods
You can use any input tax credit applicable to capital items simultaneously. If someone has already claimed ITC depreciation for their GST, they cannot claim ITC for capital items. Either income tax depreciation or ITC claims are options.
Read more on this in our article on ITC on Capital Goods .
ITC on Job Work
One may claim an ITCon item or capital goods given to an employee for that work. The employee can enter items as expenses even if given to her outside work, which means she can still claim them as business expenses.
The location where she received the item doesn’t matter; she can still document it for reimbursement. If the employer does not accept the items back within a year, they assume they gave them to the employee when they were sent. The employer must return the items within a year. If not, the company considers them given to the employee.
Learn more about this concept in our article on ITC on Job Work .
ITC Provided by Input Service Distributor
A GST-registered person’s branch, central, or registered office can be input service distributors. ISD collects taxes on purchases and distributes them to different categories, such as IGST, CGST, SGST/UTGST , or cess. For more information, we recommend read our guide to input service distributors .
ITC on Transfer of Business
Business transfers, mergers, and combinations are eligible for ITC claims. The transferor will have ITC available on the business transfer date and can transfer it to the payee.
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Conclusion
Input tax credit in GST helps businesses grow by avoiding double taxation and ensuring a smooth tax flow. The above requirements determine the eligibility of expenses covered by the input tax credit.
Businesses can only get tax credits for taxes paid on goods and services used for business, not personal use. Businesses can only claim Input Tax Credits for taxes paid on items used for business activities. Personal expenses are not eligible for Input Tax Credits.
You cannot claim ITC when selling exempted goods because you do not collect tax. It means there is no tax to offset your input tax. Consider using a powerful GST Accounting Software like BUSY to help maximise your Input Tax Credit through complete GST compliance .
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