In-Person Verification will be mandatory For GST Registration

Registration of an entity is the initial basic step one has to follow to carry on supply or any other GST compliances. While one may find the registration process unnecessary and complicated, it is followed by a number of advantages, such as legal recognition as supplier of goods/services, availment of ITC, legal authorisation to collect tax from customers etc. A taxable person is required to take registration under GST in the following cases:

Crossing of Threshold limit of aggregate turnover
Compulsory Registration
Voluntary Registration

Government notifies new rules w.r.t GST Registrations

On recommendations of the Law Committee of the GST Council in order to control the menace of GST fake invoice frauds, Government notified that GST registrations will now have in-person verification before registration is granted to any applicant.

What was the basis of the recommendation made by the Law Committee?

The Law Committee recommendation as notified was central to four key themes:

tightening of verification process for new registration
suspension based on data analytics and mismatches
minimum cash payment to deter dummy businesses and
ease of doing business and precise targeting in the interest of small business intelligently protected.

New Rules pertaining to verification of registration

As per the new rules there must be in-person verification before registration is granted to an applicant.
In case an applicant opts for Aadhaar authentication, he will undergo biometric-based Aadhaar authentication at one of the Facilitation Centres notified by the Commissioner.
In case the applicant has not opted for Aadhaar authentication, then for processing the application, biometric information and verification of KYC documents must be undertaken at the verification centres.
This verification process may also include taking photograph and verifying original documents of the applicant uploaded with the registration application.

When will the amended verification process come into effect?

This amendment will come into effect from a date to be notified in near future after setting up of facilitation centres on the lines of Passport Seva Kendras or Aadhaar Seva Kendras.

What would be the new timeline as per the amendment?

The new timeline for grant of registration for Aadhaar authenticated applicant is now 7 days for proper scrutiny of application.
To counter the cases of fake invoices, in a few risky cases where a person has successfully undergone Aadhaar authentication, some additional physical verification may be carried out with the approval of an officer, authorised by the Commissioner.
The timeline for grant of registration in such cases would now be 30 days.

What would be the effect of the in-person verification before registration

The notified measures would help tackle menace of fake invoices for availing and passing on of input tax credit (ITC) by fraudsters.
They would also simultaneously ensure that there is no impact on the Ease of Doing Business which is achieved in GST through liberal registration, refund regime and self-compliance system with little or no manual checks.
The main recommendation of the Law Committee of GST Council is to control the fresh or new registration taken by applicants without business purpose and weeding out existing fake dealers from the systems.
Measures, hence, notified towards systemic tightening of new registration by identifying fake dealers, modifications in the registration process, use of Aadhaar during registration and Aadhaar like capturing of details during registration would impact the menace of mushrooming fake firms and ITC fraud by fly-by-night operators.

New Rules pertaining to Cancellation and Suspension:

In the new regime notified, the suspension and cancellations would be based on data analytics and mismatches.
A registration now is also liable for cancellation where the input tax credit is availed in violation of provisions of the CGST Act or the details of outward supplies in FORM GSTR-1 are in excess to the outward supplies declared in FORM GSTR-3B, for one or more tax periods.
Such cases lead to ITC being passed or availed without payment of tax and would, therefore, be liable for cancellation of registration.
During the proceedings of cancellation, these taxpayers would remain suspended.
During comparison of GSTR-3B with GSTR-1 and GSTR-2B of a registered person, if the parameters indicate towards significant differences, then the registration may be suspended and proceedings may be started for cancellation of registration.
However, the suspension of registration issued under this rule may be revoked by the proper officer in case the difference is justified by the registered person.
Such suspension would be applicable with immediate effect to prevent passing on of fake input tax credit.

Minimum Cash Payment of at least 1% tax liability

The present eligibility limit of availing 10% input tax credit (ITC) by a registered person in respect of invoices where the details have not been furnished by his suppliers would be reduced to 5% w.e.f. 1 January 2021, as consequent to the implementation of QRMP scheme with the facility of IFF.
It will be possible for small and medium suppliers to upload invoices monthly while filing return quarterly.
This would ensure that large taxpayers continue to procure from small taxpayers.
Now, to curb fake ITC availment and passing on of such credit by unscrupulous persons who generally pay no tax in cash, particularly in those risky cases where GST turnover does not match with the income tax returns and where the value of taxable supply other than exempt supply and zero-rated supply in a month exceeds Rs. 50 lakh, such registered person would not be able to use the amount of ITC available in electronic credit ledger to discharge liability towards output tax in excess of 99% of such tax liability.
At least 1% liability would need to be discharged in cash. This change will come into effect from 1 January 2021.

Exceptions to above restriction on availing ITC

There are some exemptions to the above provision of limiting ITC utilisation to ensure Ease of Doing Business.
Where a taxpayer has:
1. paid more than Rs 1 lakh as income tax in each of the last two financial years or
2. has received a refund of unutilised ITC on account of zero-rated supply or inverted duty structure of more than Rs 1 lakh in the preceding financial year or
3. has discharged his liability towards output tax through the electronic cash ledger for an amount in excess of 1% of the total output tax liability, cumulatively till that tax period.
Such tax payers can use more than 99% ITC to discharge tax liability.
Further, the Government Departments, the Public Sector Undertakings, local authorities and/or statutory bodies, are exempted from this limit on ITC utilisation.
Therefore, the Ease of Doing Business for genuine taxpayers, businesses entities and traders and Precise Targeting in the interest of small businesses would not be impacted as the Law Committee has suggested measures on precise identification of potentially riskier taxpayers based on very well-defined parameters run on the automated environment.

GSTR 1 not to be generated in some cases

Also, to control the fake invoice menace, now if a registered person has not filed Form GSTR-3B for two preceding months then his Form GSTR-1 will not be generated.
Similar restriction has been placed for QRMP taxpayers if the Form GSTR-3B is not filed for the preceding one tax period of 3 months.

Collectively these steps are likely to control dummy registrations and fake billing for ITC to take GST process towards a cleaner and robust regime.

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