Section 150 of CGST Act - Obligation to Furnish Information Return
Section 150 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 requires specified persons and authorities that maintain prescribed financial, registration, tax, property, banking, electricity or transaction records to furnish an information return in the prescribed manner.
Updated: 15 September 2026
- Sub-section (1) identifies the persons and authorities that may be required to furnish an information return.
- Sub-section (2) allows a defective information return to be rectified within 30 days, or within a further period allowed on application.
- Sub-section (3) permits a notice requiring a missing information return to be furnished within a period not exceeding 90 days from service of the notice.
- Section 123 provides the specific penalty where the return is still not furnished within the period specified in the Section 150(3) notice.
Meaning and purpose of Section 150
An "information return" under Section 150 is a statutory mechanism for obtaining transaction and record-based information from persons or institutions that already maintain specified records under tax, banking, electricity, registration, corporate, securities, motor vehicle, land acquisition or other laws. The provision is wider than an ordinary GST return filed by a registered taxpayer because it expressly covers several public authorities, financial institutions and other record-keeping bodies.
The obligation is not expressed as a universal requirement to submit every record automatically. Section 150(1) links the return to the relevant periods, time, form, manner and authority or agency "as may be prescribed". Compliance should therefore be checked against the applicable rules, notifications, prescribed form and any valid notice or direction relevant to the person concerned.
Who is covered by Section 150(1)?
The statutory list includes a taxable person; local authority or other public body or association; specified State and Central tax authorities; income-tax authorities; banking companies; electricity boards, distribution or transmission licensees and other entrusted entities; Registrars and Sub-Registrars; company Registrars; motor vehicle registering authorities; specified land acquisition Collectors; recognised stock exchanges; depositories; RBI officers; the Goods and Services Tax Network; persons granted a Unique Identity Number under Section 25(9); and any other person specified by the Government on the recommendations of the GST Council.
Records and transactions to which the provision relates
Section 150 focuses on persons responsible for maintaining records of registration, statements of accounts, periodic returns or documents containing details such as tax payments, transactions in goods or services, bank-account transactions, electricity consumption, and the purchase, sale or exchange of goods or property or any right or interest in property.
| Provision | Compliance point |
|---|---|
| Section 150(1) | Furnish the prescribed information return for the relevant period, within the prescribed time, form and manner, to the prescribed authority or agency. |
| Section 150(2) | If the return is found defective, the Commissioner or authorised officer may intimate the defect. The normal rectification period is 30 days from the intimation, with a possible further period on application. |
| Section 150(3) | If the required return has not been furnished within the applicable time, the authority may issue notice requiring it within a period not exceeding 90 days from service. |
| Section 123 | Failure to furnish after the Section 150(3) notice may attract Rs. 100 per day for the continuing failure, subject to a maximum penalty of Rs. 5,000. |
Text of Section 150 - Obligation to furnish information return
150. Obligation to furnish information return.
(1) Any person, being-
- a taxable person; or
- a local authority or other public body or association; or
- any authority of the State Government responsible for the collection of value added tax or sales tax or State excise duty or an authority of the Central Government responsible for the collection of excise duty or customs duty; or
- an income tax authority appointed under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961; or
- a banking company within the meaning of clause (a) of section 45A of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934; or
- a State Electricity Board or an electricity distribution or transmission licensee under the Electricity Act, 2003, or any other entity entrusted with such functions by the Central Government or the State Government; or
- the Registrar or Sub-Registrar appointed under section 6 of the Registration Act, 1908; or
- a Registrar within the meaning of the Companies Act, 2013; or
- the registering authority empowered to register motor vehicles under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988; or
- the Collector referred to in clause (c) of section 3 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013; or
- the recognised stock exchange referred to in clause (f) of section 2 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956; or
- a depository referred to in clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Depositories Act, 1996; or
- an officer of the Reserve Bank of India as constituted under section 3 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934; or
- the Goods and Services Tax Network, a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013; or
- a person to whom a Unique Identity Number has been granted under sub-section (9) of section 25; or
- any other person as may be specified, on the recommendations of the Council, by the Government,
who is responsible for maintaining record of registration or statement of accounts or any periodic return or document containing details of payment of tax and other details of transaction of goods or services or both or transactions related to a bank account or consumption of electricity or transaction of purchase, sale or exchange of goods or property or right or interest in a property under any law for the time being in force, shall furnish an information return of the same in respect of such periods, within such time, in such form and manner and to such authority or agency as may be prescribed.
(2) Where the Commissioner, or an officer authorised by him in this behalf, considers that the information furnished in the information return is defective, he may intimate the defect to the person who has furnished such information return and give him an opportunity of rectifying the defect within a period of thirty days from the date of such intimation or within such further period which, on an application made in this behalf, the said authority may allow and if the defect is not rectified within the said period of thirty days or, the further period so allowed, then, notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of this Act, such information return shall be treated as not furnished and the provisions of this Act shall apply.
(3) Where a person who is required to furnish information return has not furnished the same within the time specified in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), the said authority may serve upon him a notice requiring furnishing of such information return within a period not exceeding ninety days from the date of service of the notice and such person shall furnish the information return.
Defective information return under Section 150(2)
A return does not become a nullity merely because the authority considers it defective. The provision first contemplates intimation of the defect and an opportunity to rectify it. The statutory period is 30 days from the date of intimation. A further period may be allowed where an application is made. If the defect is not rectified within the permitted period, the return is treated as not furnished.
Notice for non-furnishing under Section 150(3)
Where the information return has not been furnished within the time contemplated by Section 150(1) or Section 150(2), the authority may serve a notice. The notice can require furnishing within a period not exceeding 90 days from the date of service. Failure to comply with that notice is important because it connects directly with the penalty provision in Section 123.
Penalty under Section 123
Section 123 of the CGST Act applies where a person required to furnish an information return under Section 150 fails to furnish it within the period specified in the notice issued under Section 150(3). The proper officer may impose a penalty of Rs. 100 for each day during which the failure continues, subject to a statutory maximum of Rs. 5,000.
Practical compliance points
A recipient of an information-return requirement should identify the statutory capacity in which the requirement applies, verify the prescribed form and period, preserve proof of filing, and promptly respond to any defect intimation. If additional time is needed to rectify a defect under Section 150(2), the request for further time should be made before the permitted period expires. A notice under Section 150(3) should be tracked carefully because non-compliance can trigger Section 123.
Related CGST Act provisions
Section 149 - Goods and services tax compliance rating | Section 151 - Power to call for information | Section 152 - Bar on disclosure of information | Section 123 - Penalty for failure to furnish information return