Sales Tax Bar Association (STBA), Delhi, has formally requested Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to extend the GST Amnesty Scheme deadline from 31st March 2025 to 30th June 2025. STBA, one of India’s oldest tax associations with around 2000 members, highlights key challenges taxpayers face in availing the scheme. These include unresolved appeals, financial burdens due to upfront full tax payments, multiple Show Cause Notices (SCNs) on identical issues, and dual notices from both Central and State tax authorities. During the Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) meeting on 27th March 2025, various State Commissioners and industry bodies such as PHDCC, CII, ASSOCHAM, and FICCI acknowledged these difficulties. The association argues that an extension would enhance taxpayer participation, improve compliance, and contribute to increased revenue collection. STBA emphasizes that many businesses, particularly MSMEs, are still recovering from economic hardships and require additional time for fair settlement of liabilities. The request has been copied to key officials, including the Minister of State for Finance, Revenue Secretary, and members of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), urging their intervention for a timely extension.
Read More
Source: https://taxguru.in/goods-and-service-tax/2fa-mandatory-e-way-bill-e-invoice-april-2025.html
Starting April 1, 2025, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) will enforce Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for taxpayers and transporters accessing the e-Way Bill and e-Invoice systems. This security measure requires users to authenticate their login using a one-time password (OTP) in addition to their username and password. OTPs can be received via three methods: SMS on the registered mobile number, the government-provided Sandes messaging app, or the NIC-GST-Shield app, which generates OTPs offline and refreshes them every 30 seconds. To enable 2FA, users must log in to the e-Way Bill System, navigate to the 2-Factor Authentication option, and confirm registration. Once activated, OTP authentication becomes mandatory for all logins, including sub-users under a GSTIN. The main user can create and manage sub-users, assigning specific permissions for e-waybill operations. The system also allows monitoring of sub-user activities. This implementation aims to strengthen access control and enhance security within the e-Way Bill and e-Invoice systems.
Read More
April 1 rule change: New income tax rule changes, credit card rule change, UPI rule change and a host of other personal finance rule changes will come into effect from April 1, 2025, which will mark the beginning of FY26.
Read More
Source: https://taxguru.in/goods-and-service-tax/railways-revenue-non-confirmed-waitlisted-tickets-gst.html
In the past three fiscal years, Indian Railways issued approximately 51 crore confirmed/RAC tickets and saw about 15.45 crore waitlisted ticket cancellations. While specific revenue from clerkage charges is not separately maintained, the government confirms that applicable GST on the refundable ticket amount is returned to passengers. However, cancellation/clerkage charges and the associated GST are retained by the Railways. GST is only applicable to AC and First Class tickets. The government does not currently provide separate data on the total GST collected from these waitlisted ticket cancellations. There are no explicitly stated plans in the provided information to revise the refund policy for increased transparency or passenger benefits.
Read More
India's liquor regulations have been complex for long. But GST and states' need to shore up revenue is beginning to change that
Read More
Source: https://taxguru.in/goods-and-service-tax/cbi-arrests-cgst-officer-private-person-rs-13k-bribe.html
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a CGST Superintendent from Nehru Place, New Delhi, and a private individual for accepting a ₹13,000 bribe. The arrest followed a complaint alleging the Superintendent demanded 8-10% of a ₹133,000 GST refund for clearance. The Superintendent agreed to accept ₹13,000. A trap was set, and the private person was apprehended while taking the bribe on the Superintendent’s behalf. Both individuals are now in custody, and the CBI is continuing its investigation into the matter.
Read More
IndiGo said it will contest a ₹944.20 crore penalty from the Income Tax Department, which it called erroneous. The company also is also facing other penalties, including ₹113 crore from Delhi's GST department and ₹2.84 crore in Chennai, but with no significant impact on financial operations.
Read More
Source: https://taxguru.in/goods-and-service-tax/request-gst-amnesty-tax-payment-deadline-extension.html
Tax Bar Association, Guwahati, has formally requested Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to extend the deadline for tax payments under the GST Amnesty Scheme (Section 128A). While the scheme, covering 2017-18 to 2019-20, aims to reduce litigation, its recent amendments and clarifications were only issued on March 27, 2025. Many taxpayers are now eligible but have just two working days (March 28 and 31) to complete their payments, making compliance difficult. The association, representing 440 professionals from various tax-related fields, urges an extension of the tax payment deadline to May 31, 2025, while retaining the existing June 30, 2025, deadline for application submission. They also commit to raising awareness through seminars and workshops to ensure wider participation.
Read More
New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI) Hotels charging a room rent above ₹7,500 a day at any time in any financial year will be considered 'specified premises' for the next fiscal and restaurant services provided inside such premises will attract 18 per cent GST with input tax credit, the CBIC said on Thursday.
Read More
As of February 28, 2025, the Maharashtra State Goods and Services Tax (GST) Department has compiled a list of non-existent or non-genuine taxpayers whose GST Registration Certificates (RC) have been canceled ab initio. This initiative is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to identify and eliminate fraudulent entities that undermine the integrity of the tax system.
Read More