FM to meet GST and income tax officers to resolve field-level issues

The meetings aim to review ground-level implementation of tax policies, resolve bottlenecks in taxpayer services, and improve ease of doing business

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will meet principal chief commissioners of goods and services tax (GST) and customs on June 20, and those of income tax on June 23, to discuss field-level challenges and make tax administration more efficient and taxpayer-friendly, according to government sources.

 

The meetings aim to review ground-level implementation of tax policies, resolve bottlenecks in taxpayer services, and improve the ease of doing business.

 

On June 20, Sitharaman will speak with field officers from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), which handles GST and customs.

 

“The meeting will focus on making the GST system easier for honest businesses, especially by reducing delays in GST registration and ensuring that genuine taxpayers are not troubled unnecessarily. The minister is also expected to review issues related to refunds, fake invoicing, and tax evasion cases,” a government official said.

 

The aim is to make tax enforcement stricter where needed but also friendlier and faster for regular businesses, in line with the government’s goal of improving the ease of doing business, the official said.

 

On June 23, Sitharaman will meet officers from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which handles income tax. That discussion will likely include issues like pending appeals, refund delays, and complaints of high-pitched tax assessments. The minister is expected to hear directly from zonal officers about what’s working and what’s not.

 

“Finance minister to strengthen field-level tax administration and ensure policies are better implemented on the ground without causing problems for honest taxpayers,” another official said.