Govt extends deadline for filing annual GST returns

In a relief for taxpayers, the government on Thursday extended the due dates for filing GST annual returns for 2017-18 to December 31 and for the financial year 2018-19, to March 31 next year. The dates for filing the reconciliation statement have also been extended accordingly. It has also decided to simplify the two GST forms by making various fields of these forms as optional.

In a relief to taxpayers, the government on Thursday extended the due dates for filing GST annual returns for 2017-18 to December 31 and for the financial year 2018-19, to March 31 next year. The dates for filing the reconciliation statement have also been extended accordingly.

In another relief, it has also decided to simplify the two GST forms by making various fields of these forms as optional, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said in a statement.

“The government has decided on Thursday to extend the due dates of filing of Form GSTR-9 (Annual Return) and Form GSTR-9C (Reconciliation Statement) for 2017-18 to December 31, 2019 and for 2018-19 to March 2020,” it said.

The earlier deadline for filing of GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C for 2017-18 was November 30, 2019, while that for 2018-19 was December 31, 2019.

Notifications regarding the extension of the dates have been issued.

The CBIC in the revenue department has also notified the amendments regarding the simplification of the annual return and reconciliation statement forms.