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CA Intermediate · Taxation · Accounts and Records

Mehta Electricals, a registered person, files its GST returns regularly. Its annual return for the financial year 2024-25 was filed in December 2025. The assessment of that year is not under any appeal or proceeding. Up to which date should it retain the books of account and records relating to that year, as per the CGST law, if the due date of the annual return for 2024-25 was 31 December 2025?

The CGST law requires retention of books of account and records for seventy-two months from the due date of furnishing the annual return for the relevant year. With the due date being 31 December 2025, the retention period runs to 31 December 2031.

  1. A31 December 2026, being one year from the due date of the annual return
  2. B31 December 2027, being two years from the due date
  3. CSeventy-two months from the due date of furnishing the annual return, i.e. 31 December 2031Correct
  4. DSixty months from the due date of furnishing the annual return, i.e. 31 December 2030

Explanation

Books of account and records must be retained up to seventy-two months from the due date of furnishing the annual return for the year pertaining to such accounts and records. 72 months from 31 December 2025 is 31 December 2031. Option D uses sixty months, which is the wrong period.

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