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 39, verbatim (show)
Rule 39
Rule 39. Procedure for distribution of input tax credit by Input Service Distributor.-
1[(1) An Input Service Distributor shall distribute input tax credit in the manner and subject to the following conditions, namely:–
(a) the input tax credit available for distribution in a month shall be distributed in the same month and the details thereof shall be furnished in FORM GSTR-6 in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII of these rules;
(b) the amount of the credit distributed shall not exceed the amount of credit available for distribution;
(c ) the credit of tax paid on input services attributable to a recipient of credit shall be distributed only to that recipient;
(d) the credit of tax paid on input services attributable to more than one recipient of credit shall be distributed amongst such recipients to whom the input service is attributable and such distribution shall be pro rata on the basis of the turnover in a State or turnover in a Union territory of such recipient, during the relevant period,to the aggregate of the turnover of all such recipients to whom such input service is attributable and which are operational in the current year, during the said relevant period;
(e) the credit of tax paid on input services attributable to all recipients of credit shall be distributed amongst such recipients and such distribution shall be pro rata on the basis of the turnover in a State or turnover in a Union territory of such recipient, during the relevant period, to the aggregate of the turnover of all recipients and which are operational in the current year, during the said relevant period;
(f) the input tax credit that is required to be distributed in accordance with the provisions of clause (d) and (e) to one of the recipients "R1", whether registered or not, from amongst the total of all the recipients to whom input tax credit is attributable, including the recipients who are engaged in making exempt supply, or are otherwise not registered for any reason, shall be the amount, "C1", to be calculated by applying the following formula-
C1= (t1/ T) x C
where,
"C" is the amount of credit to be distributed,
"t1" is the turnover, as referred to in clause (d) and (e),of person R1during the relevant period, and
"T" is the aggregate of the turnover, during the relevant period, of all recipients to whom the input service is attributable in accordance with the provisions of clause (d) and (e);
(g) the Input Service Distributor shall, in accordance with the provisions of clause (d) and (e), separately distribute the amount of ineligible input tax credit (ineligible under the provisions of sub-section (5) of section 17 or otherwise) and the amount of eligible input tax credit;
(h) the input tax credit on account of central tax, State tax, Union territory tax and integrated tax shall be distributed separately in accordance with the provisions of clause (d) and (e);
(i) the input tax credit on account of integrated tax shall be distributed as input tax credit of integrated tax to every recipient;
(j) the input tax credit on account of central tax and State tax or Union territory tax shall–
(i) in respect of a recipient located in the same State or Union territory in which the Input Service Distributor is located, be distributed as input tax credit of central tax and State tax or Union territory tax respectively;
(ii) in respect of a recipient located in a State or Union territory other than that of the Input Service Distributor, be distributed as integrated tax and the amount to be so distributed shall be equal to the aggregate of the amount of input tax credit of central tax and State tax or Union territory tax that qualifies for distribution to such recipient as referred to in clause (d) and (e);
(k) the Input Service Distributor shall issue an Input Service Distributor invoice, as provided in sub-rule (1) of rule 54, clearly indicating in such invoice that it is issued only for distribution of input tax credit;
(l) the Input Service Distributor shall issue an Input Service Distributor credit note, as provided in sub-rule (1) of rule 54, for reduction of credit in case the input tax credit already distributed gets reduced for any reason;
(m) any additional amount of input tax credit on account of issuance of a debit note to an Input Service Distributor by the supplier shall be distributed in the manner and subject to the conditions specified in clauses (a) to (j) and the amount attributable to any recipient shall be calculated in the manner provided in clause (f) and such credit shall be distributed in the month in which the debit note is included in the return in FORM GSTR-6;
(n) any input tax credit required to be reduced on account of issuance of a credit note to the Input Service Distributor by the supplier shall be apportioned to each recipient in the same ratio in which the input tax credit contained in the original invoice was distributed in terms of clause (f), and the amount so apportioned shall be-
(i) reduced from the amount to be distributed in the month in which the credit note is included in the return in FORM GSTR-6; or
(ii) added to the output tax liability of the recipient where the amount so apportioned is in the negative by virtue of the amount of credit under distribution being less than the amount to be adjusted.]
2[(1A) For the distribution of credit in respect of input services, attributable to one or more distinct persons, subject to levy of tax under sub-section (3) or (4) of section 9 3[of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 or under sub-section (3) or sub-section (4) of section 5 of the Integrated Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 (13 of 2025)], a registered person, having the same PAN and State code as an Input Service Distributor, may issue an invoice or, as the case may be, a credit or debit note as per the provisions of sub-rule(1A) of rule 54 to transfer the credit of such common input services to the Input Service Distributor, and such credit shall be distributed by the said Input Service Distributor in the manner as provided in sub-rule (1).]
(2) If the amount of input tax credit distributed by an Input Service Distributor is reduced later on for any other reason for any of the recipients, including that it was distributed to a wrong recipient by the Input Service Distributor, the process specified in 1[clause (n)] of sub-rule (1) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, for reduction of credit.
(3) Subject to sub-rule (2), the Input Service Distributor shall, on the basis of the Input Service Distributor credit note specified in 1[clause (j)] of sub-rule (1), issue an Input Service Distributor invoice to the recipient entitled to such credit and include the Input Service Distributor credit note and the Input Service Distributor invoice in the return in FORM GSTR-6 for the month in which such credit note and invoice was issued.
1[Explanation. — For the purpose of this rule, –
(i) the term "relevant period" shall be—
(a) if the recipients of credit have turnover in their States or Union territories in the financial year preceding the year during which credit is to be distributed, the said financial year; or
(b) if some or all recipients of the credit do not have any turnover in their States or Union territories in the financial year preceding the year during which the credit is to be distributed, the last quarter for which details of such turnover of all the recipients are available, previous to the month during which credit is to be distributed;
(ii) the expression "recipient of credit" means the supplier of goods or services or both having the same Permanent Account Number as that of the Input Service Distributor;
(iii) the term "turnover", in relation to any registered person engaged in the supply of taxable goods as well as goods not taxable under this Act, means the value of turnover, reduced by the amount of any duty or tax levied under entries 84 and 92A of List I of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution and entries 51 and 54 of List II of the said Schedule.]
1. Inserted vide Notification No. 12/2024 - CT dated 10.07.2024 (w.e.f. 1st day of April, 2025, appointed vide Notification No. 09/2025-CT, dated 11.02.2025).
2. Substituted vide Notification No. 12/2024 - CT dated 10.07.2024 (w.e.f. 1st day of April, 2025, appointed vide Notification No. 09/2025-CT, dated 11.02.2025).
3. Inserted (w.e.f. 01.04.2025) by Notification No. 13/2025 - CT dated 17.09.2025.
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.
ISD capacity and registration 39(1) opening
Questions to answer on the file2 questions
Same-month distribution and FORM GSTR-6 details 39(1)(a)
Questions to answer on the file3 questions
Available-credit ceiling 39(1)(b)
Questions to answer on the file3 questions
Exclusive recipient attribution and allocation 39(1)(c)
Questions to answer on the file4 questions
Multi-recipient attribution and the recipients counted 39(1)(d),(e),(f)
Questions to answer on the file7 questions
Recipient C1 allocation formula 39(1)(d),(e),(f)
Questions to answer on the file6 questions
Separate eligible and ineligible distribution 39(1)(g)
Questions to answer on the file2 questions
Separate tax-head distribution 39(1)(h)
Questions to answer on the file2 questions
IGST remains IGST for every recipient 39(1)(i)
Questions to answer on the file2 questions
Same-State or Union-territory head preservation 39(1)(j)(i)
Questions to answer on the file3 questions
Different-State or Union-territory aggregate as IGST 39(1)(j)(ii)
Questions to answer on the file6 questions
ISD invoice and distribution-only indication 39(1)(k)
Questions to answer on the file5 questions
ISD credit note for later reduction 39(1)(l)
Questions to answer on the file5 questions
Supplier debit-note additional credit and distribution month 39(1)(m)
Questions to answer on the file7 questions
Supplier credit-note proportional reduction 39(1)(n)
Questions to answer on the file9 questions
Credit-note reduction from sufficient current credit 39(1)(n)(i)
Questions to answer on the file6 questions
Credit-note shortfall added to recipient output liability 39(1)(n)(ii)
Questions to answer on the file4 questions
Same-PAN same-State common-service reverse-charge transfer 39(1A)
Questions to answer on the file9 questions
Later reduction for other reasons and adapted clause (n) process 39(2)
Questions to answer on the file3 questions
Redistribution invoice based on ISD credit note 39(3)
Questions to answer on the file5 questions
Redistribution document pair in the FORM GSTR-6 for the month of issue 39(3)
Questions to answer on the file7 questions
Relevant period selection Explanation(i)
Questions to answer on the file6 questions
One expressly imported requirement 39(1)(a),(k),(l),(m)
Questions to answer on the file2 questions
Meaning of recipient of credit Explanation(ii)
Questions to answer on the file3 questions
Turnover reduction for specified duties and taxes Explanation(iii)
Questions to answer on the file17 questions
Amendment history
The CBIC text carries 3 footnotes. The table gives each in the source's own terms. Effective dates are as the footnotes state them.[1]
| Note | Change |
|---|---|
| 1 | Inserted vide Notification No. 12/2024 - CT dated 10.07.2024 (w.e.f. 1st day of April, 2025, appointed vide Notification No. 09/2025-CT, dated 11.02.2025).[2][3] |
| 2 | Substituted vide Notification No. 12/2024 - CT dated 10.07.2024 (w.e.f. 1st day of April, 2025, appointed vide Notification No. 09/2025-CT, dated 11.02.2025).[2][3] |
| 3 | Inserted (w.e.f. 01.04.2025) by Notification No. 13/2025 - CT dated 17.09.2025.[4] |
Relationship with other provisions
| Provision | Connection | Words that tie them |
|---|---|---|
| Section 20 of the CGST Act, 2017 | Section 20 of the CGST Act, 2017 (2),(3) prescribed by this provision | 20(2) "in such manner, within such time and subject to such restrictions and conditions as may be prescribed"; 20(3) "in such manner as may be prescribed" |
| Section 17 of the CGST Act, 2017 | this provision requires Section 17 of the CGST Act, 2017 (5) | 39(1)(g) "ineligible under the provisions of sub-section (5) of section 17 or otherwise" |
| Rule 54 | this provision requires Rule 54 (1),(1A) | 39(1)(k) "as provided in sub-rule (1) of rule 54"; 39(1A) "sub-rule(1A) of rule 54" |
| Rule 65 | this provision requires Rule 65 | 39(1)(a) "FORM GSTR-6 in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII" |
| Section 25 of the CGST Act, 2017 | this provision requires Section 25 of the CGST Act, 2017 (4),(5) | 39(1A) "attributable to one or more distinct persons" |
| Section 9 of the CGST Act, 2017 | this provision requires Section 9 of the CGST Act, 2017 (3),(4) | 39(1A) "sub-section (3) or (4) of section 9" |
| Section 5 of the IGST Act, 2017 | this provision requires Section 5 of the IGST Act, 2017 (3),(4) | 39(1A) "sub-section (3) or sub-section (4) of section 5" |
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.
Circulars (2)
| Number | Date | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Circular No. 199/11/2023-GST | 17 July 2023 | Clarification regarding taxability of services provided by an office of an organisation in one State to the office of that organisation in another State, both being distinct persons |
| Circular No. 7/07/2017-GST | 1 September 2017 | System based reconciliation of information furnished in FORM GSTR-1 and FORM GSTR-2 with FORM GSTR-3B - regarding. |
Notifications (4)
| Number | Date | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Notification No. 13/2025-Central Tax | 17 September 2025 | Seeks to notify the Central Goods and Services Tax (Third Amendment) Rules 2025. |
| Notification No. 12/2024-Central Tax | 10 July 2024 | Seeks to make amendments (Amendment, 2024) to the CGST Rules, 2017. |
| Notification No. 74/2018-Central Tax | 31 December 2018 | Fourteenth amendment to the CGST Rules, 2017. amended by a later instrument |
| Notification No. 39/2018-Central Tax | 4 September 2018 | Seeks to make amendments (Eighth Amendment, 2018) to the CGST Rules, 2017 amended by a later instrument |
Unsettled questions
The words of Rule 39 do not answer these questions. Where one decides a matter on the file, the answer depends on the position taken on it.
- Which corresponding changes to clause(n) apply to the identified later reduction, including wrong-recipient allocations, where39(2) says mutatis mutandis but specifies no mapping?
- How does the singular return month in 39(3) apply when the linked ISD credit note and replacement invoice were issued in different months? The text gives no separate timing rule for this case.
- What evidence makes the identified input service attributable to one recipient, several recipients or all recipients, and identifies the recipient entitled on reallocation, whereRule39 gives no substantive attribution test?
- How is operational in the current year applied to the identified recipient, including openings, closures and intermittent operations, and how does it affect denominator membership without inventing an unstated recipient disqualification?
See also
- Section 20 of the CGST Act, 2017: manner of distribution of credit by Input Service Distributor
- Rule 54 of the CGST Rules, 2017: tax invoice in special cases
- Rule 65 of the CGST Rules, 2017: form and manner of submission of return by an Input Service Distributor
- Section 5 of the IGST Act, 2017: levy and collection
References
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. "Rule 39. Procedure for distribution of input tax credit by Input Service Distributor". Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, CBIC tax information portal, with amendment footnotes 1 to 3. Retrieved 17 September 2026.
- Notification No. 12/2024-Central Tax, dated 10 July 2024: Seeks to make amendments (Amendment, 2024) to the CGST Rules, 2017. Cited in CBIC footnotes 1 and 2.
- Notification No. 09/2025-Central Tax, dated 11 February 2025: Seeks to bring rules 2, 8, 24, 27, 32, 37, 38 of the CGST (Amendment) Rules, 2024 in to force. Cited in CBIC footnotes 1 and 2.
- Notification No. 13/2025-Central Tax, dated 17 September 2025: Seeks to notify the Central Goods and Services Tax (Third Amendment) Rules 2025. Cited in CBIC footnote 3.
External links
- CGST Rules, 2017, Rule 39 on the CBIC tax information portal