Page 4 - Tax Evasion

I-T dept launches tax-evasion probe against social media influencers

The income-tax department has launched a probe against certain social media influencers and content creators on platforms like YouTube and Instagram for allegedly not showing their income and profits commensurate with their earnings, official sources said on Thursday. The department initiated the action last week after it searched about 10 YouTubers and other social media influencers -- mostly young artistes and actors -- in Kerala. The sources said a "data analytics" investigation undertaken by the department found out that these social media influencers and online content creators are making "substantial" earnings but either not showing or under-reporting it in their income tax returns (ITRs) or filings, largely due to ignorance of tax laws. Social media influencers and online content creators are those who have the power to address online and affect their audiences' purchasing decisions or opinions about a product, service, brand or experience because of their authority, knowledg

6 years of GST: Rs 1.5 trn monthly tax revenues becomes 'new normal'

Six years after the rollout of the biggest indirect tax reform in India, Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue of Rs 1.5 lakh crore every month has become a new normal and tax officers are focusing on dealing with fraudsters who are adopting newer modus operandi to game the system, causing loss to the exchequer. To apprehend black sheep, who operate as syndicates and create fake entities on the basis of forged documents to claim input tax credit (ITC), tax officers have started using data analytics, artifical intelligence and machine learning aiming to curb evasion, which was over Rs 3 lakh crore since inception of GST. It was over Rs 1 lakh crore in 2022-23. Thinktank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said the most critical pending GST reform is upgradation of GST Network to prevent fake supplies and fraudulent claims of Input Tax Credit (ITC). Data analysis and physical checks alone cannot completely solve the problem. The GSTN should enable linking of invoice level informati

Shell cos to fake invoice: How firms trying to evade GST are getting caught

DGGI has unearthed number of modus operandi by which tax evasion has been done in the recent past

I-T dept sends queries to NRIs about big, unexplained transactions

Govt officials aware of the matter said that the I-T department was taking cues from its 'insight' database to gather information on these individuals

GST evasion carried out through 4,909 bogus establishments: Tax official

Authorities have detected GST evasion to the tune of more than Rs 8,100 crore and it has been found that the offence was carried out through 4,909 bogus business establishments spread in parts of the country, a tax official from Madhya Pradesh said on Wednesday. MP Commercial Tax Commissioner Lokesh Kumar Jatav said the state Goods and Services Tax (GST) Department got the initial clues of this big tax evasion during a month-long investigation of e-way bills of an establishment in Indore. "On a detailed analysis and scrutiny of the data, a total of 4,909 suspicious business establishments were found across the country. Of these, a maximum of 1,888 establishments are in Delhi, 831 in Uttar Pradesh, 474 in Haryana, 210 in Tamil Nadu, 201 in Maharashtra, 167 in Telangana and 139 in Madhya Pradesh," he said. Jatav said that these 4,909 establishments under investigation showed a turnover of about Rs 29,000 crore in GST returns during the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23 and the ...

GST evasion of Rs 30,000 crore using stolen IDs across 16 states uncovered

The beneficiaries of several government schemes, including PM Kisan, were using the stolen identities to operate 4,000 shell companies and 16,000 fake GST registrations

Tax evasion by insurance cos amounts to Rs 2,250, GIEAIA demands action

With about GST evasion amounting to about Rs 2,250 cr by some in general insurance industry, a major union in sector has urged government and regulator to cancel licences of such entities

CBIC to conduct two-month-long special drive to curb ITC fraud menace

"The move would likely help in curbing tax evasion," said Saurabh Agarwal, Tax Partner, EY

Tax evasion case: Xiaomi moves Karnataka High Court to challenge FD seizure

Xiaomi India's market share in the Indian handset industry has been steadily falling as a result of the legal problems

Need to check tax evasion, illicit fund flows by developing nations: OECD

Amid the current geopolitical and debt crisis, there is a pressing need to check tax evasion and illicit financial flows, especially by Asian nations, which lost estimated 25 billion euros in revenue in 2016, OECD's Tax Transparency report said on Thursday. Quoting a study, the OECD report said 4 per cent of Asia's financial wealth amounting to 1.2 trillion euros was held offshore, leading to a potential annual revenue loss of 25 billion euros for the region in 2016. The Tax Transparency in Asia 2023: Asia Initiative Progress Report said that the current global landscape makes the fight against tax evasion and other illicit financial flows (IFFs) even more pressing in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the geopolitical crisis resulted in slower economic growth, increased government expenditure on public health, social and economic support, and other areas. This resulted in reduced tax revenues and hindered states' finances. With a deteriorated debt outlook and the rise in .

GST officers find tax evasion by offshore entities offering online betting

Tax officers have detected violation of GST law by offshore entities offering online betting and gambling platforms to Indian residents through mobile apps and are working on ways to tackle such mode of tax evasion, a source said. As per the prescribed procedure, all offshore entities providing services in India are required to register as supplier of OIDAR (Online Information Database Access and Retrieval) services under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) law. According to the source, there are many offshore entities providing platforms for online betting and gambling in the country but are not GST-registered and hence are not paying the required GST. "Although several overseas educational bodies offering online courses in India are registered as OIDAR, the entities providing online gaming, betting ad gambling platforms are not registered under GST. We are pursuing such cases and hope to bring them under the GST net," the source told PTI. These online betting and gambling apps are .

I-T Dept sends 8,000 notices to taxpayers who claimed exemption for charity

The people who have been served notices include salaried employees, self-employed individuals, and companies

Ex-President Trump little fazed by possible indictment on tax evasion case

Former US President Donald Trump seemed little fazed by the possible indictment on the lower Manhattan Tax Evasion case following Attorney General Letitia James prosecution

GST Council to discuss GoM reports on tax evasion by gutkha firms on Feb 18

The GST Council in its meeting on Saturday is likely to discuss setting up appellate tribunals and mechanism to curb tax evasion in pan masala and gutkha business, sources said. The report of panel of ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST) on online gaming and casinos may not come up for deliberation at the February 18 meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising her state counterparts. The items, which could not be discussed by the Council in its last meeting on December 17, 2022, would top the agenda of the 49th GST Council meeting on February 18, the sources said. The report of the Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by Odisha finance minister Niranjan Pujari, on checking tax evasion by pan masala and gutkha industry would be taken up for discussion. The report of the GoM on Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunals (GSTATs) was set up in July last year under the chairmanship of Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala.

Aware of I-T searches at BBC office; cannot offer any judgement: US

The United States on Tuesday said it is aware of the survey operation conducted by the Indian tax authorities at the BBC office in Delhi but is not in a position to offer its judgement. The Income Tax officials said the operation was part of a tax evasion investigation. "We are aware of the search of the BBC offices in Delhi by Indian tax authorities. I would need to refer you to Indian authorities for the details of this search. Beyond this discrete action, what I'll say more broadly is the general point that I've consistently made in this context, but in a universal context as well," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters here. "We support the importance of free press around the world. We continue to highlight the importance of freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief as human rights that contribute to strengthening democracies around the world. It has strengthened this democracy here in this country. It has strengthened India's democracy," Price ...

Reviewing govt's show cause notice on tax evasion, says Samsung India

DRI sent Samsung India a show cause notice, accusing it of skirting import taxes by misclassifying networking devices called remote radio heads to avail undue exemption of basic customs duty

DRI issues show cause notice against Samsung India for tax evasion: Report

The agency has asked the company on why it should not impose penalty against the management

GST Council meet begins; decriminalisation, gutkha biz tax on agenda

Decriminalisation of offences under the GST law, setting up appellate tribunals and mechanism to curb tax evasion in pan masala and gutkha businesses are among the issues slated to be discussed in the GST Council meeting which began on Saturday morning. Besides, GST on online gaming and casinos may come up for deliberations at the Council meeting. The Group of Ministers (GoM), chaired by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, set up last year on the issue had submitted its report to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday. The Council would also consider a report of tax officers and give clarity on the rate applicability in certain goods and services. "Union Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman chairs the 48th meeting of the GST Council via virtual mode, in New Delhi, today," the finance ministry tweeted. With regard to decriminalisation of offences, the law committee of the GST Council, comprising tax officers from the Centre and states, has suggested to the Council to ...

GST Council meeting: Panel for raising threshold for offences to Rs 2 cr

GST Council will also consider a ministerial panel report on setting up GST Appellate Tribunals

GST raids in UP's Noida uncover tax evasion of more than Rs 20 cr

The state GST department has conducted raids in 71 districts of Uttar Pradesh in two days