Text
The text below is the rule as served by the CBIC tax information portal on 17 September 2026, with the portal's own amendment footnote markers (shown as small numerals before a bracket) and its footnotes.[1] The Rules as published in the Gazette of India is the legal source.
Rule 162, verbatim (show)
Rule 162
Rule 162. Procedure for compounding of offences. -
(1) An applicant may, either before or after the institution of prosecution, make an application under sub-section (1) of section 138 in FORM GST CPD-01 to the Commissioner for compounding of an offence.
(2) On receipt of the application, the Commissioner shall call for a report from the concerned officer with reference to the particulars furnished in the application, or any other information, which may be considered relevant for the examination of such application.
(3) The Commissioner, after taking into account the contents of the said application, may, by order in FORM GST CPD-02, on being satisfied that the applicant 1[****] has made full and true disclosure of facts relating to the case, allow the application indicating the compounding amount and grant him immunity from prosecution or reject such application within ninety days of the receipt of the application.
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2[(3A) The Commissioner shall determine the compounding amount under sub-rule (3) as per the Table below:-
TABLE
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S.No
Offence
Compounding amount if offence is punishable under clause (i) of sub-section (1) of section 132
Compounding amount if offence is punishable under clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 132
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
1
Offence specified in clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 132 of the Act
Up to seventy-five per cent of the amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken, subject to minimum of fifty per cent of such amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken.
Up to sixty per cent of the amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken, subject to minimum of forty per cent of such amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken.
2
Offence specified in clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 132 of the Act
3
Offence specified in clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 132 of the Act
4
Offence specified in clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 132 of the Act
5
Offence specified in clause (f) of sub-section (1) of section 132 of the Act
Amount equivalent to twenty-five per cent of tax evaded.
Amount equivalent to twenty-five per cent of tax evaded.
6
Offence specified in clause (h) of sub-section (1) of section 132 of the Act
7
Offence specified in clause (i) of sub-section (1) of section 132 of the Act
8
Attempt to commit the offences or abets the commission of offences mentioned in clause (a), (c) to (f) and clauses (h) and (i) of sub-section (1) of section 132 of the Act
Amount equivalent to twenty-five per cent of such amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken.
Amount equivalent to twenty-five per cent of such amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised or the amount of refund wrongly taken.
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Provided that where the offence committed by the person falls under more than one category specified in the Table above, the compounding amount, in such case, shall be the amount determined for the offence for which higher compounding amount has been prescribed.]
(4) The application shall not be decided under sub-rule (3) without affording an opportunity of being heard to the applicant and recording the grounds of such rejection.
(5) The application shall not be allowed unless the tax, interest and penalty liable to be paid have been paid in the case for which the application has been made.
(6) The applicant shall, within a period of thirty days from the date of the receipt of the order under sub-rule (3), pay the compounding amount as ordered by the Commissioner and shall furnish the proof of such payment to him.
(7) In case the applicant fails to pay the compounding amount within the time specified in sub-rule (6), the order made under sub-rule (3) shall be vitiated and be void.
(8) Immunity granted to a person under sub-rule (3) may, at any time, be withdrawn by the Commissioner, if he is satisfied that such person had, in the course of the compounding proceedings, concealed any material particulars or had given false evidence. Thereupon such person may be tried for the offence with respect to which immunity was granted or for any other offence that appears to have been committed by him in connection with the compounding proceedings and the provisions the Act shall apply as if No such immunity had been granted.
1. Omitted vide Notification No. 38/2023-CT dated 04.08.2023 for "has co-operated in the proceedings before him".
2. Inserted vide Notification No. 38/2023-CT dated 04.08.2023.
Questions to answer on the file
Questions a reviewer answers from the engagement file, grouped by the part of the rule they come from. They describe what the rule asks; they do not decide it.
Compounding application to Commissioner 162(1)
Questions to answer on the file5 questions
Commissioner call for relevant officer report 162(2)
Questions to answer on the file4 questions
CPD02 allowance or rejection procedure and time 162(3)
Questions to answer on the file9 questions
Substantive full and true disclosure assessment 162(3)
Questions to answer on the file2 questions
Rows1 to 4 discretionary bounds tieri 162(3A) Table rows1–4 column3
Questions to answer on the file5 questions
Rows1 to 4 discretionary bounds tierii 162(3A) Table rows1–4 column4
Questions to answer on the file5 questions
Rows5 to 7 exact tax-evaded amount 162(3A) Table rows5–7
Questions to answer on the file4 questions
Row8 attempts or abetment exact amount 162(3A) Table row8
Questions to answer on the file5 questions
Multiple table categories selection 162(3A) proviso
Questions to answer on the file4 questions
Documented hearing and rejection events 162(4)
Questions to answer on the file3 questions
Prior tax interest and penalty payment 162(5)
Questions to answer on the file10 questions
Compounding payment and proof within thirty days 162(6)
Questions to answer on the file4 questions
Nonpayment makes order void 162(7)
Questions to answer on the file4 questions
Commissioner withdrawal of immunity 162(8)
Questions to answer on the file4 questions
Trial scope after immunity withdrawal 162(8)
Questions to answer on the file3 questions
Hearing opportunity sufficiency 162(4)
Questions to answer on the file2 questions
Multiple statutory amount alternatives for compounding 162(3A)
Questions to answer on the file2 questions
Amendment history
The CBIC text carries 2 footnotes. The table gives each in the source's own terms. Effective dates are as the footnotes state them.[1]
| Note | Change |
|---|---|
| 1 | Omitted vide Notification No. 38/2023-CT dated 04.08.2023 for "has co-operated in the proceedings before him".[2] |
| 2 | Inserted vide Notification No. 38/2023-CT dated 04.08.2023.[2] |
Relationship with other provisions
| Provision | Connection | Words that tie them |
|---|---|---|
| Section 138 of the CGST Act, 2017 | this provision requires Section 138 of the CGST Act, 2017 | 162(1) "under sub-section (1) of section 138" |
| Section 132 of the CGST Act, 2017 | this provision requires Section 132 of the CGST Act, 2017 | 162(3A) "section 132" |
Circulars and notifications
Circulars and notifications in the CBIC repository that cite this rule, newest first, by number, date and subject. A listing here does not say what an instrument decides; read the instrument.
Notifications (2)
| Number | Date | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Notification No. 38/2023-Central Tax | 4 August 2023 | Seeks to make amendments (Second Amendment , 2023) to the CGST Rules, 2017. |
| Notification No. 15/2017-Central Tax | 1 July 2017 | Amending CGST Rules notification 10/2017-CT dt 28.06.2017 |
Unsettled questions
The words of Rule 162 do not answer these questions. Where one decides a matter on the file, the answer depends on the position taken on it.
- What makes the applicant’s disclosure full and true under Rule 162(3), beyond the Commissioner’s recorded conclusion?
- How is the higher prescribed compounding category selected under Rule 162(3A) when applicable categories carry different discretionary ranges or amount measures?
- What opportunity is sufficient to satisfy the hearing requirement before a compounding decision under Rule 162(4)?
- When the same offence entails more than one of tax evaded, wrongly availed/utilised ITC and wrongly taken refund, are those amounts aggregated or tested separately for Rule 162(3A) compounding? POS0199 asks the related but different section 132 punishment-band question.
See also
- Section 138 of the CGST Act, 2017: compounding of offences
- Section 132 of the CGST Act, 2017: punishment for certain offences
References
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. "Rule 162. Procedure for compounding of offences". Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, CBIC tax information portal, with amendment footnotes 1 to 2. Retrieved 17 September 2026.
- Notification No. 38/2023-Central Tax, dated 4 August 2023: Seeks to make amendments (Second Amendment , 2023) to the CGST Rules, 2017. Cited in CBIC footnotes 1 and 2.
External links
- CGST Rules, 2017, Rule 162 on the CBIC tax information portal