The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017
Section 16. Zero rated supply.
The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017
Bare Act
(1) "zero rated supply" means any of the following supplies of goods or services or both, namely:---
(a) export of goods or services or both; or
(b) supply of goods or services or both 1[for authorised operations] to a Special Economic Zone developer or a Special Economic Zone unit.
(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (5) of section 17 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, credit of input tax may be availed for making zero-rated supplies, notwithstanding that such supply may be an exempt supply.
2[(3) A registered person making zero rated supply shall be eligible to claim refund of unutilised input tax credit on supply of goods or services or both, without payment of integrated tax, under bond or Letter of Undertaking, in accordance with the provisions of section 54 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act or the rules made thereunder, subject to such conditions, safeguards and procedure as may be prescribed:
Provided that the registered person making zero rated supply of goods shall, in case of non-realisation of sale proceeds, be liable to deposit the refund so received under this sub-section along with the applicable interest under section 50 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act within thirty days after the expiry of the time limit prescribed under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999) for receipt of foreign exchange remittances, in such manner as may be prescribed.
(4) The Government may, on the recommendation of the Council, and subject to such conditions, safeguards and procedures, by notification, specify---
(i) a class of persons who may make zero rated supply on payment of integrated tax and claim refund of the tax so paid 3[in accordance with the provisions of section 54 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act or the rules made thereunder];
(ii) a class of goods or services 4[or both, on zero rated supply of which, the supplier may pay integrated tax and claim the refund of tax so paid, in accordance with the provisions of section 54 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act or the rules made thereunder].]
5[(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (3) and (4), no refund of unutilised input tax credit on account of zero rated supply of goods or of integrated tax paid on account of zero rated supply of goods shall be allowed where such zero rated supply of goods are subjected to export duty.]
Judgments on Section 16
- Holoflex Ltd & Anr vs Union Of India & Ors — Delhi High Court, 23 Mar 2026. Failure to furnish a Bill of Export cannot, by itself, justify denial of EPCG export benefits where supplies to an SEZ unit satisfy the FTP definition of 'deemed export' and are otherwise proved by collateral evidence…
- Numinous Impex (I) Pvt. Ltd vs The Commissioner Of Customs — Madras High Court, 8 Apr 2022. Where the All Industry Rate of duty drawback is identical under both the CENVAT-availed and CENVAT-not-availed columns of the drawback schedule, the exporter has not claimed a 'higher rate of drawback', and mere claim…
- M/S. Sopariwala Export Pvt. Ltd vs Joint Commissioner, Cgst And Central Excise — Gujarat High Court, 9 May 2025. In the absence of a notification founded on a GST Council recommendation, a court cannot itself exempt export supplies from Compensation Cess, but it may keep the levy in abeyance and urge the GST Council to consider…