The last date to avail ITC for invoices or debit notes issued for the invoices pertaining to the period from July, 2017 to March, 2018 is the due date to file return u/s 39 for the month of September 2018 or furnishing of annual return for F.Y. 2017-18 whichever is earlier. The last date to file return u/s 39 is 20th of next month. Therefore the last date to claim ITC for July 2017 to March 2018 is the due date for the month of September 2018 i.e. 20th October 2018.

Tax payers were facing difficulties in mapping of inward supplies and GSTR-2A as it is very time consuming process. As per recent press release by CBIC (dtd. 18/10/2018), the GST input can be availed even if the same is not available in GSTR-2A as GSTR-2A is merely an additional facility for the taxpayer. GST input credit is available on self-assessment basis as per GSTR-3B. Therefore input credit should be claimed by 20th October,2018.

Further, the last date to file GSTR-3B for Sep'2018 was extended for those taxpayers who have recently migrated to GST vide Notification 47/2018 (i.e. those tax payers who did not file form GST REG-26 but received Provisional Identification number before 31st December 2017). For these tax payers the last date to file GSTR-3B and to claim input tax credit is 31st December 2018 but for rest of the tax payers last date to file GSTR 3B as well as claim ITC is 20th October 2018.