What is considered as ‘securities’  under the Goods and Services Tax  Act? Are they taxable under GST?

Section 2(101) of the CGST Act, 2017 defines “securities” to have the same  meaning as assigned to it in clause (h) of section 2 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.

Section 2(52) of the CGST Act, 2017 defines “goods” to mean every kind of movable property other than money and securities but includes actionable claim, growing crops, grass and things attached to or forming part of the land which are agreed to be severed before supply or under a contract of supply.

Thus, securities are not goods under the CGST Act, 2017.

Section 2(102) of the CGST Act, 2017 defines “services” to mean anything other than goods, money and securities but includes activities relating to the use of money or its conversion by cash or by any other mode, from one form, currency or denomination, to another form, currency or denomination for which a separate consideration is charged. Thus, securities are not services under the CGST Act, 2017.

Since securities neither fall in the definition of goods nor in the definition of services, they fall in the definition of “non-taxable supply” under section 2(78) of the CGST Act, 2017.

Q 89 of GST FAQs on Financial Services Sector published by CBIC