Over 3.6 mn businesses file GST returns so far

The revenue department had estimated collection of around Rs 65,000 cr from maiden GST

Over 3.6 million businesses have so far filed their first tax returns under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, a top tax official said on Monday.

Tax collected in the maiden filings under the GST regime, which kicked in from July 1, are still being compiled as the last date for filings under different rules is not yet over, he said.

The revenue department had estimated collection of around Rs 65,000 crore from maiden GST, the official said.

The deadline for filing first monthly return and payment of taxes under GST - the new indirect tax regime that unifies over a dozen state and central taxes, including excise duty, service tax and VAT - ended on August 25.

However, businesses that availed transitional credit were allowed to file returns until August 28 after paying taxes on self-assessment basis by August 25.

"At the start of the day today, over  3.632 million returns had been filed. Final tax collection numbers would be known once all the returns are in," the official said.

Under GST, businesses are supposed to file monthly sales returns and pay due taxes online. Since this was the maiden return after GST was rolled out on July 1, the government gave companies extra time to file returns and pay taxes.

Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) Chairperson Vanaja Sarna, in her weekly letter to tax officials, had said the last date for payment of GST for July 2017 was extended up to August 25.

But for those taxpayers who want to fill TRAN-I this month, the last date for filing GSTR-3B is August 28, she had said.

GST Network, the company managing the tax filing apparatus, had uploaded form TRAN-1 last week on its portal for businesses to claim credit on taxes paid prior to GST rollout on July 1.

Another official said businesses can continue to file returns and pay taxes even after the deadline ends, much like what happens in case of income tax returns and payment.

As per the GST law, any registered person who fails to furnish details of outward or inward supplies or returns required by the due date will have to pay a late fee of Rs 100 forevery day during which such failure continues subject to amaximum Rs 5,000.

Besides, every person who fails to pay the tax within the period prescribed will be required to pay interest at 18 per cent from the day succeeding the day on which such tax was due to be paid.

While 7.2 million assessees of the old indirect tax regime have migrated to the GST Network portal, nearly 50 lakh have completed the migration process.

Besides, of the 1.5 million fresh registrations, as many as 1 million are expected to file returns for July.