In a bid to increase revenue and achieve a target of of Rs 51,000 crore in the current financial year, the commercial taxes department on Friday conducted a review meeting and decided to take strong action against fake GST registrations and fraudulent invoices.
According to officials, a new dashboard would be implemented, and audits will become more rigorous. Telangana recorded a 12 per cent growth in GST collection in April as compared to the same month last year.
“We are encouraged by this substantial growth and are committed to plugging all leakages and irregularities to secure higher revenue for the govt,” senior officials said.
During the review meeting, field officers were directed to monitor leakages on a daily basis — a practice that not consistently followed in the past. “With the new system, cases against offenders will now be pursued more seriuosly,” they further said.
Officials observed that while fake registrations and invoices may have benefitted a few, it caused significant losses for the state govt. “We now aim to enhance our monitoring capabilities. The new dashboard will enable officers to regularly update their field activities ,” sources said.
Training sessions have been conducted to equip officers with the skills needed to conduct checks and issue notices. “Earlier, when VAT was in place, firms had 30 days to approach the court after being slapped with a notice. However, under GST, now they have three months, so officers need to be very diligent,” officials noted.
They also highlighted the revenue potential from professional tax collections. While individual professionals who pay income tax are liable to pay professional tax ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 120, firms must pay up to Rs 2,500 under existing rules. “By ramping up professional tax collection, we hope to generate additional income for the state,” officials stated.
Source: The Times of India
