Chartered Accountant · ICAI M.No. 153926 · FRN 136869W
The cut-off date
Credit for invoices of a financial year must be claimed by the earlier of: 30 November of the following financial year, or the date you file the annual return for that year. After that, the ITC simply lapses — there is no extension for forgetting. Confirm the current cut-off per the GST law.
The other conditions
Beyond timing, the credit is allowed only if: the invoice appears in your auto-drafted GSTR-2B; you have the tax invoice and have received the goods/services; the supplier has paid the tax; and the credit isn’t blocked under Section 17(5). All conditions must be met together.
A worked example
Example: a March 2026 purchase invoice can be claimed up to 30 November 2026 (or earlier filing of the annual return). If you only spot it in December 2026, the credit is gone. This is why monthly reconciliation of purchases against GSTR-2B matters — chasing a missing invoice in November is too late if the supplier won’t file. Our team can run your ITC reconciliation.