Central tax officers have issued approximately 33,000 GST notices to businesses for discrepancies in returns and short payment of taxes in the financial years 2017-18 and 2018-19. The National Co-ordination Committee of State and Central GST officers, chaired by the Revenue Secretary, is expected to meet by the end of this month or early January. The notices, although a small percentage of total returns, have resulted in bunching up due to extended filing deadlines.
- Around 33,000 notices were sent to businesses for discrepancies in GST returns filed for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 financial years.
- This number, while seemingly alarming, was emphasized to be a “small percentage” of the total returns filed during those years.
CBIC Member-GST Shashank Priya, speaking at the Assocham National Conference on GST, highlighted the challenges faced by officers due to the late filing of returns, putting pressure on scrutiny. The Central GST officers aim to sensitize field formations to critically scrutinize details before issuing orders. A focus on resolving disputes at the adjudicating authority level rather than the GST appellate tribunal is emphasized.
- Delayed Return Filing: Extensions granted for filing annual returns for FY18 and FY19 led to a bunching up of demand notices when scrutinized later.
- Increased Scrutiny Pressure: This influx of late returns put pressure on officers to scrutinize them quickly, potentially leading to a higher notice issuance rate.
In addressing fake registrations under GST, Priya mentioned efforts to tighten registration processes and minimize changes in GSTR-3B forms. A recent special drive led to the detection of 21,791 fake GST registrations and suspected tax evasion of over Rs 24,000 crore. The GST appellate tribunal is expected to be established in the next 4-5 months.
Conclusion:
- Stay informed about developments in GST compliance and notices. support@efiletax.in
- Expect updates on the GST landscape, dispute resolution, and efforts to combat fake registrations.