Pay your tax arrears or face action, traders told

Taking exception to traders’ reluctance to pay taxes and evading it, despite several relaxations to pay their dues, Mysore Zone Central Excise, Customs & Service Tax Chief Commissioner A K Prasad, has warned of strict action against them. Details of assessees and the arrears due from them are available on their  websites, he said.

Briefing reporters, Prasad rued that, cases of tax evasion have increased over the years and in the Mysore Zone alone, it was to the tune of Rs 113.62 crore, with just Rs 31.6 crore realised from tax evaders. While Service Tax (ST) evasion involved Rs 41.04 crore during 2012-13, Rs 24 crore was realised under Mysore zone. Those evading service tax can be arrested and prosecuted for non-issue of invoices, availing credit without receipt of services, maintenance of false books of accounts and not remitting service tax collected to government.

He said the government had provided an opportunity to traders to pay 50 per cent of tax within December 31, 2012, and remaining by June 2014. Service providers who do not avail this scheme to pay their dues risk prosecution.

He said, in Mysore, out of 43,040 registered ST assessees, 31,035 had not filed and only 12,005 were actively doing so.