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University · Tax audit

Form 3CD Clause 44 GST Expense Breakup.

Classify expense heads into the Clause 44 GST buckets, reconcile reportable buckets to the ledger total, and export a working paper for the tax audit file. Clause 44 has had deferral/optional-status history, so verify the current assessment-year position against CBDT circulars and the live e-filing utility before treating the breakup as mandatory reporting.

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Expense classification
Total expenditure as per ledger / trial balance
Expense headAmountClassificationAction
Clause 44 summary
Ledger total₹43,65,000
Reportable Clause 44 bucket total₹41,85,000
Clause 44 variance before reconciling items₹1,80,000
All entered rows, including separate items₹43,65,000
Unclassified difference after separate items₹0
Registered - exempt₹75,000
Registered - composition₹90,000
Registered - other₹39,00,000
Total payment to registered entities₹40,65,000
Unregistered entities₹1,20,000
Outside GST scope / separate memo₹1,80,000
The four reportable Clause 44 buckets do not tie to the ledger total. Reclassify the difference or retain a clear outside-scope memo before finalising.
Classification guide

What each bucket means means

Registered - exempt goods/services

Use where the supplier is GST-registered but the expense relates to exempt goods or services.

Registered - composition suppliers

Use for registered suppliers under the composition scheme.

Registered - other suppliers

Use for normal registered suppliers, including regular taxable supplies.

Unregistered suppliers

Use where the supplier has no GST registration for the transaction.

Not covered by GST

Use for expenses outside GST supplier classification, such as statutory levies or employee costs, where your firm policy treats them separately before final reporting.

How Clause 44 expense breakup is prepared

Rule 6G prescribes Form 3CD as the statement of particulars for tax audit reporting under Section 44AB. Clause 44 is the GST supplier-classification breakup in the Form 3CD format, but its practical reporting status has had deferral/optional-treatment history. Verify the current assessment-year position against CBDT circulars/notifications and the live e-filing utility before treating it as mandatory.

Start from the expense ledger or trial balance, remove or separately identify items your firm methodology treats outside supplier classification, and classify each expense head by evidence: GSTIN status, registration type, composition status, exempt supply classification and whether the vendor is unregistered.

This calculator is a file-preparation aid. It does not decide tax treatment, ITC eligibility or reporting qualifications. It deliberately separates outside-GST-scope items from the four reportable buckets so the variance is visible instead of being silently treated as matched.

Worked example - eight expense heads

A company has total expenses of Rs. 43.65 lakh. The CA classifies normal GST-registered suppliers, composition suppliers, exempt-supply expenses, unregistered purchases and employee-cost items treated separately.

Inputs
Ledger totalRs. 43,65,000
Other registered suppliersRs. 39,00,000
Composition suppliersRs. 90,000
Exempt registered suppliesRs. 75,000
Unregistered suppliersRs. 1,20,000
Not covered / separately classifiedRs. 1,80,000
Output
Total payment to registered entitiesRs. 40,65,000
Entities not registered under GSTRs. 1,20,000
Reportable Clause 44 bucket totalRs. 41,85,000
Clause 44 variance before reconciling itemsRs. 1,80,000
The Rs. 1.8 lakh separate item is visible as a variance before reconciling items. The auditor should reclassify it into a reportable bucket if appropriate, or retain a clear outside-scope memo before finalising.

Common mistakes

Treating the ledger total as self-evident
The Clause 44 table should tie to the expense population selected by the firm. Keep a clear bridge from the trial balance to the working paper.
Ignoring composition suppliers
A supplier can be GST-registered and still fall under the composition column. Vendor master GSTIN alone is not enough.
Mixing exempt supply with unregistered supply
Exempt goods/services from a registered supplier and purchases from an unregistered supplier are different buckets.
Netting outside-scope items into the bucket total
Salary, statutory levy or other outside-scope items may explain a variance, but they should not silently make the four reportable Clause 44 buckets look reconciled.
Leaving a reconciliation difference unexplained
A difference between ledger total and the four reportable buckets is a workpaper exception. Resolve or document it before reporting.

Frequently asked questions

What is Form 3CD Clause 44?+
Clause 44 is the GST expenditure breakup in the Form 3CD format. Because the clause has had deferral and optional-status history, verify the current assessment-year position against CBDT circulars/notifications and the live e-filing utility before treating it as mandatory reporting.
Does this calculator file Form 3CD?+
No. It prepares an Excel working paper for the Clause 44 breakup. Form 3CD itself is filed through the Income Tax e-filing portal by the tax auditor using the prescribed online/offline utility.
Should salary and statutory payments be included in Clause 44?+
Practices differ on how non-supplier expenses are bridged. The safe approach is to keep them separately identified in the workpaper and reconcile the treatment to the latest e-filing utility and firm methodology before reporting.
Can one expense head contain multiple GST buckets?+
Yes. If one ledger head includes registered, composition and unregistered suppliers, split it into separate rows or prepare a detailed vendor-level schedule and bring only the bucket totals into this tool.

Authoritative sources

CBDT
Income Tax Department - Rule 6GRule 6G prescribes Forms 3CA/3CB and Form 3CD for Section 44AB tax audit reporting.
CBDT
Income Tax Department - Form 3CA/3CD User ManualPortal guidance confirms Form 3CD is the statement of particulars filed by the CA through the e-filing workflow.
Always confirm against the latest version of the source. Regulations evolve and amendments are common.
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Tax audit workpaper hubGST audit workpaper hubClause 44 GST working paper templateForm 3CD Clause 34 guide
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Last reviewed: 2026-08-29 · For informational purposes only — not professional advice.