Working to make taxpayers life easier: FM

New Delhi, June 22 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said less than two per cent of the total 58.62 lakh taxpayers under Central GST administration has been sent tax notices and the intention of the government is to make GST assessees life easier by reducing compliance requirements.

"I want to reassure the assesses that our intent is to make GST assessees life easier, we are working towards less and less compliance. On behalf of the CGST, notices are not being sent left, right and centre. Only 1.96 per cent of all active tax assessees have been sent notices from Central GST," Sitharaman said.

Addressing the media post the GST Council meeting, the Minister said as of December 31, 2023, only 1.96 per cent of all active tax assessees have been sent notices from the Central GST (CGST). Around 1.14 lakh assessees have been sent notices by the CGST out of total 58.62 lakh assessees.

The Council in its 53rd meeting on Saturday took a host of taxpayer-friendly steps including waiving interest and penalties for demand notices for fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, if the full tax demand is paid by March 31, 2025.

The GST Council, chaired by Sitharaman and comprising her state counterparts, has also recommended reduction of the quantum of pre-deposit required to be paid for filing of appeals under GST.

To ease the interest burden of taxpayers, GST Council has recommended to not levy interest in case of delayed filing of return, on the amount which is available in Electronic Cash Ledger (ECL) on the due date of filing of the said return.

The Council has also recommended exemption from compensation cess on the imports in SEZ by SEZ unit/developer for authorised operations from July 1, 2017.