Finin2min · GST Law Library
IGST — Section 17: Apportionment of tax and settlement of funds
Reviewed by CA Nikhil Gupta · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
Law checked: 27 Jul 2026Status: CURRENTOfficial law prevails
Finin2min Summary — Section in 2 Minutes
IGST section 17 deals with apportionment of tax and settlement of funds.
- Start with the statutory trigger and defined terms.
- Map the provision to connected Rules, Forms and notifications.
- Check effective date and amendment history.
- Document the factual evidence supporting the legal conclusion.
Why this section matters
This provision is part of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. It should be read as a legal decision point, not as an isolated definition: identify the factual trigger, effective date, connected subordinate law and evidence before applying it.
Current-law and effective-date control
CURRENT — Use the consolidated Act text together with subsequent subordinate law and effective-date controls.
official statutory reference
17. Apportionment of tax and settlement of funds.––(1) Out of the integrated tax paid to the
Central Government,––
(a) in respect of inter-State supply of goods or services or both to an unregistered person or to a
registered person paying tax under section 10 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act;
(b) in respect of inter-State supply of goods or services or both where the registered person is not
eligible for input tax credit;
(c) in respect of inter-State supply of goods or services or both made in a financial year to a
registered person, where he does not avail of the input tax credit within the specified period and thus
remains in the integrated tax account after expiry of the due date for furnishing of annual return for
such year in which the supply was made;
(d) in respect of import of goods or services or both by an unregistered person or by a registered
person paying tax under section 10 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act;
(e) in respect of import of goods or services or both where the registered person is not eligible for
input tax credit;
(f) in respect of import of goods or services or both made in a financial year by a registered
person, where he does not avail of the said credit within the specified period and thus remains in the
integrated tax account after expiry of the due date for furnishing of annual return for such year in
which the supply was received,
the amount of tax calculated at the rate equivalent to the central tax on similar intra-State supply shall be
apportioned to the Central Government.
(2) The balance amount of integrated tax remaining in the integrated tax account in respect of the
supply for which an apportionment to the Central Government has been done under sub-section (1) shall
be apportioned to the,––
(a) State where such supply takes place; and
(b) Central Government where such supply takes place in a Union territory:
Provided that where the place of such supply made by any taxable person cannot be determined
separately, the said balance amount shall be apportioned to,––
(a) each of the States; and
(b) Central Government in relation to Union territories,
in proportion to the total supplies made by such taxable person to each of such States or Union territories,
as the case may be, in a financial year:
Provided further that where the taxable person making such supplies is not identifiable, the said
balance amount shall be apportioned to all States and the Central Government in proportion to the amount
collected as State tax or, as the case may be, Union territory tax, by the respective State or, as the case
may be, by the Central Government during the immediately preceding financial year.
[(2A) The amount not apportioned under sub-section (1) and sub-section (2) may, for the time being,
on the recommendations of the Council, be apportioned at the rate of fifty per cent. to the Central
Government and fifty per cent. to the State Governments or the Union territories, as the case may be,
on ad hoc basis and shall be adjusted against the amount apportioned under the said sub-sections.]
(3) The provisions of sub-sections (1) and (2) relating to apportionment of integrated tax shall, mutatis
mutandis, apply to the apportionment of interest, penalty and compounding amount realised in connection
with the tax so apportioned.
1. Ins. by Act 32 of 2018, s. 7 (w.e.f. 1-2-2019).
(4) Where an amount has been apportioned to the Central Government or a State Government under
sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) or sub-section (3), the amount collected as integrated tax shall stand
reduced by an amount equal to the amount so apportioned and the Central Government shall transfer to
the central tax account or Union territory tax account, an amount equal to the respective amounts
apportioned to the Central Government and shall transfer to the State tax account of the respective States
an amount equal to the amount apportioned to that State, in such manner and within such time as may be
prescribed.
(5) Any integrated tax apportioned to a State or, as the case may be, to the Central Government on
account of a Union territory, if subsequently found to be refundable to any person and refunded to such
person, shall be reduced from the amount to be apportioned under this section, to such State, or Central
Government on account of such Union territory, in such manner and within such time as may be
prescribed.
Clause-by-clause Finin2min decode
- Trigger: identify the facts that bring section 17 into play.
- Legal consequence: apply the operative words of “Apportionment of tax and settlement of funds” rather than a commercial label.
- Subordinate-law layer: test Rules, Forms, notifications, rate instruments or portal procedure authorised by the Act.
- Evidence layer: preserve records capable of proving each statutory condition and the relevant date.
Act–Rule–Form–Notification bridge
Finin2min decision path
- Start with the statutory trigger and defined terms.
- Map the provision to connected Rules, Forms and notifications.
- Check effective date and amendment history.
- Document the factual evidence supporting the legal conclusion.
Practical case studies
Case 1
A transaction label used in an ERP does not decide its statutory treatment.
Case 2
A historical provision may still govern an old period even if no longer operational for new transactions.
Case 3
Where two GST statutes interact, test both cross-application provisions before concluding.
Accounting, ERP & portal touchpoints
- Use a tax code that reflects the correct statute/head and effective date; ERP labels cannot override the Act.
- Reconcile statutory classification to invoice/return/payment data and preserve system audit trails.
- Where portal functionality implements the provision, retain acknowledgements, ARN/challan/order references and downloaded evidence.
Notice, litigation & evidence risk
- Do not rely on a current summary for an earlier tax period without checking the historical amendment position.
- Distinguish binding Supreme Court/High Court/GSTAT decisions from fact-specific AAR/AAAR outcomes.
- Preserve contemporaneous documents; post-facto explanations are weaker than transaction-time evidence.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Reading the section without its effective-date or commencement status.
- Using a GST Council recommendation as though it were a notified law.
- Stopping at the Act and ignoring the Rule/Form/notification that controls implementation.
- Assuming a portal outcome itself proves the legal position.
Questions professionals actually ask
What does IGST section 17 cover?
It covers Apportionment of tax and settlement of funds. Start with the statutory text, then apply the linked Rules/notifications and the factual trigger.
What date should I test?
Use the transaction, tax period, machine/process, order or filing date relevant to the issue. Current wording must not be back-cast into an earlier period.
Can I rely only on this summary?
No. Finin2min explains the provision, but the official Act, Rules, notifications and judicial position control the legal outcome.
What evidence should I retain?
Keep source documents proving the factual trigger, computation, filing/payment, portal acknowledgement and any officer communication relevant to the provision.
Finin2min evidence checklist
- Official Act version and amendment trail saved for the relevant date.
- Contract/invoice/transaction or machine/process records supporting the factual trigger.
- Return/payment/refund/appeal records where applicable.
- Portal acknowledgements and officer communications.
- Working paper documenting why this provision and not an alternative provision applies.