Supply of UPS along with battery
should be considered as ‘Mixed Supply’:
AAR

Fact of the case:

• The appellant supplies power solution products and it is also a manufacture of power back ups and solar products.

 

• The assessee filed an application for Advance Ruling to determine whether supply of UPS along with battery has to be considered as mixed supply as they are supplied under a single contract at a combined single price?

 

Held:

Following facts have been observed by the authorities:

 

• Section 2(30) of the GST Act defines Composite Supply as “ a supply made by a taxable person to a recipient consisting of two or more taxable supplies of goods or services or both, or any combination thereof, which are naturally bundled and supplied in conjunction with each other in the ordinary course of business, one of which is a principal supply”.

 

• The UPS serves no purpose if the battery is not supplied or removed. It cannot function as a UPS unless the battery is attached. However, what needs to be considered is whether or not these two items are “naturally bundled”. Section 2(30) of the GST Act refers to a supply where the ancillary supplies are inseparable from the principal supply and form an integral part of the composite supply. Note 3 also refers to a composite machine as the one consisting of two or more machines fitted together to form a whole. When a UPS is supplied with built-in batteries so that supply of the battery is inseparable from supply of the UPS, it should be treated as a composite supply

 

 

• But a standalone UPS and a battery can be separately supplied in retail set up. A person can purchase a standalone UPS and a battery from different vendors. The applicant himself admits that he supplies the battery and UPS as separate machines as well as UPS with battery. It is, therefore, obvious that the UPS and the battery have separate commercial values as goods and should be taxed under the respective tariff heads when supplied separately.

 

• If a combination of goods that does not amount to a composite supply is being offered at a single price, such supplies are to be treated as mixed supplies. Mixed supply is defined under section 2(74) of the GST Act as one where “two or more individual supplies of goods/services or any combination thereof, made in conjunction with each other by a taxable person for a single price where such supply does not constitute a composite supply”. The stated Illustration to Section 2(74) of the GST Act refers to a package of items which can be supplied separately and are not dependent on each other, but for the instant purpose are being packaged together.

 

 

• The supply of UPS and Battery is to be considered as Mixed Supply within the meaning of Section 2(74) of the GST Act, as they are supplied under a single contract at a combined single price.

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