50th GST Council to Meet on July 11 to Discuss Countermeasures and GoM Report on Online Gaming

In an effort to stop tax cheating, the GST Council will examine further measures on July 11 to tighten the noose around false registration and input tax credit (ITC) creation. This was announced by a senior official on Friday. Vivek Johri, chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, told reporters, “We are thinking of some other measures and we will take them through the due process of the law committee and GST council.”

On July 11, the GST Council will have its 50th meeting. The GoM report on internet gambling, casinos, and horse racing will also be discussed by the Council, and it will shortly be sent to the states. The GoM sent the Council its report in December of last year, but the Council has not yet discussed it.

A convenor for the Group of Ministers (GoM) on tariff rationalization will also be chosen by the Council. Basavaraj Bommai, a former chief minister of Karnataka, served as the panel’s convenor; however, as Karnataka’s government has changed, a new convenor must be chosen by the Council. The GST authorities have already started a special two-month campaign against fraudulent registration.

GST Network discovered 60,000 companies during the operation that may have false registrations, and as a result, national and state tax inspectors have started physical inspections of the locations. There have been 43,000 verifications conducted. Johri said, “Of which 10,000 have been discovered to be bogus, involving fake ITC claims of Rs 15,000 crore.” According to sources, the Council is not taking the rationalization of the GST rate into account. Cement is now subject to a 28% GST.