Indirect Tax

The CBIC has notified changes to the annual GST return form GSTR-9, making the reporting of Input Tax Credit (ITC) more comprehensive. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on September 17 notified changes to the Central GST (CGST) rules, which will come into effect on September 22 and apply to annual returns filed for the 2024-25 fiscal. GST registered Taxpayers with aggregate turnover above Rs 2 crore are required to file GSTR-9. AMRG & Associates Senior Partner Rajat Mohan said the government has revamped the annual GST return (Form GSTR-9). "Revised structure of form makes it far more detailed, with new tables covering reversals under Rules 37, 37A, 38, 42 and 43, re-claims in subsequent years, transitional credits, import-related ITC, and auto-populated mismatches," Mohan said. Professionals and corporates will need to wait for the revised forms and utilities from GSTN before implementing these changes in practice. "Going forward, this measure underscores a

The circular also stated that post-sale discounts given by manufacturers to dealers would not be treated as consideration for services

With the reduced GST rates on 375 items set to be effective from September 22, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Chief Sanjay Kumar Agarwal has underlined the need for "proactive outreach" by tax officers to handhold trade and industry in navigating the transition smoothly. He said greater awareness will not only minimise confusion but also enable businesses, particularly small traders and MSMEs, to adapt seamlessly and fully benefit from the reforms. The GST Council, in its meeting last week, has approved to make Goods and Services Tax (GST) a two-tier structure of 5 and 18 per cent, with a special rate of 40 per cent on tobacco and related products and ultra-luxury items. The new rates will be effective September 22, barring tobacco and related products, which would continue to be taxed at 28 per cent plus a compensation cess till December 31. Currently, GST is levied in the slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. In his weekly newsletter to tax officers, Agarwal sa

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) will take up industry bodies' complaints relating to non-reduction in prices of goods after the reduced GST rates are implemented from September 22, its chief Sanjay Kumar Agarwal has said. The GST Council, comprising the Centre and states, last week decided to cut tax rates on 375 items and reduce the number of slabs to just 2 from 4 currently. From September 22, a 5 per cent GST will be levied for most common-use goods and 18 per cent on everything else. The GST Council took a unanimous decision to do away with the 12 and 28 per cent slabs, the biggest rejig in 8 years since Goods and Services Tax (GST) was rolled out on July 1, 2017. Talking to PTI after the Council decision, the CBIC chief said the industry has, in the past, also reduced prices of goods as and when the GST Council has taken a decision to reduce taxes. Also, there are competitive forces at play in the market, which will bring about price reduction in the hand

Over eight years later, GST has fallen short of expectations, prompting the government to appoint Home Minister Amit Shah to lead negotiations for its reform

Total direct and indirect tax arrears stood at over Rs 54.53 lakh crore as of June 30, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said, "The total amount of tax arrears pending as on June 2025, under indirect taxes is over Rs 7.01 lakh crore and under direct taxes is over Rs 47.52 lakh crore." Cumulatively, direct and indirect tax arrears stood at Rs 54.53 lakh crore as of June 30. Of the total indirect tax arrears, over Rs 2.66 lakh crore pertain to those where pending taxes in individual cases is above Rs 10 crore as of June 2025. In case of direct taxes, tax arrears above Rs 10 crore as on June 2025 totalled about Rs 35.48 lakh crore. Further, of the Rs 7.01 lakh crore pending tax arrears under indirect tax, over Rs 3.71 lakh crore is pending due to litigation at various stages. Similarly, for direct taxes out of total Rs 47.52 lakh crore arrears due, an amount of over Rs 31.26 lakh cr

In indirect taxes, the number of cases went up from 1.13 lakh to 1.26 lakh, and the value involved more than doubled to ₹7.4 trillion during the same period

Gross GST collections doubled in five years to reach an all-time high of Rs 22.08 lakh crore in the 2024-25 fiscal year, from Rs 11.37 lakh crore in FY21, government data showed on Monday. The gross goods and services tax (GST) collections touched its highest-ever level of Rs 22.08 lakh crore in 2024-25, registering a 9.4 per cent growth over the previous fiscal year. The average monthly collection stood at Rs 1.84 lakh crore in FY25, up from Rs 1.68 lakh crore in FY24 and Rs 1.51 lakh crore in FY22. In eight years, the number of registered taxpayers under GST has risen from 65 lakh in 2017 to over 1.51 crore. "Since its rollout, the goods and services tax has shown strong growth in revenue collection and tax base expansion. It has steadily strengthened India's fiscal position and made indirect taxation more efficient and transparent," a government statement on eight years of GST said. In 2024-25, GST recorded its highest-ever gross collections of Rs 22.08 lakh crore, reflecting a

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asked CBIC to make the GST registration easier, seamless, and more transparent for taxpayers, using technology and risk-based parameters. Sitharaman, who chaired the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Conclave with the Principal Chief Commissioners, Chief Commissioners and Director Generals of the field formations, reviewed the performance of Customs and CGST zones on key indicators. During the conclave, she directed the zones to prepare an action plan to improve various parameters, such as GST registration, processing of refunds, and handling taxpayers' grievances. The finance minister also directed the CGST formations to launch targeted awareness campaigns among taxpayers, trade associations, and industry bodies regarding the mandatory documentation required for GST registration, particularly those related to the principal place of business, the finance ministry said in a statement. This would help reduce rejections an

The revised guidelines aim to curb discretionary demands for extraneous documents, a frequent complaint among taxpayers who have reported harassment and inconsistency in the registration process

The Supreme Court further emphasised that denying ITC due to human errors results in unfair double taxation, where businesses end up paying tax twice

The amendment, effective from March 18, modifies key rules governing the determination of the country of origin of imported goods - a crucial factor in availing duty benefits under FTAs)

The Union government plans to propose GST rate and slab cuts to the GST Council. Can this reform make India's indirect tax system truly simple?

Sanjay Kumar Agarwal spoke about the need to amend rules in the Central Goods and Services Tax Act to overturn the Supreme Court's (SC's) order in the Safari Retreats case

Entities that are not required to get a GST registration but are required to make a tax payment under the GST Act provision can now obtain a Temporary Identification Number (TIN). The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has notified an amendment to GST rules to issue TIN to entities that are not required to register under the GST Act but need to make payments under some specific provision. Under Goods and Services Tax (GST) rules, registration is mandatory for businesses with an annual turnover of Rs 40 lakh and Rs 20 lakh in the manufacturing and services sectors, respectively. "Where a person is not liable to registration under the Act but is required to make any payment under the provision of the Act, the proper officer may grant the said person a temporary identification number," CBIC said while introducing Rule 16A in Central GST Rules. The decision to issue TIN to entities that are otherwise not required a GST registration was taken by the GST council in its ..

As the Union Budget 2025 approaches, it is crucial to understand how the government earns its revenue from taxes and non-tax sources. Here's a breakdown

GST Council brings sponsorship services under forward charge mechanism

It was clarified that ready-to-eat popcorn mixed with salt and spices attracted a 5 per cent GST rate. It attracts a 12 per cent tax if supplied as pre-packed and labelled

He further said technology and trust are two pillars of the revenue department

This ruling confirms that DRI officers qualify as "proper officers" under Section 28 of the Customs Act, enabling them to issue show-cause notices