From problems with the GST website to knowing which tax rate to apply, filing returns is now a task in itself
Close to three months after the roll-out of Goods-and-Services-Tax (GST), tax-payers are still struggling with the GST system. Business-people have been so preoccupied with filing GST return that they have little time left for their day-to-day activities.
Nobody is really having it easy, as tax professionals are helping their clients, but are finding it impossible to focus on the practice of any other tax apart from GST. Some tax experts are so fed up that they have contemplated giving up GST practice altogether.
Let's consider the bulk of GST tax filing, which has happened since July 1, when the tax was implemented across India. In this time-frame, businesses have filed simplified GST return twice - once for July and the second time for August.
Besides, they have also attempted to file regular GST return for July, which comprises of three stages, but have encountered several problems in the process. Considering these issues, the central government has pushed the deadline for the same to October 30.
In nutshell, in less than three months, the business community has filed simplified GST return twice and attempted filing regular GST return once. Clearly, tax filing has increased considerably under GST.
A number of traders have complained that they have to shell out a good sum of money on a team of tax-professionals, who are helping them in filing GST return. Every product and every item has a different tax rate now. Just to know which tax rate is applicable to which product is a task.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no end to the problems with the GST website either. Every now and then, the website throws some error, when tax payers try uploading documents. Due to this, business community and tax professionals have wasted precious time.
While people have still not been able to make peace with the GST website, the central government and the state governments have already received tax income from GST. This is because simplified returns for both July and August have
been filed.
In other words, the governments have earned their tax revenue, but people are still struggling with the new GST regime. It is still very difficult for traders to take input tax credit, which is the heart of GST.
A number of traders have still not got the input tax credit for stocks they had on June 30, just before GST's roll-out. Such
issues have resulted in a crisis of confidence among the
tax-payers.
Once and for all, the central government should sort out all the issues associated with the GST website so that people have no trouble with filing the return and with taking the tax credit. When that is done, people will be able to file returns easily, which will also restore their confidence in GST.
