Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
The GST Council has, inter-alia, made the following recommendations relating to GST compensation, GST Appellate Tribunal, approval of the Report of Group of Ministers (GoM) on Capacity Based Taxation and Special Composition Scheme in certain Sectors on GST, recommendations relating to GST rates on Goods and Services and other measures for facilitation of trade:
GST Compensation
- Government of India has decided to clear the entire pending balance GST compensation of Rs. 16,982 crore for June’2022
- Since, there is no amount in the GST compensation Fund, Centre decided to release this amount from its own resources and the same will be recouped from the future compensation cess collection.
- With this release, Centre would clear the entire provisionally admissible compensation due for five years as envisaged in the GST (Compensation to States) Act’2017.
- In addition, Centre would also clear the admissible final GST compensation to those States who has provided the revenue figures as certified by the Accountant General of the States amounting to Rs. 16,524 crore.
GST Appellate Tribunal
- The Council adopted the report of Group of Ministers with certain modifications. The final draft amendments to the GST laws shall be circulated to Members for their comments. The Chairperson has been authorised to finalise the same.
- Approval of the Report of GoM on Capacity Based Taxation and Special Composition Scheme in certain Sectors on GST:
- With a view to plug the leakages and improve the revenue collection from the commodities like pan masala, gutkha, chewing tobacco, the Council approved the recommendations of the GoM including, inter alia, thatthe capacity based levy not to be prescribed;
Recommendations relating to GST rates on Goods and Services
- It has been decided to regularize payment of GST on ‘rab’ during the past period on “as is basis” on account of genuine doubts over its classification and applicable GST rate.
- It was decided to suitably amend notification No. 104/94-Customs dated 16.03.1994 so that if a device like tag- tracking device or data logger is already affixed on a container, no separate IGST shall be levied on such affixed device and the ‘nil’ IGST treatment available for the containers under notification No. 104/94-Customs shall also be available to the such affixed device subject to the existing conditions.
- It has been decided to amend entry at Sl. No. 41A of notification No. 1/2017-Compensation Cess (Rate) so that exemption benefit covers both coal rejects supplied to and by a coal washery, arising out of coal on which compensation cess has been paid and no input tax credit thereof has been availed by any person.
- It has been decided to extend the exemption available to educational institutions and Central and State educational boards for conduct of entrance examination to any authority, board or a body set up by the Central Government or State Government including National Testing Agency for conduct of entrance examination for admission to educational institutions.
- It has been decided to extend the dispensation available to Central Government, State Governments, Parliament and State Legislatures with regard to payment of GST under reverse charge mechanism (RCM) to the Courts and Tribunals also in respect of taxable services supplied by them such as renting of premises to telecommunication companies for installation of towers, renting of chamber to lawyers etc.
Measures for facilitation of trade:
- Extension of time limit for application for revocation of cancellation of registration and one time amnesty for past cases: The Council has recommended amendment in section 30 of CGST Act, 2017 and rule 23 of CGST Rules, 2017 so as to provide that –
- the time limit for making an application for revocation of cancellation of registration be increased from 30 days to 90 days;
- where the registered person fails to apply for such revocation within 90 days, the said time period may be extended by the Commissioner or an officer authorised by him in this behalf for a further period not exceeding 180 days.
- The Council has also recommended that an amnesty may be provided in the past cases, where registration has been cancelled on account of non-filing of the returns, but application for revocation of cancellation of registration could not be filed within the time specified in section 30 of CGST Act, by allowing such persons to file such application for revocation by a specified date, subject to certain conditions.
- The Council has also recommended to provide an amnesty scheme for conditional deemed withdrawal of assessment orders in past cases where the concerned return could not be filed within 30 days of the assessment order but has been filed along with due interest and late fee upto a specified date, irrespective of whether appeal has been filed or not against the assessment order, or whether the said appeal has been decided or not.
- Rationalization of provision of place of supply of services of transportation of goods: Council recommended to rationalize the provision of place of supply for services of transportation of goods by deletion of section 13(9) of IGST Act, 2017 so as to provide that the place of supply of services of transportation of goods, in cases where location of supplier of services or location of recipient of services is outside India, shall be the location of the recipient of services.
SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB
