Question
If Company Have its own Webportal and it
selling goods through it and receiving payments online from its own website
the transaction is purely B2C
Is the company is eCommerce operator as it is not providing platform to other
seller?
is TCS provision is applicable as it is dealing in only B2C?
is company have to take Registration as ecommerce operator?
what are the compliances in gst if ecommerce operator
Answer
Facts of the case:
The company is selling it's own goods and receiving payments online through it's
own website. No other supplier is involved and the company is directly dealing
with it's clients resulting in a B2C transaction.
Law Applicable:
(i) As per 2(45) CGST the e-Commerce operator has been defined as follows;
"any person who owns, operates or manages digital or electronic facility or
platform for electronic commerce"
(ii) Section 2(44) clarifies that electronic commerce is;
"supply of goods or services or both, including digital products over digital or
electronic network"
(iii) The responsibility of TCS is bestowed under section 52(1) on;
"Every electronic commerce operator, not being an agent, shall collect an amount
calculated at such rate not exceeding one per cent., of the net value of taxable
supplies made through it by other suppliers where the consideration with respect
to such supplies is to be collected by the operator."
Interpretation:
Since the company supplies goods over digital network therefore it does
electronic commerce u/s 2(44). The website is owned, operated and managed by the
company itself therefore it is covered by the definition u/s 2(45) and the
company can be called e-Commerce operator.
However this does not mean that provisions of TCS are applicable on this
company. Because section 52(1) prescribes those eCommerce operators who supply
goods/services of others suppliers through it's digital network.
The GST portal provides the following category of registrations being;
(i) Taxpayer
(ii) Tax Deductor
(iii) Tax collector (e Commerce)
(iv) GST practitioner
(v) Non Resident Taxable Person
(vi) United Nation Body
(vii) Consolate or Embassy or Foreign Country
(viii) Other Notified Person
(ix) Non Resident Online Service Provider
This company is Ecommerce operator by the definition given under section 2(45)
but by operation of 52(1) it is not required to collect tax at source. And
therefore the company need not get registration under the category (iii) above,
i.e as a eCommerce operator.
Registration must be under category (i) above, i.e Taxpayer (normal).
If the website is selling goods of units located in different states (or
different business vertical in same state having different registeration) then
this will be a supply to distinct person and thus registeration as eCommerce
operator will be needed.
Conclusion:
The company is eCommerce operator by the virtue of definition but it need not
collect tax at source and thus normal registration is needed.
Registration as eCommerce operator will be needed if supply of any other person
(even a different distinct person being another branch office with different
registerstion) is made through the website. (Reply dt.09/04/2019)