Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last Reviewed 12 September 2026
Screen common notified supplies and recipient conditions, then generate payment, documentation and ITC actions.
2-minute answer
GST RCM checker for notified legal, director, GTA, sponsorship, security, renting, import and metal-scrap supplies.
Current-law note: Reviewed on 12 September 2026. Check any later amendment, notification, circular, deadline or portal instruction before taking action.
How to use this page
Start with the GSTIN, tax period and exact transaction or notice. Then identify the governing section/rule/form, confirm the applicable notification or circular, and only then complete the portal step or calculation.
Practical checklist
Fix the GSTIN and tax period before applying a rule or form.
Match invoice, return, ledger or notice data to the statutory trigger.
Check the latest CBIC/GST portal instruction for the transaction date.
Retain ARN, working papers, notices, replies, invoices and orders as one evidence set.
Reviewed: 12 September 2026. The applicable statute, rule, notification, order or official filing instruction prevails.
Screen a supply for reverse charge
The notified supplier, recipient and supply descriptions must all match.
RCM tax
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Potential ITC after cash payment
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How This Is Calculated
Under Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM), the recipient of specified goods/services pays GST directly instead of the supplier, for notified categories (like certain legal services, GTA services, or supplies from unregistered persons in specific cases). RCM applies only if the recipient is registered and the specific notified category applies — ITC on RCM-paid tax can typically be claimed by the recipient if it's otherwise eligible, subject to the normal Section 16/17 conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays GST under reverse charge — supplier or recipient? ▼
Under RCM, the recipient of the goods/services is liable to pay GST directly to the government, instead of the supplier collecting and remitting it as in the normal forward-charge mechanism — this shifts the compliance burden to the recipient for specified categories.
Can I claim ITC on tax paid under reverse charge? ▼
Yes, generally — tax paid under RCM is eligible for input tax credit by the recipient, provided the normal ITC conditions under Section 16 are met and the credit isn't otherwise blocked under Section 17(5).
What are common categories covered under RCM? ▼
Common RCM categories include Goods Transport Agency (GTA) services, certain legal services from an advocate, services by a director to the company, and specified supplies from unregistered persons in defined situations — the exact list is notified and periodically updated.
Source and review trail
Use the current official instrument, portal or regulator publication before acting. This panel separates the category authority from page-specific references.
A reverse-charge conclusion needs four facts together: the supply category, supplier/recipient status, the controlling notification or statutory provision, and the tax period. A keyword match is not enough. Payment under reverse charge and the timing/eligibility of any related ITC are separate controls.
Preserve the contract, invoice, registration status, notification entry and tax-payment evidence. For services supplied by specified persons or through notified arrangements, test the exact entry rather than relying on a generic ‘RCM applies’ label.
Input integrity
Use source documents rather than approximate memory.
Confirm period, units, tax regime/category and sign conventions.
Test zero, threshold and just-above-threshold cases where relevant.
Output interpretation
Separate arithmetic output from legal eligibility/classification.
Preserve assumptions and the official-source date.
Use the linked detailed guide for exceptions and evidence.
Reviewed 12 September 2026. Always test later amendments, corrigenda and portal implementation before a live filing or transaction.
Methodology, assumptions and sources
Scope: Checks whether Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM) applies to a specific supply, based on the notified list of goods/services under Section 9(3)/9(4) of the CGST Act (and corresponding IGST Act provisions).
Calculation logic
Check the supply against the notified goods/services list under Section 9(3) where RCM applies regardless of the supplier's registration status (e.g., specified goods like cashew nuts/tobacco leaves, and specified services like legal services from an advocate, GTA services with specified conditions, services by a director to the company).
Check Section 9(4) applicability: RCM on supplies received by a registered person from an unregistered supplier, currently restricted to specific notified categories of registered recipients/supplies (following the general suspension of the broad Section 9(4) RCM that originally applied to all unregistered-supplier purchases).
Where RCM applies, the recipient (not the supplier) is liable to pay GST directly to the government and can claim ITC of the RCM tax paid, subject to the general ITC eligibility conditions.
Inputs and assumptions
The notified list of goods/services under Section 9(3) and the currently applicable scope of Section 9(4) follow the latest CBIC notifications — this list has been revised and narrowed over time since GST's introduction.
RCM liability arises on the recipient regardless of whether the recipient itself is below the normal registration threshold, for the Section 9(3) notified categories, per the mandatory-registration rule under Section 24.
Exclusions and edge cases
Does not itself generate the self-invoice or payment voucher required for RCM transactions — this checker determines applicability only.
Import of services (a separate RCM category under Section 5(3) of the IGST Act) has its own specific rules and is addressed distinctly within the checker where the transaction is flagged as a cross-border service import.