Govt advances deadline for GST seller returns for April, May, June

The government has advanced the deadlines for filing of seller forms under the goods and services tax, GSTR-1, for April, May and June, in comparison to those given for previous months.

GSTR-1 for the month of April will have to be filed by May 31. Earlier, 40 days were given for filing these, which would have made June 10 the deadline. Returns for May have to be filed by June 10 and for June by July 10. So, only 10 days after the month ends, against the earlier 40 days. 

Abhishek Jain, indirect tax partner at consultants EY India, said businesses take four of five days to close the accounts after the month ends. Leaving them five or six days to file the return. 

However, the government has not changed the deadline for filing GSTR-3B. These are to still be filed by the 20th of the following month. The idea is to allow reconciliation between the two forms, GSTR-3B and GSTR-1. According to the original plan, the GST Council had decided to give only 10 days to file GSTR-1, after which GSTR-2, the return for buyers, had to be finalised and filed within the next five days. These were to be then used for filing GSTR-3 forms, to claim credits. 

However, the outcry over complicated returns prompted the Council to redo this. GSTR-1 was retained; GSTR-2 and GSTR-3 forms were suspended. In place of GSTR-3 came GSTR-3B, meant for the initial months but continuing.

Also, the government gave 40 days for an assessee to file GSTR-1 after the month in question ended. Since GSTR-2 has been suspended, such reconciliation will enable companies to liase with their vendors to rectify any incorrect recording at their end, Jain said. 

However, the issue is why the deadlines have been changed when the group of ministers on the subject, headed by Bihar's deputy chief minister, Sushil Modi, is trying to bring in single returns.