Gazette notification on amnesty scheme for pending sales tax dues

The Maharashtra government has issued gazette notification on the amnesty scheme for pending sales tax arrears before the launch of GST. The Maharashtra Settlement of Arrears of Tax, interest, penalty or late fee scheme 2022 scheme will be implemented from April 1 till September 30, 2022. The scheme, which was announced by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in the annual budget for 2022-23 aims to help small traders and industry hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

As per the gazette notification, there will be a complete waiver of arrears for Rs 10,000 or less per year. As a result, small dealers benefit in almost 1 lakh cases.

Dealers with arrears up to Rs 10 lakh or less will pay an online lump sum of 20 per cent. The waiver will be granted for the remaining amount. As a result, medium dealers will benefit in almost 2.2 lakh cases.

Traders with arrears of Rs 10 lakh or less as of April 1, 2022 have been given the option to pay 20 per cent of the total arrears without any calculation of non-disputed tax, disputed tax, penalty. If such a lump sum is paid, the remaining 80 per cent will be waived. It will benefit small traders in about 2.2 lakh cases.

However, traders who are not eligible to pay a lump sum or who do not choose this option, will not be given any tax deduction in the proposed scheme for settlement of arrears.

Pawar said the scheme will be implemented entirely online and in a transparent manner. To avail the scheme, taxpayers will have to pay the requisite amount within the stipulated date.

There will be a complete waiver of arrears for Rs 10,000 or less per year. As a result, small dealers benefit in almost 1 lakh cases