The new era of indirect taxation is around the corner. The Migration process has begun for the existing assessee to GST. All existing taxpayers registered under Central Excise, Service Tax, State Sales Tax or VAT (except exclusive liquor dealers if registered under VAT), Entry Tax, Luxury Tax, Entertainment Tax (except levied by the local bodies) are required to be transitioned to GST. The data available with various tax authorities is incomplete and thus fresh enrolment has been planned. Also, this will ensure that latest data of taxpayers is available in the GST database.
The GST Common Portal (www.gst.gov.in) has been made available to taxpayers for enrolling with GST. It is important to note that paper based enrolment option is NOT available. The GST Common Portal will enable taxpayers to meet the GST compliance requirement like filing return and making tax payment. Using the Portal requires existing taxpayers to enrol. Further there is no deemed enrolment under GST. All the taxpayers registered under any of the Acts are expected to visit and enrol themselves at the GST Common Portal.
There is no fee or charge levied for the enrolment of a taxpayer under GST. The taxpayers registered under the State VAT and Central Excise registered taxpayers can start enrolling from November, 2016 on the GST Common Portal as per plan indicated on the Portal. The taxpayers registered under Service Tax will be enrolled on a later date for which separate intimation will be sent.
Enrolment under the GST is common for both Central GST and the State GST. There will be common registration, common return and common Challan for Central and State GST. Thus, there is no need for separate registration.
GST portal specifically mentions that assessee should not mention the e-mail address and mobile number of Tax Professional during enrolment. They must provide the e-mail address and mobile number of the primary Authorized Signatory appointed by the organization. This e-mail address and mobile number will be registered with GST. All future correspondence from the GST Common Portal will be sent on this registered mobile number and e-mail address only. The Tax professionals will be given separate username and password by the GST System for the purpose of login to the GST Common Portal.
For the assessee having multiple businesses in one state, the procedure is prescribed that they should register one business entity first. As one PAN allows one GST Registration in a State, for the remaining business within the State they will be required to get in touch with the Jurisdictional Authority.
An Input Service Distributor also needs to apply afresh in the GST Common Portal for the State in which they desire to seek registration. For that they need to inform their Central Jurisdictional Authority.
The process of migration has already begun for the VAT / Sales Tax assessee. However, the process enrolment of Service Tax Assessee will begin at a later date. As per enrolment plan mentioned on www.gst.gov.in the VAT assessee of Gujarat can enrol from 14.11.2016 and Service Tax assessee can enrol from 01.01.2017.