GST Lawyers In Delhi

Written by:

Adv Arjun Sharma

Updated: 06-03-2024

GST's objectives

To achieve the 'One Nation, One Tax' idea, GST replaced several indirect taxes that existed under the previous tax regime. The benefit of having a single tax is that every state applies the same rate for a specific product or service. Tax administration is simplified when the Central Government sets the rates and policies. E-way bills for goods transportation and e-invoicing for transaction reporting are two examples of common laws that can be implemented. Tax compliance is also improved because taxpayers are not burdened with numerous return forms and deadlines. Overall, it is a unified system for indirect taxation compliance.
Subsume the majority of India's indirect taxes: India used to levy several indirect taxes at various stages of the supply chain, including service tax, Value Added Tax (VAT), Central Excise, and so on. Some taxes were governed by states, while others were governed by the central government. There was no unified or centralized tax on both goods and services. Thus, GST was implemented. GST consolidated all major indirect taxes into one. It has significantly reduced taxpayer compliance burdens while also making tax administration easier for the government.
To eliminate the cascading effects of taxes: One of the main goals of GST was to eliminate the cascading effect of taxes. Previously, because of differences in indirect tax laws, taxpayers could not offset one tax's tax credits against another. For example, excise duties paid during manufacturing could not be deducted from the VAT payable during the sale. This resulted in a tax cascade effect. GST only applies to the net value contributed at each stage of the supply chain. This has helped to eliminate the cascading effect of taxes and contributed to the smooth flow of input tax credits across both goods and services.
To combat tax evasion: GST laws in India are far more stringent than any of the previous indirect tax legislation. Under GST, taxpayers can only claim input tax credits on invoices uploaded by their suppliers. This reduces the likelihood of claiming input tax credits on fake invoices. The implementation of e-invoicing has only strengthened this purpose. Furthermore, because GST is a national tax with a centralized surveillance system, cracking down on defaulters is much faster and more efficient. As a result, the GST has substantially reduced tax avoidance and fraud.
To increase the taxpayer base: The GST has contributed to the expansion of India's tax base. Previously, each tax law had a different threshold for registration based on turnover. Because GST is a consolidated tax that applies to both goods and services, the number of tax-registered businesses has increased. Furthermore, stricter laws regarding input tax credits have helped bring certain unorganized sectors into the tax net. For example, take India's construction industry.
Online procedures to facilitate business transactions: Previously, taxpayers faced numerous challenges when dealing with different tax authorities under each tax law. Furthermore, while returns could be filed online, the majority of the assessment and refund procedures were GST procedures and are nearly entirely handled online. Everything is done with a single click, including registration, return filing, refunds, and e-way bill generation. It has significantly simplified taxpayer compliance and improved the overall ease of doing business in India. In addition, the government intends to launch a centralized portal soon for all indirect tax compliance, including e-invoicing, e-way bills, and GST return filing.
To encourage competitive pricing and increase consumption: GST has also resulted in increased consumption and indirect tax revenues. Because of the cascading effect of taxes under the previous regime, goods in India were more expensive than in global markets. Even between states, lower VAT rates in certain states resulted in an imbalance of purchases. Uniform GST rates have helped to ensure overall competitive pricing in India and around the world. This has resulted in increased consumption and higher revenues, which is another important goal achieved.