If a consignment note is issued, it indicates that the lien on the goods has been transferred (to the transporter) and the transporter becomes responsible for the goods till its safe delivery to the consignee. It is only the services of such GTA, who assumes agency functions, that is being brought into the GST net.
Besides this, a GTA exclusively delivers goods via road from one point to another, while a courier agency opts for a multi-modal transportation system that involves air freight, rail freight and road transportation from person-to-person.
What is Goods Transport Agency (GTA) As per Section 65B (26) of the Finance Act, 1994, “Goods Transport Agency means any person who provides service in relation to transport of goods by road and issues consignment note, by whatever name called”.
A consignment note is a document issued by a goods transportation agency against the receipt of goods for the purpose of transporting the goods by road in a goods carriage. If a consignment note is not issued by the transporter, the service provider will not come within the ambit of the goods transport agency.
On the other hand GTO means any person who is engaged in transportation of goods and may or may not include GTA. Main difference between GTA and GTO is issue of consignment note (builty). A GTA may or may not own any transportation vehicle but a GTO owns a transportation vehicle.
An invoice is a commercial document that maintains the record of transactions between the buyer and the seller. On the other hand, a consignment note is an export document that serves as evidence of a concluded carriage contract.
Document accompanying goods that is filled by the shipper. It serves as proof that a contract for carriage has been concluded and describes its content. It also serves as a receipt when goods are picked up from the shipper and delivered to the recipient.
The rule of GST on freight charges stipulates that GST is applicable based on the mode of transportation. Typically, road and rail transport services attract a 5% GST rate, while air and sea freight services are taxed at 18%.
A Letter of Authorization (LOA) for GST is a legal document that empowers a different person or entity to deal with matters related to GST compliance on behalf of the business. In other words, the LOA gives the authority to represent the business as a taxpayer for GST purposes legally.