Government to track down GST defaulters, warns Sushil Modi
Bengaluru, July 14 : 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.
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
