The Patna high court, in a recent decision that favours the GST authorities, ruled that input tax credit (ITC) is akin to a privilege or a concession rather than an inherent entitlement provided within the GST framework. The eligibility to claim ITC for a buyer hinges not only on the amount collected by the seller (dealer) via the invoice raised, but also on the timely remittance of this sum by the seller to the government.