On Saturday, 16 November 2019, Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister (FM) held a meeting with traders, Chartered Accountants, and other stakeholders with an aim to simplify GST further. This meeting intended on simplifying GST forms as well as the overall filing process.
Stakeholders tried to file a few specific returns online on a real-time basis in order to draw the attention regarding the concerns faced by the tax filers. Ajay Bhushan Pandey, the Revenue Secretary, mentioned that the FM had reassured that the suggestions made by the stakeholders concerning GST simplification would be put into effect soon.
The Revenue Secretary, further mentioned that the FM has also recommended holding similar meetings throughout the country the following month to comprehend the problems faced by GST filers.
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Commissioner of a category will ask a few assesses to come in and file returns. Suggestions from these assessments will be collected. Also, after 7 December, CBIC and GSTN will interact on a regular basis as interaction is needed in order to improvise the system further.
The trial version of the new GST return is available online. On 7 December, consultations will be made across the country for collecting feedback about the new system. The Revenue Secretary mentioned that no significant concerns were identified during the basic GST return filing.
He also added that the meeting held on 16 November was quite useful as few of the stakeholders were not familiar with the existing instructions. A few of them pointed at the areas which were causing confusion and made some suggestions concerning how GST can be simplified further.
For any clarifications/feedback on the topic, please contact the writer at bhavana.pn@cleartax.in
Bhavana is a Senior Content Writer handling the GST vertical. She is committed, professional, and has a flair for writing. When away from work, she enjoys watching movies and playing with her son. One thing she can’t resist is SHOPPING! Her favourite quote is: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”.
