Namaste When you strike a deal and pay GST on your purchase, you might receive a rebate from the seller later. The good news is that, under the GST Regulatory Framework, if the discount is issued as a financial credit note without any GST adjustment, you can retain your input tax credit (ITC). This means a post-sale discount does not require you to reverse your ITC, as long as the process is handled correctly. This understanding should reassure you and give you confidence in your tax management.Lets explore why this is the case and what recent clarifications through CGST Circular 251/08/2025-GST mean for businesses.Understanding Post-Sale Discounts and Credit NotesPost-sale discounts, also known as secondary or retrospective discounts, are price reductions given after the original sale invoice has been issued. For instance, a supplier may offer a year-end rebate or a volume discount through a credit note.In the context of GST, there are two types of credit notes:1. GST Credit Note:This type of credit note reduces the taxable value and tax of the original invoice. It is issued under Section 34 of the CGST Act and is allowed only if specific conditions in Section 15(3)(b) are met. These conditions require that the discount be agreed upon upfront and linked to the invoice, and that the buyer reverses the related ITC. If these criteria are satisfied, the supplier can adjust their output tax downwards, and the buyer must reverse the proportionate ITC.2. Financial/Commercial Credit Note:This credit note does not include a GST adjustment and is used when the discount does not meet the Section 15(3)(b) conditions. In this case, the supplier is unable to modify the original tax amount, meaning the original invoice value and GST remain unchanged in the GST returns. The credit note serves purely as a commercial document to adjust the price between the parties.Why is this important?If the supplier does not reduce their GST liability, the tax on the full original price has alrea