The Delhi High Court has stayed a Goods and Services Tax (GST) demand of ₹10.35 crore raised against the Competition Commission of India (CCI) by the Central GST authorities, offering temporary relief to the national anti-trust regulator.
The stay order, passed on May 21 by a bench comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Rajneesh Kumar Gupta, came in response to a petition filed by the CCI challenging the tax demand. The GST authorities had issued the order on January 16, 2025, claiming that the CCI was liable to pay ₹10.35 crore in GST dues.
In its plea, the CCI argued that it is a regulatory body constituted under the Competition Act, 2002, and does not engage in any commercial or business activity that would attract GST liability. The Commission relied on a recent judgment in Central Electricity Regulatory Commission v. Directorate General of GST Intelligence, where a similar demand was found unsustainable by the court.
After hearing both parties, the bench directed that no coercive steps be taken against the CCI until the matter is fully adjudicated. The court has sought replies from the GST department within six weeks, with a rejoinder to be filed within four weeks thereafter.
The matter is now scheduled to be heard next before the Joint Registrar on July 29, 2025, and will come up before the bench again on September 8, 2025.
Source from: https://www.cnbctv18.com/business/delhi-hc-stays-gst-demand-on-competition-commission-of-india-19609997.htm
