GST Council can look at hiking filing threshold beyond Rs 5 cr
New Delhi, July 23 : The GST Council could consider raising the threshold for quarterly filing of returns and monthly tax payments to above the Rs 5 crore turnover decided last week in order to facilitate smaller businesses to grow, acting Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.
Besides approving rate reductions for 88 consumer items, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, at its 28th meeting here on Saturday, announced quarterly return-filing and monthly tax payments for businesses with annual turnover of up to Rs 5 crore as against the current threshold of Rs 1.5 crore.
This move will benefit 93 per cent of registered GST taxpayers, while only 7 per cent of them will be filing monthly returns, Goyal said at a convention here organised by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).
"The GST Council decided to raise the threshold to Rs 5 crore so that businesses that go over Rs 1.5 crore turnover do not face taxation hassles," Goyal said.
"I want trade and business to grow and flourish. If their business goes above Rs 5 crore, we are prepared to raise the limit even further," he said.
He also said that the simplified return forms approved by the Council required the assessee to only file the sales data and the amount of tax and input tax credit would be automatically indicated by the system.
The implementation of the revamped return filing process would take some time as corresponding changes would have to be made in the GST Network (GSTN), the Minister added.
The GST rate reductions and clarifications by the Council on Saturday will come into effect from July 27.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
