Whether interest on a finance lease transaction is taxable under GST?

A finance lease is a method of borrowing against the asset. The interest  represents the time value of the money expended by the Bank in financing the  asset. Services by way of extending deposits, loans or advances in so far as the consideration is represented by way of interest or discount (other than interest involved in credit card services) is exempt.

But, in a financial lease the ownership of the asset is with the bank. In essence, it is a ‘purchase the asset and lend it further’ transaction for bank. Therefore, neither the services are purely in the nature of extending loans nor the consideration for a financial lease is purely in the nature of interest. Thus, interest on finance lease transactions will be taxable under GST.

Q 47 of GST FAQs on Financial Services Sector published by CBIC