Section 17 answers a deceptively simple question: when can you claim ITC, and when must you claim only part of it? Think of it in two layers — proportionate ITC and blocked ITC. This section is a guaranteed question in every CA Inter exam, often for 5–8 marks.
Proportionate ITC (Sub-sections 1 & 2): If Ms. Iyer uses her office server 70% for her GST-registered business and 30% for a personal side project, she can only claim 70% of the GST paid as ITC. More commonly tested: if Rajesh & Co. Pvt. Ltd. makes both taxable supplies (manufactured goods) and exempt supplies (sale of land), ITC must be split in the ratio of taxable turnover to total turnover. The exact formula lives in Rule 42 (inputs/input services) and Rule 43 (capital goods) — remember to apply these in practical problems. One trap: exempt supply here includes reverse-charge supplies received, transactions in securities, and sale of land/building — but excludes Schedule III activities (except para 5 on land/building sale).
The 50% Rule for Banks (Sub-section 4): Banks and NBFCs find proportionate calculation messy every month — so the law gives them a shortcut. They can simply claim 50% of all eligible ITC and let the rest lapse. Once chosen, this option is locked for the entire financial year. Importantly, the 50% cap does not apply to supplies between two registered persons sharing the same PAN (e.g., inter-branch transactions).
Blocked Credits — Section 17(5): This is the exam favourite — learn this list cold. ITC is permanently denied on: motor vehicles with ≤13 seats (unless used for further supply, passenger transport, or driving training); vessels and aircraft (same exceptions, plus goods transport); insurance, repair, and maintenance of blocked vehicles; food and beverages, outdoor catering, beauty treatment, health services, cosmetic surgery, life insurance, health insurance (unless you supply these); club/gym memberships (always blocked); Leave Travel Concession (blocked unless legally mandated); works contract for construction of immovable property (blocked unless you're a works contractor supplying further works contract); construction goods/services on own account (blocked to the extent capitalised — renovation and repairs count too if capitalised); goods/services under Composition Scheme (Section 10); personal consumption; goods lost, stolen, destroyed, gifted, or distributed as free samples; and tax paid under Sections 74, 129, 130 (penalties for fraud/detention/confiscation). Plant and machinery — defined as equipment fixed to earth used for outward supply — does get ITC, but land, buildings, telecom towers, and pipelines outside factory premises do not.
📊 Worked example
Example 1 — Proportionate ITC (Taxable + Exempt Supplies)
Setup: Rajesh & Co. Pvt. Ltd. manufactures both taxable goods and also earns rental income from a residential property (exempt supply). In April 2025, total common ITC on inputs = ₹6,00,000. Taxable turnover for the month = ₹48,00,000; Exempt turnover = ₹12,00,000; Total turnover = ₹60,00,000.
Working:
- ITC attributable to taxable supplies = Total common ITC × (Taxable turnover ÷ Total turnover)
- = ₹6,00,000 × (₹48,00,000 ÷ ₹60,00,000)
- = ₹6,00,000 × 0.80
- = ₹4,80,000 ← ITC claimable
- ITC to be reversed = ₹6,00,000 − ₹4,80,000 = ₹1,20,000
Final Answer: Rajesh & Co. can claim ₹4,80,000 as ITC; ₹1,20,000 must be reversed to the Government.
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Example 2 — Blocked Credit on Motor Vehicle
Setup: Mr. Sharma's IT firm purchases a 7-seater SUV for office commuting of employees. Invoice value = ₹25,00,000 + GST @ 28% = ₹7,00,000. The company is not in the business of selling cars or running a cab/taxi service.
Working:
- Vehicle has approved seating capacity ≤ 13 persons (7 seats) ✓
- Purpose: employee commuting — NOT further supply, NOT transportation of passengers as a taxable service, NOT driving school ✓
- All three exceptions under Section 17(5)(a) fail to apply
- ITC blocked = ₹7,00,000 (100% denied)
Final Answer: Mr. Sharma's firm cannot claim any ITC on this purchase. The entire ₹7,00,000 GST paid is a cost to the business.
⚠️ Common exam mistakes
- Students think only the vehicle purchase is blocked, not its insurance or repairs. Wrong — Section 17(5)(ab) explicitly blocks ITC on insurance, servicing, and maintenance of blocked motor vehicles too. If the car ITC is blocked, so is the workshop bill.
- Students forget the Schedule III exclusion in exempt supply. When computing the proportionate ITC ratio, many students include Schedule III transactions (like employee services to employer) in the exempt supply value. The Explanation to Section 17(3) says: exclude Schedule III activities (except para 5 — land/building). Inflate exempt supply wrongly and you'll reverse more ITC than needed.
- Students mark LTC as always blocked. LTC is blocked unless the employer is legally obligated to provide it under any law in force. If a government statute mandates it, ITC is available. Always check for this exception in the exam question.
- Students think any construction-related ITC is blocked. The block under 17(5)(c) and (d) applies to construction of immovable property. If the works contract service is received as an input service for further supply of works contract (e.g., a subcontractor billing a main contractor), ITC is fully available. Read the question facts carefully.
- Students miss that the 50% banking rule cannot be reversed mid-year. Once a bank opts for the 50% route at the start of the financial year, it is locked in for the rest of that year. If an exam question asks about changing the option in October, the answer is: not allowed until the next financial year.
📖 Bare Act text — Section 17, CGST Act 2017
(click to expand)
(1) Where the goods or services or both are used by the registered person partly for the purpose of any business and partly for other purposes, the amount of credit shall be restricted to so much of the input tax as is attributable to the purposes of his business.
(2) Where the goods or services or both are used by the registered person partly for effecting taxable supplies including zero-rated supplies under this Act or under the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act and partly for effecting exempt supplies under the said Acts, the amount of credit shall be restricted to so much of the input tax as is attributable to the said taxable supplies including zero-rated supplies.
(3) The value of exempt supply under sub-section (2) shall be such as may be prescribed, and shall include supplies on which the recipient is liable to pay tax on reverse charge basis, transactions in securities, sale of land and, subject to clause (b) of paragraph 5 of Schedule II, sale of building.
[Explanation.— For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression ‗‗value of exempt supply'' shall not include the value of activities or transactions specified in Schedule III, except those specified in paragraph 5 of the said Schedule;]
(4) A banking company or a financial institution including a non-banking financial company, engaged in supplying services by way of accepting deposits, extending loans or advances shall have the option to either comply with the provisions of sub-section (2), or avail of, every month, an amount equal to fifty per cent. of the eligible input tax credit on inputs, capital goods and input services in that month and the rest shall lapse:
Provided that the option once exercised shall not be withdrawn during the remaining part of the financial year:
Provided further that the restriction of fifty per cent. shall not apply to the tax paid on supplies made by one registered person to another registered person having the same Permanent Account Number.
(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) of section 16 and sub-section (1) of section 18, input tax credit shall not be available in respect of the following, namely:—
(a) [motor vehicles for transportation of persons having approved seating capacity of not more than thirteen persons (including the driver), except when they are used for making the following taxable supplies, namely:—
(A) further supply of such motor vehicles; or
(B) transportation of passengers; or
(C) imparting training on driving such motor vehicles;
(aa) vessels and aircraft except when they are used––
(i) for making the following taxable supplies, namely:—
(A) further supply of such vessels or aircraft; or
(B) transportation of passengers; or
(C) imparting training on navigating such vessels; or
(D) imparting training on flying such aircraft;
(ii) for transportation of goods;
(ab) services of general insurance, servicing, repair and maintenance in so far as they relate to motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or clause (aa):
Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such services shall be available—
(i) where the motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or clause (aa) are used for the purposes specified therein;
(ii) where received by a taxable person engaged—
(I) in the manufacture of such motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft; or
(II) in the supply of general insurance services in respect of such motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft insured by him;]
(b) [the following supply of goods or services or both—
(i) food and beverages, outdoor catering, beauty treatment, health services, cosmetic and plastic surgery, leasing, renting or hiring of motor vehicles, vessels or aircraft referred to in clause (a) or clause (aa) except when used for the purposes specified therein, life insurance and health insurance:
Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such goods or services or both shall be available where an inward supply of such goods or services or both is used by a registered person for making an outward taxable supply of the same category of goods or services or both or as an element of a taxable composite or mixed supply;
(ii) membership of a club, health and fitness centre; and
(iii) travel benefits extended to employees on vacation such as leave or home travel concession:
Provided that the input tax credit in respect of such goods or services or both shall be available, where it is obligatory for an employer to provide the same to its employees under any law for the time being in force.]
(c) works contract services when supplied for construction of an immovable property (other than plant and machinery) except where it is an input service for further supply of works contract service;
(d) goods or services or both received by a taxable person for construction of an immovable property (other than plant or machinery) on his own account including when such goods or services or both are used in the course or furtherance of business.
Explanation.––For the purposes of clauses (c) and (d), the expression ―construction‖ includes re-construction, renovation, additions or alterations or repairs, to the extent of capitalisation, to the said immovable property;
(e) goods or services or both on which tax has been paid under section 10;
(f) goods or services or both received by a non-resident taxable person except on goods imported by him;
(g) goods or services or both used for personal consumption;
(h) goods lost, stolen, destroyed, written off or disposed of by way of gift or free samples; and
(i) any tax paid in accordance with the provisions of sections 74, 129 and 130.
(6) The Government may prescribe the manner in which the credit referred to in sub-sections (1) and (2) may be attributed.
Explanation.––For the purposes of this Chapter and Chapter VI, the expression ―plant and machinery‖ means apparatus, equipment, and machinery fixed to earth by foundation or structural support that are used for making outward supply of goods or services or both and includes such foundation and structural supports but excludes—
(i) land, building or any other civil structures;
(ii) telecommunication towers; and
(iii) pipelines laid outside the factory premises.
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