GST AMENDMENTS TO MAKE RETURNS SIMPLER, REDUCE AMBIGUITIES

NEWDELHI: The government is set to table amendments to goods and service tax (GST) laws in the monsoon session of Parliament to simplify return filings, modify the composition scheme under which small traders can pay tax based on their revenue, and eliminate ambiguities in the laws.

The proposed amendments will do away with the need for filing tax returns on purchases made by businesses, called GSTR2, and comprehensive returns called GSTR3. At the moment, these two returns have been kept in abeyance and businesses only file sales returns called GSTR1 and summary returns called GSTR3B.

The GST Council had in May approved a new system where all taxpayers need to file a single return and small businesses need to file quarterly returns, after a six-month transition period, under the composition scheme.

The focus has now shifted from tax rate changes, an official familiar with discussions in the GST Council said on condition of anonymity.

“Now the focus is on ensuring timely disbursal of tax refunds and encouraging compliance,” the official said.

Another official said changes to tax laws on composition scheme, which has seen many instances of tax evasion, may depend on a decision on the reverse charge mechanism— wherein large registered buyers pay tax on behalf of small unregistered sellers, which has been kept on abeyance so far.