Every dealer is liable to pay tax under the Central Sales Tax Act, on all sales of goods (other than Electrical Energy) effected by him in the course of inter-state trade or commerce during the year. The tax is payable if the sale or purchase:

1. occasions the movement of goods from one state to another, or

2. is effected by a transfer of documents of title to the goods during their movement from one state to another.

Further, the dealer is liable to pay tax under this Act on sale of taxable goods effected by him in the course of inter-state trade or commerce, notwithstanding the turnover limit of sales or purchases for registration and liability for tax has not exceeded under the State Tax Laws of the appropriate State.

No tax is payable under this Act on –

1. Any transaction of sale in the course of export out of the territory of India. [Section 5(1)].

2. Sale in the course of import or sale effected by transfer of document of title to the goods before it crosses the custom frontier of India popularly known as "High Seas Sale". [Section 5(2)]

3. Sale of goods to the exporter for the purpose of complying with pre-existing export order or agreement against Form H. [Section 5(3)]

4. Any subsequent sale, during inter-state movement of goods, effected by transfer of documents is exempted if the sale is made to a registered dealer, provided the prescribed declarations are obtained from the supplier and the purchaser of such goods. [Section 6(2)]

5. Inter-State sale of goods to any foreign diplomats/mission/consulates/United Nations, etc. against Form J. [Section 6(3)]

6. Inter-State stock transfer against Form F. [Section 6A]

7. Sale of goods to:

(a) Developer of SEZ; (b) Unit situated in SEZ against Form I [Section 8(6)]

8. Sale of goods to notified persons against Form "J" [Section 8(4)]

The Finance Act, 2002 has substituted the definition of sale under the CST Act. The amended definition is as follows:–

‘(g) "sale", with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, means any transfer of property in goods by one person to another for cash or deferred payment or for any other valuable consideration and includes, –

1. a transfer, otherwise than in pursuance of a contract, of property in any goods for cash, deferred payment or other valuable consideration;

2. a transfer of property in goods (whether as goods or in some other form) involved in the execution of a works contract;

3. a delivery of goods on hire-purchase or any system of payment by instalments;

4. a transfer of the right to use any goods for any purpose (whether or not for a specified period) for cash, deferred payment or other valuable consideration;

5. a supply of goods by any unincorporated association or body of persons to a member thereof for cash, deferred payment or other valuable consideration;

6. a supply, by way of or as part of any service or in any other manner whatsoever, of goods, being food or any other article for human consumption or any drink (whether or not intoxicating), where such supply or service, is for cash, deferred payment or other valuable consideration.

But does not include a mortgage or hypothecation of or a charge or pledge on goods.

A single inter-state sale of any amount effected by a dealer attracts tax liability under the Central Sales Tax Act and consequential liability for obtaining certificate of registration. The application for registration shall be made within 30 days from the date on which the first inter-state sale is effected. However, the dealers registered under the State Sales Tax Act may get voluntary registration under this Act even without effecting any inter-state sale.

The prescribed authority, to whom the application is made, if satisfied that the application is in conformity with the provisions of this Act and Rules made thereunder, shall register the applicant and grant to him a certificate of registration in prescribed form.

Rates of tax on sales in the course of inter-state trade or commerce are prescribed by Sec. 8 of the Act. Accordingly, tax is to be charged as follows: (w.e.f. 1-6-2008)

			Supported by Form 'C’	Without C Form
A.	Declared Goods		2%	Local rate
B.	Other Goods
	If rate of tax on such goods under the local Act:
	1)	Nil	Nil	Nil
	2)	Less than 2%	Local rate	Local rate
	3)	2% or more	2%	Local rate

Transfer of goods from one state to another to one’s own place of business is exempt. A declaration in Form ‘F’ must be obtained from the branch.

One F form has to be issued for each month. Proof of dispatch is no more sufficient proof of Branch Transfer.

Transactions of export of goods outside India or import of goods from out of India are exempt from tax. Sales/purchases effected by transfer of documents of title to goods before (in the case of import) or after (in the case of export) the goods cross the customs frontiers of India are also exempt u/s. 5 of the Act. Further, sales to exporters selling goods directly to their purchasers in other countries, against prior export orders are also exempt. A declaration in Form ‘H’ is to be obtained from such exporters.

Dealers effecting sales in the course of inter-state trade shall get declaration in Form ‘C’ from the purchaser of goods. The department shall issue such forms in triplicate to the purchaser, the purchaser should send two copies to the seller. The original is to be submitted by the selling dealer to the authorities concerned, and the duplicate is to be kept in his record.

The purchasing dealer is required to get these forms from the prescribed authority under his seal and signature. The dealer issuing the forms shall keep a record of forms used by him.

‘C’ form declarations can be issued by dealers registered under the Central Sales Tax Act, in respect of those goods only, which are included in the relevant list of their Registration Certificate under the Central Sales Tax Act, for resale, for packing, for use in the manufacture or processing of goods for sale, or for use in mining or for use in telecommunication network or for use in the generation or distribution of electricity or any other form of power.

Earlier, one single C/D Form could be issued for all sales bills of the selling dealer for all the transactions effected during one financial year. However now, w.e.f. 1st October, 2005, the ‘C’ forms are required to be issued one for each calendar quarter..

‘D’ form declarations can be issued, for any goods purchased, by the Central Government or the State Government only. This facility has been discontinued w.e.f. 1st April, 2007. Now the Government Department has to purchase the same against payment of full rate of tax.

For the purposes of S. 6(2), providing for exemption from payment of Central Sales Tax on subsequent inter-state sales, certificates in Form E-I or E-II have to be issued by the selling dealers to the purchasing dealers and Form C is to be obtained from purchasing dealer.

The tax should be collected by the registered dealer, who sells the goods in the course of inter-state trade or commerce and shall be paid to the Government treasury in challan No. MTR 6, along with a return, within the time as may be prescribed by the State Government in the local Act.

Simple imprisonment up to six months or fine of any amount or both, are provided for the following offences:

1. Furnishing false declarations/certificates;

2. Failure to get registered or to furnish security;

3. False representation, while purchasing goods, that the goods are covered by registration certificate;

4. False representation about being registered dealers;

5. Failure, without reasonable excuse, to use goods for the purpose certified in the C form declaration;

6. Collection of Central Sales Tax contrary to S. 9A.

Penalty in lieu of prosecution is provided for offences covered by sub-paras (3), (4) and (5) above. Compounding of all offences has been provided. Special provisions have been made for companies in liquidation and personal liability of directors of private limited companies which are wound up.

Further, interests and penalties for late filing of return or late payments, etc. are to be governed by the law prevailing in the appropriate State. In view of the amendment vide Finance
Act, 2000.

Section 14 covers the following declared goods which are subject to tax under a State Sales Tax law at a rate not exceeding 4%. (The limit increased to 5%, vide Finance Act, 2011, w.e.f. 1st May, 2011)

These are:

Specific types of cereals (i.e., paddy, wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, maize, etc.), coal including coke in all its forms but excluding charcoal, cotton, cotton fabrics, man-made fabrics and woollen fabrics falling under certain headings in the Schedule to the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985, cotton yarn, but not including cotton yarn waste, crude oil even when subjected to certain processes, hides and skins, whether in a raw or dressed state, certain types of iron and steel materials, jute, certain types of oilseeds, certain types of pulses and sugar falling under certain sub-headings in the Schedule to the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985, Aviation Turbine Fuel sold to Turbo-Prop Aircraft and sponge iron.