Tag: benefits of GST

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Business motivation

GST Portal: Know Everything About GST Portal, Registration Process, And Documents Required

Goods And Services Tax (GST) was introduced back in 2017 and has now emerged as one of the biggest tax reforms ever. This tag of the biggest tax reform ever has been rightfully earned by GST as this has not only reduced the overall cost of goods and services but also has saved businesses a lot of complications with the whole process of filing returns for getting the registration done in the first place. 

This article is entirely dedicated to the GST portal that the government introduced to uncomplicate the process with great help from technology. 

What Is The Process To Register For GST?

  • The very first step is to open the GST portal and then clicking on Services. After that select “registration” to finally get your hands on new registration.
  • You will now be asked to fill in the details in PART A. These details are
  1. In the drop-down under ‘I am a’ – select Taxpayer
  2. Select State and District from the drop-down
  3. Enter the Name of Business and PAN of the business
  4. Key in the Email Address and Mobile Number. The registered email id and mobile number will receive the OTPs.
  5. Click on Proceed
  • On both your email address and mobile number, you will receive OTPs. You will have to submit these necessary OTPs in order to process further
  • You will now receive TRN (temporary reference number) on again both your email address and phone number. Save this reference number for the later formalities. You will also see the next part of the details to fill in the form of PART-B for which you will have the next 15 days.
  • Now go to the GST portal, again and again, select the new registration option where you will be asked to submit the TRN. Submit the number and click on proceed.
  • At this point you will receive an OTP both on your email address and mobile number. Submit the OTP to go further. After this, the current status of your application will be shown as a draft. On the right-hand side, you will see the edit icon, click on that to proceed further to complete the PART B details.
  • You will be asked to provide the necessary documents. To make sure the process goes smoothly and conveniently. Please have these things ready
  1. Photographs
  2. Constitution of the taxpayer
  3. Proof for the place of business
  4. Bank account details*
  5. Verification and Aadhaar authentication, if chosen
  • Once all details are provided, please go to the verification option. Tick on the declaration and submit the application.
  • If all things have been done successfully, a message will be displayed thereafter showing that the application has been submitted successfully and you will receive the Application Reference Number on your email and mobile.
Documents Required

Additionally, ensure that before you enroll on the GST portal, you have the following information with you:

  • Provisional ID and Password received from VAT authority
  • Valid email address
  • Valid Mobile Number
  • Bank Account Number
  • Bank IFSC code
  • Proof of Registration of Business (Shop Establishment Certificate in case of Proprietorship, Partnership Deed in case of Companies and Memorandum of Association for Companies)

The GST is now a very integral part of the Indian Taxation system as GST is paid by anyone and everyone who is an eligible taxpayer and a citizen of India. If you have still not registered for GST, we hope the process that we have shared with you made things a bit easy in terms of overall understanding and execution.

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Business motivation

How To Let Goods And Services Tax Play To Its Strength To Support And Grow Your Business

goods and service tax

The moment Goods And Services Tax was introduced back in 2017, it was met with mixed reaction from the nation. GST made some huge changes in the form of removal of VAT, excise, and service tax by absorbing them all in it and bringing down the overall cost of goods and services of a product. We all know nothing great has been ever achieved without a few challenges here and there and the same happened with GST reform as well.

Nonetheless, gradually GST has proven its mettle and convinced all of us that it is doing way more good than causing incontinence. In this article, we will be discussing the various benefits GST offers that can end up being in the favour of your business.

Convenience With Filing Returns

Earlier businesses, especially businesses that belonged to the MSME sector, used to face a lot of difficulty in tracking the number of taxes there were back such as excise duty, VAT, purchase tax, luxury tax, etc. Things were so complicated that a normal businessman without great knowledge in this domain would end struggling and hire an expert to crunch those numbers. Since GST has been introduced, filing returns has become easier than ever as businesses now have to take care of just 1 tax that has subsumed all other taxes. 

Shipping Made Super Easy

With so many tax checks and different kinds of taxes, while shipping goods from one place to another, the process was extremely inefficient as it would increase the cost of transportation in terms of fuel and time.  The process was made much easier when the government removed the border checkpoints from the process when GST was introduced. Now with GST, the shipping has not only been made efficient but has been made less time consuming than ever.

Canopy Of Technology

There is a reason why technology is said to your best friend these days. With the help and backing of technology, many businesses are now getting to enjoy a much more convenient way to deal with their taxes. Yes, we are talking about the GST online portal. This online portal has made the process extremely easy where you are just required to get GSTIN to pay your taxes every month. Also, you need not worry about keeping all the paperwork safe, because it is automatically getting saved for you in your personal account. Amazing, isn’t it?

Put An End On Cascading Tax Effect

The Biggest relief and joy GST has brought into the lives of business owners and consumers is the elimination of the cascading Tax Effect. Cascading tax effect is the concept where good is taxed on each and every step of its creation which sums up to be a huge amount of burden, which the consumer bears in the end. GST put an end to this by introducing Input Tax Credit. ITC allows you to subtract the GST you paid to your vendors from the amount you owe to the government.

Sure, the GST might take you a bit to get familiar with, as it involves a great deal of technology and digitization, you will only thank the government later to have introduced this in the first place. 

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Business motivation

GST: Types Of Goods And Services Tax And Different GST Rates Across The Nation

In the simplest of words, GST can be defined as the value-added tax that is levied on the goods as well as services which are sold indigenously. GST is the expense that is taken care of by the end consumer and is ultimately remitted to the government by the businesses that sold the goods to the end consumers.

Now, there are basically 4 kinds of GST which we are listing below

  • The Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST)
  • The State Goods and Services Tax (SGST)
  • The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax (UTGST)
  • The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST)

Central Goods And Services Tax (CGST)

CGST is the tax that is levied by the central government on the transactions of Goods And Services that take place within the same starters, which is Intrastate transactions. The Tax is levied along with the other two taxes known as SGST. Please note that the revenue that is collected in the form of GST on intrastate transactions is shared equally between the state government and the central government. 

State Goods And Services Tax (SGST)

Let’s now try and understand what SGST is. SGST is the tax levied by the state government over the transaction of the goods that are manufactured and sold within the same state. This Tax is levied along with CGST.

Union Territory Goods and Services Tax (UTGST)

UGST could be defined the same way as SGST, only it is applicable in the union territories. The only aim to introduce Union Territory tax is to provide the same benefits to all the businesses in a union territory that a business would enjoy in any state. The UTGST is applicable to five Union Territories namely Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Chandigarh.

Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST)

Now, this one is a bit different from others as it deals with the transaction of goods and services between two states. If any good or service is transacted from one state to another, there is a tax that will be levied on those transactions and it is called the Integrated Goods and Services Tax. IGST is also applied to goods and services that are imported and then distributed among various states.

Rates Of GST

There is a slab proposed by the government which is divided into 4 categories of GST rates applied to various kinds of goods and services. The rates are 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%.

  • 5% GST is for the goods that are included are the day-to-day household items like kitchen essentials such as sugar, spices, tea, coffee, edible oil, etc.
  • 12% GST would be applied to goods such as computers and processed foods are included like cheese, ghee, ayurvedic medicines, cell phones, and fertilizers, etc. Services like work contracts, business-class air tickets
  • 18% GST will be applied to products like jams, sauces, soups, ice cream, instant food mixes, mineral water, tissues, envelopes, tampons, notebook, steel products, printed circuits, camera, etc.
  • 28% of GST will be applied to various luxurious items.

It is important for each and everyone, be it a consumer or a businessman, to understand the concept of GST inside out in order to make the entire process more convenient with everybody being on the same page. We hope this article was of some help to enhance your information on various kinds of GST and the different rates that vary with the category. 

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Business motivation

GST: What Is Goods And Services Tax And What Are The Benefits It Offers?

The change that is now recognized as one of the biggest reforms made in India that changed the entire game of how and what taxes are paid. Yes, We are talking about GST, goods and services tax, that includes many indirect taxes which were imposed by the central government such as excise, VAT, and service tax. GST has helped the MSME sector a lot by simplifying the process of filing returns, hence, decreasing their dependence on the experts who used to help them earlier with filing their taxes.

Components of GST
  • State Goods and Services Tax (SGST): Tax levied by the State Government
  • Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST): Tax collected by the central government
  • Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST): Tax applicable on inter-State supply of goods and services by the central government

There are many such benefits and advantages that GST offers, and anybody who is an aware and responsible citizen of India should know about it as it affects not only the entrepreneurs but the customer as well. Some of the main benefits are

Technical Advantage It Offers

The best thing about the introduction of GST is the technology that is involved in the process which is playing to its strengths. It is now way easier to register and to file the returns. There is an online GST portal that will help you with

  • Registration
  • Return filing
  • Application for refund
  • Response to notices
  • Consumer grievances

Uniformity In Taxes

Earlier, when GST was not in existence, there were several other taxes that unintentionally increased the cost of goods and services. However, GST has not absorbed all these taxes such as VAT, Excise, and service tax to rescue the cascading effect they had on the entire process. GST has brought that uniformity that much required and has ultimately resulted in the reduction of the total cost.

The Composition Scheme

GST offers a composition scheme under which small businesses that have a turnover of up to 75 lakhs can benefit by lowering their taxes by making the required changes. This has helped so many businesses with the unnecessary burden of tax and compliance.

Higher Threshold

According to this very beneficial reform, businesses that have a turnover of up to Rs. 20 Lakhs will be exempted from paying the GST. Earlier, with VAT, businesses that had a turnover of more than Rs 5 lakhs had to pay this tax. This change is speaking for the evident relaxation that has been provided to small businesses.

These are only a few of the many changes that were brought into existence to ease up the burden on the needy and to bring transparency in the whole system, Sure, which reform of this magnitude, there were some difficulties that were introduced, but the number and magnitude of the positives it brought can any day overweight the negatives.

 

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Technology

GST Network Starts Providing Auto-Drafted ITC Statement GSTR-2B to Assist Taxpayers in Determining ITC Liability

Documentation of tax | Representational Image (Photo Credits: Pexels)

The GST Network (GSTN) on Saturday started providing auto-drafted input tax credit (ITC) statement GSTR-2B to taxpayers. The newly launched initiative would assist the taxpayers in determining their ITC liability. GSTR-2B will be generated on GST portal for every registered person on the basis of the information furnished by his suppliers. It will be made available for each month, on the 12th day of the succeeding month, GSTN said in a statement. Moreover, it is expected that GSTR-2B will help in reduction in time taken for preparing return, minimising errors, assist reconciliation & simplify compliance relating to filing of returns.

The GST Network handles the IT backbone of Goods and Services Tax (GST). “It is expected that GSTR-2B will help in reduction in time taken for preparing return, minimising errors, assisting reconciliation and simplify compliance relating to filing of returns,” it said.

Key features in GSTR-2B which would assist taxpayers in return filing are as under:

  1. It contains information on import of goods from the ICEGATE system including inward supplies of goods received from Special Economic Zones Units / Developers. This is not available with the release of GSTR-2B for the month of July and will be made available shortly.
  2. A summary statement which shows all the ITC available and non-available under each section. The advisory given against each section clarifies the action to be taken by the taxpayers in their respective section of GSTR-3B;
  3. Document level details of all invoices, credit notes, debit notes etc. is also provided both for viewing and download.
  4. GSTR-2B for the month of July 2020 has been made available on the common portal on trial basis.

Since, this is the first time that the statement is being introduced, taxpayers are advised to refer to GSTR-2B for the month of July, 2020 only for feedback purposes. All taxpayers are requested to go through their GSTR-2B for July 2020 and after comparing the same with the credit availed by them in July 2020, provide feedback (if any) on any aspect of GSTR-2B by raising a ticket on the self-service portal (https://selfservice.gstsystem.in/). All taxpayers are advised to view the detailed advisory relating to GSTR-2B on the common portal before using the statement.

The GST Council, in its 39th meeting held on March 14, 2020, had recommended to adopt and implement the incremental approach of linking the present system of filing of GSTR-3B and GSTR-1 and other significant changes like enhancements in GSTR-2A and its linking to GSTR-3B. One such enhancement that the Council recommended was introduction of an auto-drafted input tax credit (ITC) statement which would aid in assisting / determining the input tax credit that is available for every taxpayer.

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Finance

How GST Can Benefit Your Small Businesses

Benefits of GST in business

The benefit of GST in business has positively affected different areas of the Indian economy. Depending upon the industry you work in, GST has its advantages. We are actually looking at low inventory expenses that can benefit the Indian economy in the long run.

Let’s discuss some advantages of GST in India:-

1. GST eliminates the cascading effect of tax

GST has been designed and implemented to bring indirect taxation under one umbrella. More importantly, it eliminates the cascading effect of taxation. Cascading tax effect can be best expressed as ’Tax on Tax’. To reduce this problem, the input tax credit (ITC) was created under the benefits of GST to businesses.

The concept is simple ’ you purchase the supplies for your business from different vendors and pay GST when required. Then, when you sell your service or products, you charge GST from your customers. Every month, the government authorities expect you to pay that amount in taxes.

2. Higher threshold for registration

Earlier, in the structure of VAT, business with a turnover of more than 5 lakh (in most of the states) is liable to pay VAT (Value Added Tax). Also, the tax depends on the nature of business you are operating in, and service tax was exempted for service providers that have a turnover of less than 10 lakh. 

Now, with GST coming in, the service provider organizations with turnover lower than Rs.20 lakh are exempted and take benefits of GST in business. In the case of North-Eastern states, Rs.10 lakh is the threshold. This will help small business owners to avoid lengthy taxation procedures.

3. Composition scheme for small businesses

Under the GST regime, small businesses (with a turnover of Rs 20 to 75 lakh) can benefit and pay only 1% of the tax of their turnover as it provides an option to lower taxes by utilizing the scheme of composition. This has moved down the taxes and compliance burden on many small business owners. The benefit of GST to small businesses in India has also helped at reducing corruption and sales without receipts.

4. The simple and easy online procedure

The entire GST process (registration to filing the returns) is made online with super simple operations. This is beneficial for start-ups, as they do not have to get into different registrations such as VAT, excise, and service tax.

5. The number of compliances is lesser

Earlier, there was service tax and VAT, each of which had their compliances and returns. 

However, under GST there is just one return to be filed. Therefore, the number has come down of returns to be filed. There are approximately 11 returns under GST, in which 4 are basic returns that apply to all taxable individuals. The main GSTR-1 is manually populated and GSTR-2 and GSTR-3 will be auto-populated. Under the benefit of GST to business, the compliances are now lesser.

6. Defined treatment for E-commerce operators

Before the GST regime, supplying goods through e-commerce was not defined. It had variable VAT laws. 

For example, The e-commerce brands were treated as facilitators or mediators by states like Kerala, West Bengal, and Rajasthan which did not require them to register for VAT but if the online brands are delivering to let’s say Uttar Pradesh, they had to file for VAT and mention the registration number of the delivery vehicle otherwise the tax authorities could seize goods if the documents were not produced.

All these confusing compliances have been removed under the benefit of GST in business. It has now clearly mapped out the inter-state movement of goods for the provisions applicable.

7. Improved efficiency of logistics

Earlier, In India, the logistics industry had to maintain many warehouses across states to avoid the inter-state movement and CST which pushed them to operate below their capacity.

However, these restrictions on state movement of goods have been lessened under GST.

As an outcome of benefit of GST to business, Instead of operating from other cities, the logistic aggregators have shown interest in setting up the warehouses at a strategic location which leads to a reduction in unnecessary logistics expenses and increasing profits for businesses.

As the GST in business eliminated the varied state taxes, It opens ups India for business. 

8. Convenient Filing

For a small business, one of the best things about GST is its convenience. In the old system, the owner had to pay and track a variety of taxes, which included service tax, central excise duty, purchase tax, luxury tax, countervailing duty, and many other taxes.

Under GST, the small business owner, only needs to pay a single tax that makes your monthly and annual returns much easy. That means you can stay compliant without spending much money on a tax professional. You can handle each step of the tax process by using the online GST portal, from registering for GST to paying your taxes.

The GST system is relatively easy to master for the small business owner. Once you get the hang of the forms and filing requirements, you can streamline your accounting to save time, energy and money.