GST Authorities Plan Faceless Scrutiny for Tax Returns, Implementation Timeline Awaited

New Delhi, Nov 23 (KNN) GST authorities will take some time to introduce faceless scrutiny assessment of tax returns filed under Goods and Services Tax (GST), GST Network Vice President (Services) Jagmal Singh said.

During an event organised by FICCI on Wednesday, Singh said, "We may take some time to introduce faceless assessment in GST. GST assessments are linked to a particular jurisdictional officer or unit. Changing that may take some time. Some changes would also be required at the policy level to make it effective.”

The faceless assessment under which there is no physical interaction between the tax officer and the assesse and no physical submission of documents was first introduced by the Income Tax department and later extended to Customs.

Experts have called for a review of the faceless tax audit scheme, seeking a more relaxed timeline for reconciliation between goods and services tax (GST) and income tax returns as well as more understanding on business transactions that may not fit the specified format. 

Introduced on July 1, 2017, indirect tax reform GST has subsumed 17 local levies, including excise duty, service tax, VAT and cesses.

(KNN Bureau)