Only 16% of sales match with final GST returns

New Delhi, March 18: With only 16 per cent of the summary sales returns under GST matching with the final returns, the revenue department has started to analyse major gaps with a view to check any possible tax evasion.

According to the GST returns data, 34 per cent of businesses paid ` 34,400 crore less tax between July- December while filing initial summary return ( GSTR- 3B).

These 34 per cent of the businesses have paid ` 8.16 lakh crore to the exchequer by filing GSTR- 3B, whereas analysis of their GSTR- 1 data show that their tax liability should have been ` 8.50 lakh crore.

As per the analysis by the revenue department, initial returns filed and taxes paid by 16.36 per cent of the businesses have matched with their final returns and tax liability. They paid a total tax of ` 22,014 crore.

However, the data also showed that there was excess tax payment of ` 91,072 crore by 49.36 per cent of businesses registered under GST between July- December.

While they have paid ` 6.50 lakh crore as GST, the GSTR- 1 filed by them shows that their liability should have been ` 5.59 lakh crore.

The revenue department has analysed the GST returns data filed by over 51.96 lakh businesses during July- December, 2017.

EY Partner Abhishek Jain said: “While the differences in the liabilities reported in GSTR- 1 vis- avis that in GSTR- 3B would need to be analysed in detail by the government, one of the contributor to the difference could be non- consideration of credit/ debit notes in the GSTR- 1 data which would have been considered for GSTR- 3B numbers”.

The GST Council had on March 10 decided to further analyse data gaps between self declared liability in GSTR- 1 and the taxes actually paid while filing GSTR- 3B.

AMRG & Associates Partner Rajat Mohan said: “84 per cent of taxpayers reporting incorrect revenue statements, is a matter of concern. Triumph of GST depends on selfassessment mechanism for which we have to adopt completely bias- free, independent,