GST on Charitable and Religious Trusts: The provisions relating to taxation of activities of charitable institutions and religious trusts have been borrowed and carried over from the erstwhile service tax provisions. All services provided by such entities are not exempt. In fact, there are many services that are provided by such entities which would be within the ambit of GST.
GST on Charitable and Religious Trusts
Notification No.12/2017-Central Tax (Rate) dated 28th June 2017 exempts services provided by entity registered under Section 12AA of the Income-tax Act, 1961 by way of charitable activities from whole of GST vide entry No. 1 of the notification, which specifies that “services by an entity registered under Section 12AA of Income-tax Act, 1961 by way of charitable activities” are exempt from whole of the GST. Thus as per this notification, exemption is given to the charitable trusts, only if the following conditions are satisfied.- (a) Entities must be registered under Section 12AA of the Incometax Act, and
- (b) Such services or activities by the entity are by way of charitable activities.
- (I) terminally ill persons or persons with severe physical or mental disability;
- (II) persons afflicted with HIV or AIDS;
- (III) persons addicted to a dependence-forming substance such as narcotics drugs or alcohol; or
- (A) abandoned, orphaned or homeless children;
(B) physically or mentally abused and traumatized persons; - (C) prisoners; or
- (D) persons over the age of 65 years residing in a rural area;
(iv) preservation of environment including watershed, forests and wildlife.
This notification makes the exemption to charitable trusts available for charitable activities more specific. While the income from only those activities listed above is exempt from GST, income from the activities other than those mentioned above is taxable. Thus, there could be many services provided by charitable and religious trust which are not considered as charitable activities and hence, such services come under the GST net. The indicative list of such services could be renting of premises by such entities, grant of sponsorship and advertising rights during conduct of events/functions etc.(a) conduct of any religious ceremony;
(b) renting of precincts of a religious place meant for general public, owned or managed by an entity registered as a charitable or religious trust under section 12AA of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as the Income-tax Act) or a trust or an institution registered under sub clause (v) of clause (23C) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act or a body or an authority covered under clause (23BBA) of section 10 of the said Incometax Act:- (i) renting of rooms where charges are one thousand rupees or more per day;
- (ii) renting of premises, community halls, kalyanmandapam or open area, and the like where charges are ten thousand rupees or more per day;
- (iii) renting of shops or other spaces for business or commerce where charges are ten thousand rupees or more per month.
The term “religious place” as per the clause (zy) of the said notification means “a place which is primarily meant for conduct of prayers or worship pertaining to a religion, meditation, or spirituality”. Dictionary meaning of “precincts” is an area within the walls or perceived boundaries of a particular building or place, an enclosed or clearly defined area of ground around a cathedral, church, temple, college, etc.
This implies that if immovable properties owned by charitable trusts like marriage hall, convention hall, rest house for pilgrims, shops situated within the premises of a religious place are rented out, income from letting out of such property is wholly exempt from GST. But if such properties are not situated in the precincts of a religious place meaning thereby not within walls or boundary walls of the religious place, income from such letting out will lose this exemption and income from it will be liable to GST.Similarly, entry No.80 of notification no.12/2017-Central Tax (Rate), provides the following exemption to an entity registered under Section 12AA.
Services by way of training or coaching in recreational activities relating to:- (a) arts or culture, or
- (b) sports by charitable entities registered under section 12AA of the Income-tax Act.
GST on management of educational institutions by charitable trusts
If trusts are running schools, colleges or any other educational institutions specifically for abandoned, orphans, homeless children, physically or mentally abused persons, prisoners or persons over age of 65 years or above residing in a rural area, such activities will be considered as charitable activities and income from such supplies will be wholly exempt from GST.Meaning of the word rural area defined in said notification is rural area means the area comprised in a village as defined in land revenue records excluding the area under any municipal committee, municipal corporation, town area committee, cantonment board or notified area committee or any area that may be notified as an urban area by the Central Government or a State Government.
Import of Services
Also as per the entry no. 10 of Notification no.9/2017-Integrated Tax (Rate) dated 28.06.2017, if charitable trusts registered under Section 12AA of Income-tax Act receives any services from provider of services located in non-taxable territory, for charitable purposes, such services received are not chargeable to GST under the reverse charge mechanism.- (1) Transportation of students, faculty and staff of the eligible educational institution.
- (2) Catering service including any mid-day meals scheme sponsored by the Government.
- (3) Security or cleaning or house-keeping services in such educational institution.
- (4) Services relating to admission to such institution or conduct of examination.
If such school or other educational institution gives property owned by such institution on rent to others, no exemption will be available for such services. Therefore, all services received by educational institutions managed by charitable trusts (for other than charitable activities, as defined) except those services mentioned above are taxable.
GST on arranging yoga and meditation camp by charitable trusts
Charitable trusts organise yoga camps or other fitness camps and they generally are not free for participants, as trusts charge some amount from the participants in the name of accommodation or participation. If trusts are arranging residential or non-residential yoga camps by receiving donation or other charges from the participants, these will not be considered charitable activities (as it is different from advancement of religion , spirituality or yoga). Since donation is received for participation, it will be considered commercial activity and it will definitely be covered under the GST. Similarly, if charitable trusts organise fitness camps in reiki, aerobics, etc., and receive donation from participants, such income that comes under health and fitness services and will also be taxable.\GST on running of public libraries by charitable trusts
GST on hospital managed by charitable trusts
Entry no. 74 of Notification No. 12/2017-Central Tax Rate (applicable to all persons including charitable trusts) exempts healthcare services at clinical establishment, an authorised medical professional or paramedics. As per clause (zg), health care services means any service by way of diagnosis or treatment or care for illness, injury, deformity, abnormality or pregnancy in any recognised system of medicines in India and includes services by way of transportationof the patient to and from a clinical establishment, but does not include hair transplant or cosmetic or plastic surgery, except when undertaken to restore or to reconstruct anatomy or functions of body affected due to congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, injury or trauma. Therefore, all treatment or diagnosis or care for illness, injury, deformity, abnormality or pregnancy by a clinical establishment is covered. Such services provided by doctors and paramedics either provided as an employee (clinical establishment) or in their individual capacity is exempt. Transportation of patients to and from a clinical establishment is also exempt. The clinical establishment, as per clause (s),means a hospital, nursing home, clinic, sanatorium or any other institution by, whatever name called, that offers services or facilities requiring diagnosis or treatment or care for illness, injury, deformity, abnormality or pregnancy in any recognised system of medicines in India, or a place established as an independent entity or a part of an establishment to carry out diagnostic or investigative services of diseases.
So, if charitable trusts run a hospital and appoint specialist doctors, nurses and provide medical services to patients at a concessional rate, such services are not liable to GST. If hospitals hire visiting doctors/ specialists and these deduct some money from consultation/visit fees payable to doctors and the agreement between hospital and consultant doctors is such that some money is charged for providing services to doctors, there may be GST on such amount deducted from fees paid to doctors.GST on services provided to charitable trusts
GST on supply of goods by Charitable Trusts
There is no exemption for supply of goods by charitable trusts. Thus any goods supplied by such charitable trusts for consideration shall be liable to GST. For instance, sale of goods shall be chargeable to GST.Recommended Articles