What does section 32 regulate?

It regulates prohibition of unauthorised collection of tax. Read the exact text, conditions, exceptions and transaction date together.

Which subordinate law should be checked?

No direct CGST Rule has been certified in this phase. Notifications, circulars, forms and the corresponding SGST/UTGST layer may also apply.

What evidence should be retained?

Preserve the contract or transaction record, invoice or form, portal acknowledgement, payment/ledger evidence, correspondence, legal working and the official source version used.

Can portal behaviour override the statute?

No. Portal functionality is operational evidence; legal entitlement and liability remain controlled by the Act, Rules, notifications and binding decisions.

Section 32 - Prohibition of unauthorised collection of tax

Chapter VII - Tax Invoice, Credit and Debit Notes

ACTIVEOFFICIAL_TEXT_CAPTUREDindex,follow

Source control: The text/status on this page is tied to the official source gateway and the Phase 1 legal-review register. Open official source.

Finin2min Summary - Section in 2 Minutes

Bars an unregistered person from collecting GST and bars even a registered person from collecting tax except in accordance with law. Registration alone does not authorise tax on exempt/non-supply transactions. Incorrect collection may trigger deposit, interest, penalty and refund/unjust-enrichment consequences.

Exact operative text

32. Prohibition of unauthorised collection of tax.-(1) A person who is not a registered person shall not collect in respect of any supply of goods or services or both any amount by way of tax under this Act. (2) No registered person shall collect tax except in accordance with the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder.

Paragraph-wise decode

Section-Rule-Form-Notification bridge

No direct Rule certified in Phase 1. Check notifications, circulars, forms and corresponding State law.

The mapping is a legal concordance, not a round-robin related-link list. It is limited to instruments certified in this phase.

Practical example

A supplier charges “18% GST” on an exempt service. The collection is unauthorised even if the supplier holds a GSTIN.

Professional alert

Commercial invoices should not use “GST” as a generic surcharge. Tax must follow correct classification, place, rate and liability.

Implementation checklist

Fix the transaction, taxable period and jurisdiction.
Read every subsection, proviso, explanation and omission marker.
Open the mapped Rule, form, notification and circular.
Test State/UT variation and portal version.
Preserve evidence, approvals, working papers and acknowledgements.
Record the conclusion, assumptions, source date and reviewer.

Evidence and retention checklist

Contract, purchase order, invoice or underlying transaction document.
Registration, return, ledger, challan and portal acknowledgement.
Official Act/Rule/notification version used and effective date.
Internal tax position paper, computation and management approval.
Correspondence, notices, replies, orders and appeal papers where applicable.

Practical Q&A

What does section 32 regulate?: It regulates prohibition of unauthorised collection of tax. Read the exact text, conditions, exceptions and transaction date together.
Which subordinate law should be checked?: No direct CGST Rule has been certified in this phase. Notifications, circulars, forms and the corresponding SGST/UTGST layer may also apply.
What evidence should be retained?: Preserve the contract or transaction record, invoice or form, portal acknowledgement, payment/ledger evidence, correspondence, legal working and the official source version used.
Can portal behaviour override the statute?: No. Portal functionality is operational evidence; legal entitlement and liability remain controlled by the Act, Rules, notifications and binding decisions.

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