300 Plus Traders under lens for Tax Evasion and GST Violation

The Excise and Taxation Department has issued notices to 324 traders and shopkeepers on suspicion of tax evasion and violating GST regulations.

GST violations and tax evasions became apparent when customers submitted invoices and receipts for their transactions to the department under the ‘Bill Leyao, Inaam Pao’ (produce the bill, get rewarded) campaign. Customers also complained when retailers failed to provide them with bills and receipts.

On August 22, last year, the Excise and Taxation Department implemented an initiative to combat GST evasion in order to improve compliance and boost state revenue. The scheme was designed to encourage customers to acquire receipts from shops and traders for purchases.

Darvir Raj, Ludhiana’s deputy commissioner for state taxes (DCST), claimed they discovered discrepancies in 324 cases while analyzing the customer receipts and bills.

“Since the scheme’s inception, 324 notices have been sent after verifying bills. We have already levied penalties of Rs.1.03 crore in 35 of these notices, and others are being processed,” she added.

She stated that the department had recovered Rs 67.24 lakh of the entire penalty levied.