Commissioner of Central Tax, Mangaluru Inaugurates CGST Suvidha Kendra for Enhanced Taxpayer Access
With the intention to enable ease of doing business the CGST department presently has a simplified online process on the GST portal for all taxpayers to obtain GST registration.
However, it is seen that a few unscrupulous taxpayers have been taking advantage of the online system to create fake GST registrations to indulge in fraudulent transactions thereby causing loss to the exchequer.
The nefarious practice by a few taxpayers erodes the confidence of genuine taxpayers and affects the tax revenue. This situation has necessitated measures to improve the existing registration process to ensure that only genuine taxpayers can obtain GST registration.
In this connection, the GST Council has implemented a Biometric-based Aadhar authentication in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Puducherry on a pilot basis. Based on the success of the implementation on a pilot basis in these states, the project is being rolled out across the country. The Central Goods & Service Tax (CGST) and Commercial Taxes Department (CTD), Karnataka, have jointly notified 120 facilitation centers for biometric-based Aadhar Authentication.
In principle, Biometric based registration involves:
· Identifying high-risk applicants based on certain risk parameters and such Taxpayers to be directed to go through a biometric authentication process at designated GST Suvidha Kendras.
· Biometric authentication is done at GST Suvidha Kendras by duly capturing a photograph of the applicant applying for GST registration along with verification of original documents.
These facilitation centers are set up in both CGST, Bengaluru zone, and CTD Karnataka officers across the State.