The CGST & Central Excise Department, Chennai Outer Commissionerate organised a comprehensive GST outreach program, for GST taxpayers about the recent amnesty schemes announced by the GST Council, at Sriperumbudur on Thursday.
In a major relief to businesses, the GST Council had rolled out a fresh set of measures to ease tax compliance. At its 54th meeting, the Council introduced a key change to the GST law that offers a helping hand to taxpayers struggling with old dues. Under the new provision, businesses can now apply for relief from interest and penalties on tax dues raised under Section 73 of CGST Act, 2017 dating back to the early GST years, from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
The Council had also addressed another long-standing issue faced by businesses - the problem of delayed Input Tax Credit claims. In a significant move, a step has been taken to regularize tax demands related to delayed availment of Input Tax Credit for the period from July 2017 to March 2021 by extending the time limit to November 30, 2021.
Recognizing the significance of these measures in reducing tax litigation, the Chennai Outer CGST Commissionerate has launched a mission to raise awareness among taxpayers about the GST amnesty schemes. Additionally, the initiative aims to gather feedback, address grievances, and identify and resolve the practical challenges or difficulties faced by taxpayers with respect to GST.
During the program, Shri. S. Nasser Khan, the Commissioner of GST & Central Excise, Chennai Outer Commissionerate addressed the taxpayers. He underscored the crucial role of outreach programs in bridging the gap between the GST department and taxpayers. Addressing the gathering, he emphasized that these initiatives are designed to educate taxpayers and maximize their access to amnesty schemes. He further highlighted how such schemes play a pivotal role in reducing tax disputes and creating a more business-friendly taxation ecosystem
Senior officials, including Shri D. Ranjith Kumar, Additional Commissioner (CGST), Shri K. S. Ramesh Bharathi, Joint Commissioner (CGST), and Shri R. J. Murali Rao, Joint Commissioner (CGST), Prasad Krishnan, Assistant Commissioner (CGST) were present at the program. The outreach initiative also saw the participation of Deputy Commissioners from the Tamil Nadu State GST Department.
The program also saw an enthusiastic response from the taxpayers, tax consultants and the office-bearers of various trade associations. The program also included interactive Question and Answer sessions, where the queries of the taxpayers were heard and answered. The taxpayers appreciated the initiative and expressed their interest in participating in similar outreach programs organized by the department in future.
A dedicated service centre has been established at the Chennai Outer Commissionerate office in Anna Nagar to assist taxpayers with the amnesty schemes. A specialized team of officers will provide support, a WhatsApp helpline no 9498343622 and an email id gstcell.outer@gmail.com has been launched to address taxpayer queries and concerns, around the clock.
The outreach program is designed to reach out to all the GST taxpayers in nine revenue districts of Tamil Nadu that fall under the jurisdiction of the Chennai Outer CGST Commissionerate. The outreach program which was successfully conducted at Sriperumbudur is part of this broader initiative.