New Delhi : Maximum retail price of goods must include the GST component to effectively address consumer complaints that some retailers charge the new indirect tax on MRP of products, a high-level panel of state finance ministers has recommended. The group of ministers, headed by Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has in its recommendation to the GST Council on easing compliance burden on small and medium enterprises suggested that the government make it amply clear in the present law that MRP is the maximum price of a product to be sold in retail and charging anything above this is an offence.
This rule, sources said, must be applicable to establishments like restaurants, eateries and malls that sell packaged goods such as bottled beverages which already carry an MRP, but at some places, a GST is charged over and above that MRP. However, businesses while uploading the invoice to the government in filing returns and paying taxes can separately show the GST component and the selling price of the product. “We have suggested that when businesses issue invoice to consumers, the MRP should be inclusive of GST. The bifurcation in tax collection and sale price can be shown in the invoice while paying taxes to the government,” sources told PTI.
In Guwahati on November 10, the GST Council, chaired by Arun Jaitley is likely to take up the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM).
Deadline for GSTR-2, 3 extended
In a move to give relief to GST taxpayers, the government on Monday extended the deadline to file returns GSTR-2 and GSTR-3 for July to November 30 and December 11 respectively. Form GSTR-2 reflects purchases made by a business whereas GSTR-3 is a combination of sales and purchases. The deadline to file GSTR-2 was Tuesday whereas the last date for filing GSTR-3 was November 10. “To facilitate trade, the last date for filing GSTR-2 and GSTR-3 for July 2017 has been extended to November 30 and December 11 respectively,” a government tweet said. “A notification in this regard will be issued to facilitate about 30.81 lakh taxpayers for filing GSTR-2 for July,” the Finance Ministry tweeted. “This extension was necessitated as many technical glitches were cropping up during GSTR-2 filing,” an expert said.
