GST – CONCEPT & STATUS – As on 01st May, 2017
GST
Dated:- 3-5-2017
Introduction
The introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) would be a very significant step in the field of indirect tax reforms in India. By amalgamating a large number of Central and State taxes into a single tax, it would mitigate cascading or double taxation in a major way and pave the way for a common national market. From the consumer point of view, the biggest advantage would be in terms of a reduction in the overall tax burden on goods, which is currently estimated to be around 25%-30%. Introduction of GST would also make Indian products competitive in the domestic and international markets. Studies show that this would have a boosting impact on economic growth. Last but not the least, this tax, because of its transparent and self-policing character, would be easier to administer.
Genesis
2. The idea of moving towards the GST was first mooted by the then Union Finance Minister in his Bu
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e domains. The Centre has the powers to levy tax on the manufacture of goods (except alcoholic liquor for human consumption, opium, narcotics etc.) while the States have the powers to levy tax on sale of goods. In case of inter-State sales, the Centre has the power to levy a tax (the Central Sales Tax) but, the tax is collected and retained entirely by the originating States. As for services, it is the Centre alone that is empowered to levy service tax. Since the States are not empowered to levy any tax on the sale or purchase of goods in the course of their importation into or exportation from India, the Centre levies and collects this tax as additional duties of customs, which is in addition to the Basic Customs Duty. This additional duty of customs (commonly known as CVD and SAD) counter balances excise duties, sales tax, State VAT and other taxes levied on the like domestic product. Introduction of GST would require amendments in the Constitution so as to concurrently empower the C
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integrated tax – IGST) on inter-State trade or commerce (including imports) in goods or services. The Central Government will have the power to levy excise duty in addition to the GST on tobacco and tobacco products. The tax on supply of five specified petroleum products namely crude, high speed diesel, petrol, ATF and natural gas would be levied from a later date on the recommendation of GST Council.
4.1 A Goods and Services Tax Council (GSTC) shall be constituted comprising the Union Finance Minister, the Minister of State (Revenue) and the State Finance Ministers to recommend on the GST rate, exemption and thresholds, taxes to be subsumed and other features. This mechanism would ensure some degree of harmonization on different aspects of GST between the Centre and the States as well as across States. One half of the total number of members of GSTC would form quorum in meetings of GSTC. Decision in GSTC would be taken by a majority of not less than three-fourth of weighted votes cas
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r. The following major decisions have been taken by the GSTC:
(i) The threshold exemption limit would be ₹ 20 lakh. For special category States enumerated in article 279A of the Constitution, , threshold exemption limit has been fixed at ₹ 10 lakh.
(ii) Composition threshold shall be ₹ 50 lakh. Composition scheme shall not be available to inter-State suppliers, service providers (except restaurant service) and specified category of manufacturers.
(iii) Existing tax incentive schemes of Central or State governments may be continued by respective government by way of reimbursement through budgetary route. The schemes, in the present form, would not continue in GST.
(iv) There would be four tax rates namely 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. Besides, some goods and services would be under the list of exempt items. Rate for precious metals is yet to be fixed. A cess over the peak rate of 28% on certain specified luxury and demerit goods would be imposed for a period of five years
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a and mechanism for GST Compensation Cess has been finalised.
(x) Four rules on input tax credit, composition levy, transitional provisions and valuation have been recommended. Further five Rules on registration, invoice, payments, returns and refund, finalized in September, 2016 and as amended in light of the GST bills introduced in the Parliament, have also been recommended.
Salient Features of GST
6. The salient features of GST are asunder:
(i) GST would be applicable on “supply” of goods or services as against the present concept of tax on the manufacture of goods or on sale of goods or on provision of services.
(ii) GST would be based on the principle of destination based consumption taxation as against the present principle of origin based taxation.
(iii) It would be a dual GST with the Centre and the States simultaneously levying it on a common base. The GST to be levied by the Centre would be called Central GST (CGST) and that to be levied by the States [including Union
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nd Textile Products);
e) Additional Duties of Customs (commonly known as CVD);
f) Special Additional Duty of Customs (SAD);
g) Service Tax;
h) Cesses and surcharges insofar as they relate to supply of goods or services.
(ix) State taxes that would be subsumed within the GST are:
a) State VAT;
b) Central Sales Tax;
c) Purchase Tax;
d) Luxury Tax;
e) Entry Tax (All forms);
f) Entertainment Tax (except those levied by the local bodies);
g) Taxes on advertisements;
h) Taxes on lotteries, betting and gambling;
i) State cesses and surcharges insofar as they relate to supply of goods or services.
(x) GST would apply to all goods and services except Alcohol for human consumption.
(xi) GST on five specified petroleum products (Crude, Petrol, Diesel, ATF & Natural gas) would be applicable from a date to be recommended by the GSTC.
(xii) Tobacco and tobacco products would be subject to GST. In addition, the Centre would continue to levy Central Excise duty.
(xiii) A common thres
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d circumstances of inter-State supplies for payment of IGST. The credit would be permitted to be utilized in the following manner:
a) ITC of CGST allowed for payment of CGST & IGST in that order;
b) ITC of SGST allowed for payment of SGST & IGST in that order;
c) ITC of UTGST allowed for payment of UTGST & IGST in that order;
d) ITC of IGST allowed for payment of IGST, CGST & SGST/UTGST in that order.
ITC of CGST cannot be used for payment of SGST/UTGST and vice versa.
(xvii) Accounts would be settled periodically between the Centre and the State to ensure that the credit of SGST used for payment of IGST is transferred by the originating State to the Centre. Similarly the IGST used for payment of SGST would be transferred by Centre to the destination State. Further the SGST portion of IGST collected on B2C supplies would also be transferred by Centre to the destination State. The transfer of funds would be carried out on the basis of information contained in the returns filed by
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bligation on electronic commerce operators to collect 'tax at source', at such rate not exceeding two per cent. (2%) of net value of taxable supplies, out of payments to suppliers supplying goods or services through their portals.
(xxiv) System of self-assessment of the taxes payable by the registered person.
(xxv) Audit of registered persons to be conducted in order to verify compliance with the provisions of Act.
(xxvi) Limitation period for raising demand is three (3) years from the due date of filing of annual return or from the date of erroneous refund for raising demand for short-payment or non-payment of tax or erroneous refund and its adjudication in normal cases.
(xxvii) Limitation period for raising demand is five (5) years from the due date of filing of annual return or from the date of erroneous refund for raising demand for short-payment or non-payment of tax or erroneous refund and its adjudication in case of fraud, suppression or willful misstatement.
(xxviii) Arrea
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h to the consumers.
(xxxiv) Elaborate transitional provisions have been provided for smooth transition of existing taxpayers to GST regime.
Benefits of GST
7. (A) Make in India
(i) Will help to create a unified common national market for India, giving a boost to Foreign investment and “Make in India” campaign;
(ii) Will prevent cascading of taxes as Input Tax Credit will be available across goods and services at every stage of supply;
(iii) Harmonization of laws, procedures and rates of tax;
(iv) It will boost export and manufacturing activity, generate more employment and thus increase GDP with gainful employment leading to substantive economic growth;
(v) Ultimately it will help in poverty eradication by generating more employment and more financial resources;
(vi) More efficient neutralization of taxes especially for exports thereby making our products more competitive in the international market and give boost to Indian Exports;
(vii) Improve the overall investment cli
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rns, refunds, tax payments, etc;
(v) All interaction to be through the common GSTN portal – so less public interface between the taxpayer and the tax administration;
(vi) Will improve environment of compliance as all returns to be filed online, input credits to be verified online, encouraging more paper trail of transactions;
(vii) Common procedures for registration of taxpayers, refund of taxes, uniform formats of tax return, common tax base, common system of classification of goods and services will lend greater certainty to taxation system;
(viii) Timelines to be provided for important activities like obtaining registration, refunds, etc;
(ix) Electronic matching of input tax credits all – across India thus making the process more transparent and accountable.
(C) Benefit to Consumers:
(i) Final price of goods is expected to be lower due to seamless flow of input tax credit between the manufacturer, retailer and service supplier;
(ii) It is expected that a relatively large
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Services Tax Network (GSTN) for successful migration. About 70 percent of existing registrants have already migrated to the GST systems. GSTN has already appointed M/s Infosys as Managed Service Provider (MSP) at a total project cost of around ₹ 1380 crores for a period of five years.
8.1 GSTN has selected 34 IT, ITeS and financial technology companies, to be called GST Suvidha Providers (GSPs). GSPs would develop applications to be used by taxpayers for interacting with the GSTN. Other Legislative Requirements
9. Four Laws namely CGST Act, UTGST Act, IGST Act and GST (Compensation to States) Act have been passed by the Parliament and since been notified on 12th April, 2017. The State of Telangana, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have also passed SGST Act. Other States are expected to pass them in the month of May, 2017.
9.1 The levy of the tax can commence only after the GST Law has been enacted by all the legislatures. Also, unlike the State VAT, the date of com
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y the Cabinet on 28th September, 2016. The name of this project is 'SAKSHAM' involving a total project value of ₹ 2,256 crores.
10.1 It was also felt that the organizational structure and deployment of human resources needed a review for smooth and effective implementation of GST. A Working Group has after extensive deliberations and studies, submitted its Report which has been approved by the Government.
10.2 Augmentation of human resources would be necessary to handle large taxpayers' base in GST scattered across the length and breadth of the country.
Capacity building, particularly in the field of Accountancy and Information Technology for the departmental officers has to be taken up in a big way. A massive four-tier training programme is being conducted under the leadership of NACEN. This training project is aimed at imparting training on GST law and procedures to more than 60,000 officers of CBEC and Commercial Tax officers of State Governments. Officers of the office of
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