Section 132, Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 [S10-AGA]
As at 7 September 2026. In force from 1 July 2017 by Notification No. 9/2017-Central Tax, dated 28-6-2017 [N10-27X].
132. Punishment for certain offences.—
(1) Whoever commits, or causes to commit and retain the benefits arising out of, any of the following offences, namely:-
(a) supplies any goods or services or both without issue of any invoice, in violation of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder, with the intention to evade tax;
(b) issues any invoice or bill without supply of goods or services or both in violation of the provisions of this Act, or the rules made thereunder leading to wrongful availment or utilisation of input tax credit or refund of tax;
(c) avails input tax credit using the invoice or bill referred to in clause (b) or fraudulently avails input tax credit without any invoice or bill;
(d) collects any amount as tax but fails to pay the same to the Government beyond a period of three months from the date on which such payment becomes due;
(e) evades tax ****or fraudulently obtains refund and where such offence is not covered under clauses (a) to (d);
(f) falsifies or substitutes financial records or produces fake accounts or documents or furnishes any false information with an intention to evade payment of tax due under this Act;
(g) ****;
(h) acquires possession of, or in any way concerns himself in transporting, removing, depositing, keeping, concealing, supplying, or purchasing or in any other manner deals with, any goods which he knows or has reasons to believe are liable to confiscation under this Act or the rules made thereunder;
(i) receives or is in any way concerned with the supply of, or in any other manner deals with any supply of services which he knows or has reasons to believe are in contravention of any provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder;
(j) ****;
(k) ****; or
(l) attempts to commit, or abets the commission of any of the offences mentioned in clauses (a) to (f) and clauses (h) and (i) of this section,
shall be punishable-
(i) in cases where the amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken exceeds five hundred lakh rupees, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and with fine;
(ii) in cases where the amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken exceeds two hundred lakh rupees but does not exceed five hundred lakh rupees, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine;
(iii) in the case of an offence specified in clause (b), where the amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken exceeds one hundred lakh rupees but does not exceed two hundred lakh rupees, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and with fine;
(iv) in cases where he commits or abets the commission of an offence specified in clause (f) ****, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine or with both.
(2) Where any person convicted of an offence under this section is again convicted of an offence under this section, then, he shall be punishable for the second and for every subsequent offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and with fine.
(3) The imprisonment referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of sub-section (1) and sub-section (2) shall, in the absence of special and adequate reasons to the contrary to be recorded in the judgment of the Court, be for a term not less than six months.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, all offences under this Act, except the offences referred to in sub-section (5) shall be non- cognizable and bailable.
(5) The offences specified in clause (a) or clause (b) or clause (c) or clause (d) of sub-section (1) and punishable under clause (i) of that sub-section shall be cognizable and non-bailable.
(6) A person shall not be prosecuted for any offence under this section except with the previous sanction of the Commissioner.
Explanation.- For the purposes of this section, the term " tax" shall include the amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or refund wrongly taken under the provisions of this Act, the State Goods and Services Tax Act, the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act or the Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Act and cess levied under the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act.
Defined terms in this text (16)
act: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): (2) "act", used with reference to an offence or a civil wrong, shall include a series of acts, and words which refer to acts done extend also to illegal omissions;
act: 363 more definitions.
Commissioner: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): (14) "Commissioner" shall mean the chief officer-in-charge of the revenue administration of a division;
Commissioner: 46 more definitions.
Court: Section 2, Indian Tolls Act, 1851 [S11B35] (In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—): "court" means a court of civil jurisdiction and includes a tribunal constituted under this Act
Court: Section 2, Indian Tolls Act, 1864 [S12AQM] (In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—): "court" means a court of civil jurisdiction and includes a tribunal constituted under this Act
Court: Section 2, Bombay Civil Courts Act, 1869 [S12EXG] (In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—): "court" means a court of civil jurisdiction and includes a tribunal constituted under this Act
Court: 47 more definitions.
document: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): "document" shall include any matter written, expressed or described upon any substance by means of letters, figures or marks, or by more than one of those means which is intended to be used, or which may be used, for the purpose of recording that matter
goods: Section 2, Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 [S1061R] (In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires): "goods" means every kind of movable property other than money and securities but includes actionable claim, growing crops, grass and things attached to or forming part of the land which are agreed to be severed before supply or under a contract of supply
goods: 38 more definitions.
Government: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): (23) "Government" or the Government shall include both the Central Government and any State Government;
imprisonment: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): (27) "imprisonment" shall mean imprisonment of either description as defined in the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860);
input tax credit: Section 2(63), Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017: "input tax credit" means the credit of input tax;
month: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): "month" shall mean a month reckoned according to the British calendar
offence: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): "offence" shall mean any act or omission made punishable by any law for the time being in force
offence: 27 more definitions.
person: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): "person" shall include any company or association or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not
person: 1 more definition.
section: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): (54) "section" shall mean a section of the Act or Regulation in which the word occurs;
section: 363 more definitions.
State: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): (58) "State"(a)as respects any period before the commencement of the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, shall mean a Part A State, a Part B State or a Part C State; and(b)as respects any period after such commencement, shall mean a State specified in the First Schedule to the Constitution and shall include a Union territory;](59)State Act shall mean an Act passed by the Legislature of a State established or continued by the Constitution;
sub-section: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): (61) "sub-section" shall mean a sub-section of the section in which the word occurs;
supply: Section 7(1), Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017: "For the purposes of this Act, the expression - "supply" includes- (a) all forms of supply of goods or services or both such as sale, transfer, barter, exchange, licence, rental, lease or disposal made or agreed to be made for a consideration by a person in the course or furtherance of business; (aa) the activities or transactions, by a person, other than an individual, to its members or constituents or vice-versa, for cash, deferred payment or other valuable consideration. Explanation.-For the purposes of this clause, it is hereby clarified that, notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force or any judgment, decree or order of any Court, tribunal or authority, the person and its members or constituents shall be deemed to be two separate persons and the supply of activities or transactions inter se shall be deemed to take place from one such person to another; (b) import of services for a consideration whether or not in the course or furtherance of business; and (c) the activities specified in Schedule I, made or agreed to be made without a consideration."
year: Section 3, General Clauses Act, 1897 [S100SN] (In this Act, and in all Central Acts and Regulations made after the commencement of this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context): "year" shall mean a year reckoned according to the British calendar
Made under this section, or naming it (0)
none
Cited by (4)
Section 138, Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 [S10-AP6], 12 April 2017, Band A. "section 132".
Section 69, Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 [S10-8AK], 12 April 2017, Band A. "section 132".
Section 74, Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 [S10-8FS], 12 April 2017, Band A. "section 132".
Section 74A, Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 [S10-8G2], 12 April 2017, Band A. "section 132".
Not held (0)
none
Duties published under this section (0)
none