Shop owners can file for verification of notices: Commercial taxes dept

Bengaluru: The commercial taxes department on Monday clarified that shop owners who have received notices so far could counter the department’s notice and request for verification.

Based on the outcome of the verification, the applicable Goods and Service Tax (GST) would be determined. 

At an information session, joint commissioner of commercial taxes Meera Suresh Pandit said, “In all the notices we have issued, we have mentioned 18 per cent of GST. However, once the vendors meet the officials and request for a verification, the percentage will be reduced based on the nature of business”.

For the past one week, the department has issued notices to several business owners including small shop owners, asking them to register and pay taxes. 

In some cases, cashiers of bars and restaurants had received the notices as owners had given the bank details of the cashiers. On this, Pandit said it would require the verification of both owners and cashiers to withdraw the notice from cashiers. 

If the annual aggregation of a business is over Rs 40 lakh and that of service providers is Rs 20 lakh, the business should be registered and applicable GST paid. 

If some businesses have a turnover of Rs 1.5 crore and are unable to pay taxes, owners can request for composition tax benefit, under which tax rates will be subsidised. 

To make it easier for business owners, the department has opened a help desk at the office of the joint commissioner of commercial taxes, BMTC building, Koramangala, Bengaluru. Helpline numbers 080-25714833 and 9845370404 have also been activated.