Government to track down GST defaulters, warns Sushil Modi

Using data analytics, the government would track down and penalise defaulters of Goods and Services Tax (GST), said Group of Ministers (GoM) on GST Network ChairmanSushil Kumar Modi on Saturday.

"We will use data analytics to track GST tax defaulters through its network, which has 360-degree view of online transactions to detect discrepancies," Modi, the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister, told reporters after chairing the 9th meeting of the GoM here.

The GoM was set up in September 2017 to address the IT-related issues of the GSTN, operated by software vendor Infosys since the new tax regime was introduced across the country on July 1, 2017.

Asserting that no dealer would be able to escape the indirect tax net on goods and services, Modi said the GST Network was so robust that they should not attempt to dodge paying their dues to the government.

"Traders and dealers should not avoid or evade paying taxes that are due from them on their goods and services, as business intelligence software (third eye) will trace the defaulters easily," he said.

The GST Council, which will hold its next meeting in New Delhi on July 21, will also study recommendations of its law advisory committee, set up by the Union Finance Ministry to suggest changes for greater compliance.

"State-run departments handling large work contracts will also be brought under the TDS (tax deduction scheme) from October 1 in the first phase."

The committee has made about 100 recommendations to amend the GST Act, including widening the threshold limit of the composition scheme, identify dealers for reverse change mechanism and distribution of cess on compensation to states in the middle of five-year term.

In its report on December 17, the committee has advised the GST Council to enlarge the composition scheme and simply filing of returns, among other pro-active measures to make traders comply with the new tax regime.

The panel also recommended including service providers in the composition scheme and allow filing of summarised (GSTR-3B) returns.

Under the composition scheme, small traders or dealers will pay GST at a fixed rate turnover of less than Rs 1.5 crore.

"Among the recommendations are to include service providers in the composition," said an official.

Of the 1.2 crore dealers or traders registered with the GST across the country, 17.66 lakh were under the composition scheme, while 63.77 lakh migrated and 48.62 lakh more have registered over the months.

The GoM chief said emphasis in the second year of implementing the GST regime would be on the simplified return form in a single page.

"The average revenue collection for 2017-18 was Rs 89,885 crore per month in spite of economic slowdown and reduction in tax rates on 300 items," added Modi.

Besides Modi, other GoM members are Chattisgarh Minister for Commercial Taxes Amar Agarwal, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Krishna Byregowda, Kerala Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Issac and Telangana Finance Minister Etela Rajendar.

--IANS

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