Only 10 Days Left For GST Annual Return Filing. It is a very alarming situation for both the taxpayers as well as for the government due to the reduction in GST return filing status. The GST portal is also said to be in slow processing. The portal is currently under stress due to a lot of tax filing application and servers are busy making the website slower and relatively hang sometimes.
After this much scenario, the government is looking forward to carrying away the work of filing GST return soon as there are only less than 10 days left for the last date to file the GST annual return form.
A worrisome scenario has spawned out for CBIC chief when the figure of taxpayers who have filed the GST return observed to be just 15% – 17% of the total.
The due date to file GST Annual Return and GST Audit report is on the verge but the number of returns filed by the central government pinpoints that only 15% to 17% of returns have been filed for the fiscal year 2017-18 in the last five months.
A complicated filing procedure and plentiful data requirements have made the filing process a troublesome and baffling task for the taxpayer. For example, Details like eight-digit product codes (HSN) is required, even though legally only four-digit HSN is needed. Likewise, HSN-based purchase summary is now needed to be furnished although it is not a requirement for the monthly GST return.
Now the question that how the left 83% returns will be filed in only three weeks, is hovering over the minds of government officials.
According to the tax practitioners, postponing the due dates for filing GST returns is not a solution but a simplification of the process may help taxpayers to comply with it.
Axat Vyas, member of the core committee of National Action Committee (NAC) of GST Practitioners said, “This data has been declared by CBIC. Over 17% of returns have been filed in over five months. How will the remaining 83% returns be filed in the remaining three weeks,” asked an agitated Lalit Ganatra, a tax practitioner. He blames the problems in filing returns to complicated provisions and so extending the deadlines will not work. “We have time and again suggested that the government should make forms for returns simpler,”.
Annual return GSTR-9 is to be filed by the businessmen registered under regular GST and the GSTR-9A is meant to be filed by Composition Dealers who pay lump-sum tax. While those who are filing GSTR-9 have to get their accounts audited and filed under GSTR-9C.
Read Also: Comparison B/w GSTR 9 Annual & GSTR 9C Audit Return Forms
CBIC Chairman Pranab K Das writes about the figures accumulated till August 3 in a letter to all Principal Chief Commissioners and Chief Commissioners of Central Tax, which indicates that only 14,85,863 GSTR-9 has been filed despite the fact that all regular taxpayers (non-composition dealers) which sum up to around 1 crore, have to file annual returns.
As far as the status of filing GSTR-9A and GSTR-9C is concerned, it stands out to be at 4,33,148 and 11,334, respectively. Around 12 lakh registered taxpayers are supposed to file audit return in form of GSTR-9C.
Pranab K Das writes in a letter, “Considering the last date is approaching fast, there is a need to reach out to the taxpayers to ask and help them to file the annual returns/reconciliation statement before the due date. Wherever required, they should be guided through the various steps of the return filing process. Towards this end, I request you to organize outreach initiatives in your ones to help taxpayers file their returns in time. Such outreach program may be organized at the Commissionerate level as Division level. The overarching objective of the exercise is to ensure that the best help and assistance is available to taxpayers in filing their annual returns/reconciliation statement well before the due date,”.
August 31, 2019, is the due date to file GSTR 9, GSTR-9A and GSTR-9C, however, the disheartening digit of returns filed till yet has pushed CBIC Chairman to urge the tax Commissioners to ease and accelerate the return filing process.
The due dates for annual returns filing for the F.Y. 2017-18 have been extended in the past because of numerous issues. The last date for filing of Income Tax Returns has also been postponed to August 31 and now it is coinciding with the deadline for filing GST annual returns, this has summed up the complexities even more, according to tax practitioners. CBIC has ordered its field staff to go for overextended exercise to make sure that all returns are filed. But tax practitioners hold a different perspective about this.