Clarification on Taxability of Shares Held by a Holding Company in a Subsidiary – Circular No. 196/08/2023-GST
<p>Circular No. 196/08/2023-GST clarifies whether the holding of shares by a holding company in a subsidiary company qualifies as a 'supply of service' under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime and whether such transactions attract GST. This clarification aims to resolve confusion and ensure uniformity in the interpretation and implementation of GST laws across different field formations.</p><p><strong>Key Highlights:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Shares as Securities, Not Goods or Services</strong>: The circular highlights that shares held by a holding company in a subsidiary do not qualify as goods or services under the CGST Act. According to the definition of securities under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, shares are classified as securities and thus fall outside the scope of goods and services under GST.</li><li><strong>No GST on Holding Shares</strong>: The activity of holding shares in a subsidiary does not constitute a supply of services, even if the holding company owns a controlling interest. This means that simply holding shares of a subsidiary does not trigger GST liability.</li><li><strong>Clarification on Service Classification</strong>: The circular specifically addresses the potential misinterpretation of the SAC (Services Accounting Code) entry '997171,' which mentions services provided by holding companies for owning controlling interests. It clarifies that this SAC does not imply that holding shares in a subsidiary is a supply of services unless there is an actual service being provided to the subsidiary in accordance with Section 7 of the CGST Act.</li><li><strong>No GST on Purchase or Sale of Shares</strong>: Additionally, the purchase or sale of shares is not treated as a supply of goods or services, and thus, these transactions do not attract GST by default.</li></ul><p>This circular resolves potential disputes and uncertainties regarding the taxability of shares held by a holding company in its subsidiary, clarifying that such activities do not attract GST under the current provisions.</p><p><a href="https://cms.plasament.com/storage/chirag-singla/circular-cgst-196.pdf">circular-cgst-196</a><br> </p>