A simplified GST filing system to be introduced in April next year is expected to increase the tax assessee base here.
Principal Commissioner of GST Rajesh Sodhi told presspersons here on Tuesday that the total number of assessees in Coimbatore jurisdiction who had registered with the Commissionerate of GST increased from 50,000 at the beginning of this financial year (2019-2020) to 70,000 now. GST revenue realisation is also higher, nearly 7 % compared to the same period last year. The jurisdiction, covering Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and the Nilgiris districts, is likely to see more assessees with the introduction of the simplified GST filing system.
Mr. Sodhi said the trial run of the new system was on. The Department was looking at encouraging at least 7,000 assessees here to try it out. A feedback meeting would be held on December 7 at the Commissionerate in Coimbatore to get views and suggestions from all the stakeholders on the new system. Apart from filing the returns in the existing system, those interested could try the new system of filing returns and the data entered would not be taken into consideration. The new system of filing was easy to use for small-scale tax payers too.
Regarding the Legacy Dispute Resolution scheme, he said that there were over 2,000 cases in Coimbatore region and some of these date back to the 1990s. Many of the cases were under litigation too. The assessees could make use of the scheme and settle the disputes. So far, 525 applications had been received involving ₹ 85 crore, and 150 cases had been settled, he said. On enforcement, he said efforts were on to recover the GST collected but not paid by the assessees. Last month, 14 cases were detected from different sectors, amounting to ₹ 68 crore. Of these, ₹ 10 crore had been deposited by the assessees so far, Mr. Sodhi said.
