Rule 39 of the CGST Rules, 2017

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GST›CGST Rules, 2017›Chapter V, Input Tax Credit

At a glance

Bars, duties and time limits

  • Rule 39(1)(a)–(f)Monthly credit is distributed in that month and reported in FORM GSTR-6, within the available amount. Recipient-specific services go only to that recipient. Shared services use each attributable recipient’s turnover divided by total attributable recipients’ turnover, including exempt and unregistered recipients and the stated current-operation condition.

Procedure, powers and definitions

  • Rule 39, ExplanationRecipients share the distributor’s Permanent Account Number. Relevant turnover normally comes from the preceding financial year; where some or all recipients lack that turnover, the last preceding quarter with all recipients’ turnover details applies. Turnover of the specified mixed-goods suppliers excludes the listed constitutional-entry duties and taxes.
  • Rule 39(1)(g)–(j)Eligible and ineligible credit and each tax type are distributed separately. Integrated tax remains integrated tax. Central and State or Union territory tax retain those types for same-territory recipients and become integrated tax for recipients elsewhere.
  • Rule 39(1)(k)–(n)The distributor issues rule 54 invoices expressly for credit distribution and credit notes for reductions. Supplier debit-note additions are distributed in their FORM GSTR-6 month. Supplier credit-note reductions use the original allocation ratio, reducing that month’s distribution or adding any shortfall to the recipient’s output liability.
  • Rule 39(1A)For common input services under the specified central or integrated reverse-charge provisions, a registrant with the distributor’s Permanent Account Number and State code may transfer credit through rule 54(1A) invoices or notes. The distributor then applies the ordinary distribution procedure.
  • Rule 39(2)–(3)Later reductions, including wrong-recipient allocations, use the reduction process with corresponding changes. Subject to that correction, a replacement invoice goes to the entitled recipient and the linked credit note and invoice enter FORM GSTR-6 for their issue month.
  • Rule 39The law does not settle the necessary adaptations for later reductions, the return month where linked documents have different issue months, the substantive attribution test or how openings, closures and intermittent operations affect the current-operation condition.

An Input Service Distributor must distribute available credit in the same month without exceeding it. Credit follows the recipients to whom the input service is attributable, with shared services apportioned by the prescribed turnover ratio. Eligible and ineligible credit and tax types remain separate. Credit notes, debit notes and later corrections adjust earlier distribution, subject to the rule’s conditions and unresolved allocation questions.[1]

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
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Same-month distribution and FORM GSTR-6 details 39(1)(a)

Questions to answer on the file3 questions
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Available-credit ceiling 39(1)(b)

Questions to answer on the file3 questions
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Exclusive recipient attribution and allocation 39(1)(c)

Questions to answer on the file4 questions
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Multi-recipient attribution and the recipients counted 39(1)(d),(e),(f)

Questions to answer on the file7 questions
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Recipient C1 allocation formula 39(1)(d),(e),(f)

Questions to answer on the file6 questions
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Separate eligible and ineligible distribution 39(1)(g)

Questions to answer on the file2 questions
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Separate tax-head distribution 39(1)(h)

Questions to answer on the file2 questions
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IGST remains IGST for every recipient 39(1)(i)

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Same-State or Union-territory head preservation 39(1)(j)(i)

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Different-State or Union-territory aggregate as IGST 39(1)(j)(ii)

Questions to answer on the file6 questions
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ISD invoice and distribution-only indication 39(1)(k)

Questions to answer on the file5 questions
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ISD credit note for later reduction 39(1)(l)

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Supplier debit-note additional credit and distribution month 39(1)(m)

Questions to answer on the file7 questions
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Supplier credit-note proportional reduction 39(1)(n)

Questions to answer on the file9 questions
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Credit-note reduction from sufficient current credit 39(1)(n)(i)

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Credit-note shortfall added to recipient output liability 39(1)(n)(ii)

Questions to answer on the file4 questions
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Same-PAN same-State common-service reverse-charge transfer 39(1A)

Questions to answer on the file9 questions
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Later reduction for other reasons and adapted clause (n) process 39(2)

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Redistribution invoice based on ISD credit note 39(3)

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Redistribution document pair in the FORM GSTR-6 for the month of issue 39(3)

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Relevant period selection Explanation(i)

Questions to answer on the file6 questions
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One expressly imported requirement 39(1)(a),(k),(l),(m)

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Meaning of recipient of credit Explanation(ii)

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Turnover reduction for specified duties and taxes Explanation(iii)

Questions to answer on the file17 questions
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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]

Amendments to Rule 39 as footnoted in the CBIC text
NoteChange
1Inserted 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]
2Substituted 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]
3Inserted (w.e.f. 01.04.2025) by Notification No. 13/2025 - CT dated 17.09.2025.[4]
Provisions connected to Rule 39
ProvisionConnectionWords that tie them
Section 20 of the CGST Act, 2017Section 20 of the CGST Act, 2017 (2),(3) prescribed by this provision20(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, 2017this 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 54this 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 65this provision requires Rule 6539(1)(a) "FORM GSTR-6 in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII"
Section 25 of the CGST Act, 2017this 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, 2017this 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, 2017this 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)

NumberDateSubject
Circular No. 199/11/2023-GST17 July 2023Clarification 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-GST1 September 2017System based reconciliation of information furnished in FORM GSTR-1 and FORM GSTR-2 with FORM GSTR-3B - regarding.

Notifications (4)

NumberDateSubject
Notification No. 13/2025-Central Tax17 September 2025Seeks to notify the Central Goods and Services Tax (Third Amendment) Rules 2025.
Notification No. 12/2024-Central Tax10 July 2024Seeks to make amendments (Amendment, 2024) to the CGST Rules, 2017.
Notification No. 74/2018-Central Tax31 December 2018Fourteenth amendment to the CGST Rules, 2017. amended by a later instrument
Notification No. 39/2018-Central Tax4 September 2018Seeks 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.

  1. 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?
  2. 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.
  3. 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?
  4. 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

References

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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