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Microlesson · 5-min read

Scope of Supply — Section 7 of CGST Act

# Scope of Supply (Section 7, CGST Act)

## The Five Essential Ingredients of Supply

For a transaction to qualify as 'supply' under GST, all five conditions must generally be satisfied:

1. Goods or Services — the transaction must involve goods or services (or both).

2. Consideration — there must be consideration (monetary or otherwise).

3. In the course or furtherance of business — the supply must be made as part of business activity.

4. Taxable person — the supplier must be a taxable person.

5. Taxable supply — the supply itself must be a taxable supply (not exempt/non-GST).

## Memory Aid

"GST se connect rakho — Goods/Services, Consideration, course of business, Taxable person, Taxable supply."

## Two Important Carve-outs

  • Schedule I — Activities treated as supply even without consideration (override of condition 2).
  • Schedule III — Activities/transactions treated as neither supply of goods nor services (negative list).

## Quick Decision Flow

  • All 5 ingredients present → Supply → Check Schedule II for classification (goods vs services).
  • Missing consideration but listed in Schedule I → Still a supply.
  • Listed in Schedule III → Not a supply at all.

Worked example

### Example 1

Example: A trader in Delhi sells goods to a customer in Mumbai for ₹50,000. Is this supply?

  • Goods? ✓
  • Consideration (₹50,000)? ✓
  • In course of business? ✓
  • Taxable person (registered trader)? ✓
  • Taxable supply? ✓

Conclusion: Yes, it is a supply. GST applicable.

⚠️ Common exam mistakes

  • Forgetting that ALL FIVE ingredients are cumulative — missing even one defeats the supply (unless Schedule I overrides).
  • Treating Schedule I as a complete supply test — Schedule I only overrides the 'consideration' requirement; other conditions still apply.
  • Confusing Schedule II (classification) with Schedule I (deemed supply) or Schedule III (not supply).
Bare-Act text Section 7 · CGST Act, 2017 · click to expand
Section 7(1): For the purposes of this Act, the expression 'supply' includes — (a) all forms of supply of goods or services or both such as sale, transfer, barter, exchange, licence, rental, lease or disposal made or agreed to be made for a consideration by a person in the course or furtherance of business; ... (c) the activities specified in Schedule I, made or agreed to be made without a consideration; ... 7(1A) Where certain activities or transactions constitute a supply in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1), they shall be treated either as supply of goods or supply of services as referred to in Schedule II. 7(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) — (a) activities or transactions specified in Schedule III ... shall be treated neither as a supply of goods nor a supply of services.
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