With the official release of GST tax system in India on 31st July, the complaints about fraud in GST implementation have already started flowing. Since most of the common people are still not completely aware of the exact GST rates applicable on various goods and services, they are being cheated by the shopkeepers who may have been charging GST at wrong rates. These types of actions where more than applicable or wrong GST is levied from the customer are considered GST frauds.
GST Checklist: What to Do to Get Yourself GST Ready
The new GST (Goods & Services Tax) system is here. If you haven’t already get yourself acquainted to GST, you should do it now if you want to end up making mistakes when filing tax returns.
Here’s the GST checklist of the things you need to do to get yourself and your business GST-ready.
- Make sure to file your income tax return for the financial period ending on 30th June, if you haven’t already.
- Make a list of your old stock into the quantity of items and rate per quantity.
- To calculate the GST rate for your products, classify your stock according to price, purchase type (interstate/intrastate), tax paid, credit, etc.
- Compare your accounts with credit/debit values shown in your tax record as on 20th June 2017.
- To claim ITC (Input Tax Credits) on your old stock, file the TRAN-1 form latest by 28th September, and TRAN-2 form every month until December.
Collect tax Form-C, Form-H, and Form-I for the old stock for which you want to claim the tax credit. - Make sure to provide your GSTIN to each of your suppliers and collect GSTIN from your dealers and customers.
- Include your stock details in your Books of Accounts.
- If you are registered as a centralized service business, then you need to apply for migration for those states where your business is operable.
- Search the internet and make a list of applicable GST rates for all your goods and services.
- Make a list of your goods on which reverse charge may apply.
- Enlist all your debit/ credit notes in serial numbers.
- Integrate your current accounting software with the new GST taxation software for SMEs.
- Make sure that your invoice bill is according to the invoicing formats and rules mentioned under GST. The bill must contain the proper invoicing series for particular products.
- Make sure to send a tax invoice for all your GST taxable supplies of goods & services, and a supply bill for non-GST products and services.
- Have a ‘Place of Supply’ list ready for your business activities.
This checklist is for small businesses and individuals looking to get settled into the new tax regime. If you are a Chartered Accountant (CA) working on behalf of a taxpayer, you can read GST checklist to get yourself GST ready.
What is Composition Scheme Under GST?
The GST Composition Scheme is merely a revision of the already existing composition Law under VAT. Goods and Services Tax (GST) has already been implemented for all individuals, small & large businesses in India.
While big organizations have enough resources and expertise to implement the new tax regime, the small companies and startups, on the other end, may struggle to understand and comply with the new provisions. Therefore, the government has introduced a composite scheme to resolve such issues.
Imminent challenges That will affect business Units after GST
GST is one of the biggest tax reforms for India since Independence which has been implemented from July 2017. GST is not just a tax but it will be beneficial for the whole economy and would have a far-reaching effect on businesses. Various experts have identified that the procedure and working of business units will be affected by the new GST regime. If a business has started maintaining financial records, there are several points in which the government and the GST council has to put some extra attention, starting from the line.
Simple Ways to Determine the Supply of Goods and Services in GST
What is meant by Supply of Goods and Services?
The supply of Goods and Services under the GST is the taxable entity. All the indirect taxes in the old taxation structure such as Service Tax, VAT/CST, Central Excise are subsumed under GST (Goods and Service Tax). With this subsumption, the concept of sales, manufacture of goods and the services will be irrelevant. There are some indirect taxes that are included in the GST. The taxes that are not included in the GST: Basic Customs Duty, Exports Duty, Road & Passenger Tax, Toll Tax, Property Tax, Stamp Duty and Electricity Duty.