By CA Surekha S Ahuja
How Accounting, GST and Income Tax can treat the same transaction differently — and why ignoring related costs can distort year-end profit.
31 March is over. Balance sheets are being finalised.
A ₹1 crore service contract is completed and accepted on 31 March. The invoice is raised on 5 April and payment received on 30 April.
Which year gets the ₹1 crore — and which costs go with it?
The answer does not start with the invoice.
ONE TRANSACTION. THREE STATUTORY TESTS
| Framework | Core question | Key test |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | When is revenue recognised? | Ind AS 115 / AS 9, performance, acceptance, contractual rights |
| GST | When does GST arise? | Applicable time-of-supply provisions |
| Income Tax | How is taxable income computed? | Applicable tax provisions / ICDS |
| Costs & Profit | What belongs with the revenue? | Direct costs, WIP, accruals, cost to complete, obligations |
The dates may coincide — or may differ. Getting revenue right but costs wrong can still produce the wrong profit.
ACCOUNTING CLOCK
For Ind AS 115:
Contract → Performance obligation → Satisfaction → Right to consideration → Contract asset / receivable
Do not equate:
Completion = invoicing
Invoiceability = revenue recognition
Unbilled revenue = receivable
For AS 9, apply the relevant service-revenue principles separately.
Trigger: A material April invoice relating to March activity requires a cut-off review.
GST CLOCK
GST has its own statutory timing.
March accounting revenue ≠ automatically March GST.
April invoice ≠ automatically April GST.
Apply the applicable time-of-supply provisions independently.
⚠️ Never derive GST timing merely from the P&L date.
INCOME-TAX CLOCK
“Revenue in the books = taxable income in the same year.”
Not necessarily.
Apply the Income-tax provisions and ICDS, where applicable. ICDS IV contains specific service rules and Section 43CB addresses specified construction and service contracts.
Book revenue and taxable income must be separately analysed and reconciled.
THE COST CLOCK — OFTEN MISSED
If ₹1 crore is recognised in March, ask what costs belong with it:
Direct employee/project costs • Materials • Subcontractors • Unbilled vendor costs • Direct expenses • WIP • Cost to complete • Contractual obligations • Potential losses
Expense incurred ≠ invoice received.
A March service received from a vendor but invoiced in April may require an accrual, subject to the applicable accounting framework.
But: Future expenditure ≠ automatically a provision.
WORK STILL TO BE DONE
Ask:
What remains incomplete?
What will it cost to complete?
Does the contract indicate a loss?
Does any liability/provision require recognition?
| Test | Key question |
|---|---|
| Revenue | What performance was completed? |
| Costs | What costs relate to it? |
| WIP | What remains? |
| Cost to complete | What will completion cost? |
| Obligations | Is any liability/provision required? |
| Margin | What is the expected final profit/loss? |
Revenue recognition and contract profitability must be tested together.
CONTRACT CLAUSES THAT CAN CHANGE THE ANSWER
Performance obligations • Milestones • Acceptance • Right to payment • Billing conditions • Completion certificates • Retention • Variable consideration • Termination • Post-year-end obligations
The contract can change both the revenue and cost conclusion.
THE 10-POINT YEAR-END TEST
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| 1. Contract | What exactly was promised? |
| 2. Performance | What was completed by 31 March? |
| 3. Acceptance | Was acceptance required and substantive? |
| 4. Consideration | What contractual right existed? |
| 5. Accounting | Ind AS 115 or AS 9? |
| 6. GST | What is the time of supply? |
| 7. Income Tax | What do tax rules / ICDS require? |
| 8. Direct Costs | What costs relate to completed work? |
| 9. WIP | What remains and what will it cost? |
| 10. Obligations | Is accrual / provision / loss recognition required? |
FIVE DANGEROUS SHORTCUTS
“Invoice is April, so revenue is April.” → Not necessarily.
“Work is complete, so everything is March revenue.” → Not necessarily.
“March revenue means March GST.” → Different statutory test.
“Books show ₹1 crore, so tax is ₹1 crore.” → Separate tax analysis.
“Revenue is right, so profit is right.” → Not without cost analysis.
YEAR-END RISK MAP
| Risk | Potential consequence |
|---|---|
| Revenue before required performance | Overstatement / audit risk |
| Revenue deferred merely due to later invoice | Cut-off risk |
| GST timing derived from accounting | GST + interest |
| Books copied into tax computation | Tax adjustment + interest |
| Direct costs not accrued | Profit overstatement |
| Unsupported WIP | Asset overstatement |
| Cost-to-complete ignored | Margin / loss misstatement |
| Obligations ignored | Liability / provision risk |
| Books–GST–Tax differences unexplained | Scrutiny / audit risk |
THE YEAR-END CONTROL
For every material March–April contract:
Contract → Performance & Acceptance → Revenue → Direct Costs & WIP → Cost to Complete / Obligations → GST → Income Tax → Invoice / Collection
Then reconcile:
Books ↔ GST Returns ↔ Tax Computation ↔ Contract
Every material difference needs a reason, evidence and closure trail.
THE FINAL CAUTION
Do not conclude “March” or “April” merely from the:
Invoice date • completion date • accounting entry • GST return • payment date
First establish what the contract required and what actually happened by 31 March.
Then apply Accounting + GST + Income Tax + Cost recognition separately and reconcile the complete position.
BEFORE SIGN-OFF, ASK ONE QUESTION
Can we defend the revenue, related costs, WIP, contractual obligations, GST and tax treatment of every material March–April contract from the contract, actual performance and contemporaneous evidence?
If not: STOP. REVISIT THE CUT-OFF.
The contract tells you what was agreed. Performance tells you what happened. Accounting determines recognition.
GST determines GST timing.
Income-tax law determines tax computation.
Costs determine whether the margin is real.
The invoice tells you when you billed.
