Tamil Nadu government to set up help desks to facilitate traders with GST

Chennai: Tamil Nadu will set up help desks to facilitate traders with the Goods and Service Tax (GST) to be implemented from July 1, state minister for finance D. Jayakumar said on Tuesday.

Speaking at an awareness summit for consumer - electronic traders, Jayakumar said with the implementation of GST filling of tax would be simplified.

He said the state initially opposed the GST draft bill but accepted it later as the centre made changes by keeping petroleum and liquor away from the tax ambit. Both are state subjects and they earn huge tax revenue to the state exchequer, he said.

Supporting GST, the state minister said the new tax system would benefit small traders and safeguard their interest. With the implementation of GST, unregistered dealers will fade away and traders will have to register themselves under the Goods and Services Network (GSTN) for filling taxes. Those registered under the Value added Tax (VAT) should migrate to GST.

As part of the summit, the minister also interacted with stakeholders during the event organised by Videocon along with the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) and Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA).

Electric traders assn demand reduction in GST The Madras Electric Traders Association (META) on Tuesday appealed to the Centre to reduce the GST on electric items and in a statement explained the implications the industry will undergo if the GST is implemented. "With electrical commodities being classified as luxury rather than essential, the highest tax rate of 28 per cent is implied on them making it hard for the medium traders to sustain.

Under the current system, 13 returns are required to be filed in a year, one every month and a consolidated at the end of the year. With GST 37 returns have to be filed a year and this will be a taxing process for the small traders to follow.