Don’t believe in any misinformation, it’s a transparent process: Modi govt dispels GST doubts

The Narendra Modi government maintains that the GST is a transparent process.

New Delhi, June 30: As India braces for the launch of the biggest tax reform--Goods and Services Tax (GST)--on Friday night, from consumers to business houses, a lot of people expressed their doubts regarding the impact of the Narendra Modi government's biggest and boldest economic step on everyone's lives.

The government, on its part, maintains that it is a transparent process and people should not believe in any false information.

"People should not believe in any misinformation. It's a transparent process. The honest taxpayers will benefit from it," Hasmukh Adhia, revenue secretary, told ANI.

Dispelling doubts regarding the number of times tax return have to be filed, Adhia said, "People are saying they have to file three returns in a month. It's only one. The retailers have to file only once, the rest two will be done by the computer (Log keh rhe hain 3 return mahine mein bharne honge, nahi 1 hi hoga. Aapko (retailers) 1 hi bharna hai, baaki 2 computer bana dega)."

He added, "The composite dealers don't have to file return every month. It's just once in a three months and that too the details of the total turnover (Aur composite dealers ko har mahine return nahi bharna hai, teen mahine mein ek baar sirf, vo bhi kewal total turnover ki detail)."

He also assured that the government will provide free software to all for tax filing.

"There is nothing to worry about the GST implementation. We don't need big IT infrastructure for its implementation. Even B2B (business-to-business) don't need big software. We will give free software," added Adhia.

The GST, an indirect tax system throughout India, will replace various taxes levied by the central and state governments. The GST is said to simplify a web of taxes, regulations and border levies by subsuming an array of central and state levies including excise duty, service tax and VAT.

It is expected to gradually re-shape India's business landscape, making the world's fastest-growing major economy an easier place to do business.

However, critics of the immediate implementation of the GST stated that most of the small businesses are not yet ready for it.

OneIndia News