A simplified GST registration facility for small e-commerce sellers, allowing them to register in other states by declaring the e-commerce platform's warehouse as their principal place of business, will be enabled from November 1. This move aims to encourage small businesses to expand beyond their home states.
CGST Gurugram busts a large-scale fake GST registration racket operating in North Delhi, involving fraudulent invoices and ITC availment.
The GST Council is set to consider a proposal allowing businesses to file for GST registration in multiple states via a single application and standardise the documents required by tax officers, aiming to enhance ease of doing business.
A Goods and Services Tax inspector in Gurugram was caught red-handed by the Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau while accepting a bribe of Rs 7,000 from a businessman for issuing a GST registration number. The inspector, Shruti Rani, had allegedly withheld the businessman's file, prompting him to complain to the ACB.
Industry is pushing for GST reforms that would let companies use unused tax credits from one state to pay GST liabilities in another, potentially freeing up working capital trapped across state registrations.
The GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has begun deliberations on significant reforms, including decriminalising nine offences, softening provisions for 24, and raising the threshold for criminal prosecution to Rs 5 crore. The proposed changes also include scrapping the arrest powers of GST officers and introducing an 'invoice matching system' to combat fake input tax credit claims, aiming for a trust-based taxation approach and enhanced ease of doing business.
India's GST Council has approved changes allowing small online sellers to register in states without physical premises by using an e-commerce operator's warehouse as their principal place of business, aiming to boost national sales for small businesses.
India's Next-Gen GST reforms are proving instrumental in driving robust economic growth, simplifying tax compliance, and fostering a more inclusive business environment across the nation, aligning with the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat', writes Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
State Bank of India (SBI) is developing an innovative solution to assess the creditworthiness of small businesses lacking GST registration by utilising UPI transaction data. This initiative aims to provide end-to-end digital loans within a day, addressing the financial exclusion of many small enterprises.
Central tax authorities detected input tax credit (ITC) fraud worth Rs 74,781.56 crore across 30,162 cases in FY26, more than doubling the number of cases from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Finance.
The Centre and states are looking to further tighten the GST registration process and legal measures to deal with the rising cases of fake invoicing. A meeting of the law committee of the GST Council has been convened on Wednesday to discuss these issues, finance ministry sources said. The committee, comprising senior central and state tax officers, would also discuss the GST fake invoice frauds, further tightening of the GST registration process and work out other legal measures including necessary law amendment required in the GST Act to curb the menace of fake invoicing, they added. Also the provisions related to deemed registration under Goods and Services Tax (GST) law may be tightened to prevent the misuse of such provisions by fake dealers and the provisions related to suspension of registration may also be streamlined to make the procedure of suspension and cancellation of registration more efficient and faster, so that such fraud operators can be prevented in time from continuing to pass on fake credit down the chain.
Rural commercial vehicle (CV) registrations have consistently outpaced urban sales from April to July 2026, driven by a significant diversification of the rural economy and the positive impact of GST-led consumption, according to experts and data from Fada.
Maruti Suzuki India's CFO, Arnab Roy, has urged the central government to introduce an amnesty scheme or an 'as-is' settlement option to resolve past indirect tax disputes, aiming to clear legacy litigation and foster growth in the automotive industry. Roy emphasised the need for a 'smarter way to address the past' to provide long-term certainty for businesses.
The Commercial Taxes Department has arrested Mohammed Tauqeer for his involvement in generating and routing fraudulent ITC across multiple states, unearthing a GST fraud worth Rs 410 crore.
GSTN has put on hold its planned enhancements to the e-way bill system, providing businesses with crucial time to adapt to the proposed changes amid widespread industry concerns.
Delhi Police have arrested Shantaram Barku Shelke, the alleged mastermind behind a Rs 40 lakh visa fraud conspiracy that duped 41 individuals seeking overseas jobs in Russia and Israel. Shelke, proprietor of M/s SS Overseas Travels Agency, issued fake documents and evaded authorities before being apprehended in Nalasopara, Maharashtra.
The Uttar Pradesh STF has arrested a man in connection with a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud estimated at Rs 15,000 crore. The accused allegedly used fraudulently obtained GST registrations to create fake firms and generate bogus invoices.
Automobile dealers in India are reporting healthy bookings ahead of Navratri and Dussehra, with the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada) indicating strong confidence in a pickup in deliveries from mid-October, despite a high base from last year's GST-led surge.
The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has uncovered a fake input tax credit racket worth approximately 593 crore in Karnataka, leading to the arrest of the alleged mastermind.
GST authorities have identified about 17,000 non-existent GSTINs and cancelled over 4,900 registrations in the ongoing pan-India drive against fake registration, a senior tax official said on Wednesday. Currently, there are 1.40 crore businesses registered under Goods and Services Tax, nearly double the number of businesses registered in indirect tax regime pre-GST rollout. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) member Shashank Priya said in the drive against fake registration, till July 4, over 69,600 GST Identification Numbers (GSTINs) have been selected for physical verification by field tax officers.
A total of 25,446 Chinese made electronic and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) were seized from the warehouse on Old Airport Road during the recent raids.
Kapil Chugh, accused of masterminding a Rs 1,825 crore GST refund fraud, has been arrested by DGGI officers upon his return from Dubai. He is alleged to have evaded investigation and is wanted in other economic criminal cases.
More than 40 per cent of Cars24's sales are now linked to rural registration and transport office (RTO) locations, although procurement remains concentrated in urban markets.
The Indian government has made Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification compulsory for smartphone screen protectors, effective April 1, 2027. This move aims to ensure product quality, curb low-quality imports, and significantly boost domestic manufacturing, creating a substantial industry and job opportunities.
R Vignesh is a member of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of India in Chennai, appeared on Rediff Chat to answer readers' queries on GST.
Indian passenger vehicle manufacturers are significantly increasing production and stocking dealerships in anticipation of strong festival season demand, with new launches planned and supply bottlenecks being addressed. However, the industry faces potential moderation in growth during the second half of FY27 due to a high base from last year's post-GST surge, commodity inflation, and elevated inventory levels.
Police in Kanpur have arrested a suspected mastermind behind a network of fake firms, forged documents, and suspected hawala transactions worth over Rs 3,200 crore.
Nearly 96 per cent of new applicants will benefit from this simplified approval route.
The GST Council also decided that a committee of officers will be constituted to examine the simplification of forms for annual return and reconciliation statement.
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries
A senior Goods and Services Tax (GST) officer has been arrested in connection with the alleged suicide of a junior colleague, who was reportedly facing harassment and pressure to engage in unethical practices.
Kanpur police have uncovered a GST fraud racket where suspects used unsuspecting individuals' documents to create fake firms and route transactions worth nearly Rs 250 crore.
The revised guidelines are aimed at curbing discretionary practices by field officers, especially the tendency to seek documents not mandated under the law.
Passenger vehicle sales in India reached a record high of 4.7 million units in FY26, boosted by strong performances from major automakers and the implementation of GST 2.0.
Automobile manufacturers have informed NITI Aayog that they face significant challenges in tracing 20-25-year-old vehicles due to multiple ownership changes, hindering their ability to meet Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) targets for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). They are seeking government support, including access to updated Vahan registration records, to locate these vehicles and encourage owners to use authorised scrapping centres.
Automobile retail sales rose nearly 18 per cent year-on-year to over 27 lakh units in January, led by continued post-GST momentum, healthy rural cash flows on the back of harvest and weddings, and sustained demand visibility across freight, dealer's body FADA said on Tuesday.
Kanpur Police have dismantled a sophisticated cyber fraud syndicate, arresting eight individuals, including five bank officials, for facilitating mule accounts and hawala transactions worth Rs 125 crore.
Fuel prices have risen by about Rs 7.5 per litre since May 15, as global crude oil prices surged due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia and supply concerns around the Strait of Hormuz.
Tata Motors emerged as the biggest gainer in the passenger vehicles (PV) market in the second half of FY25, following a GST rate cut in September, achieving the highest growth among major OEMs and overtaking Mahindra & Mahindra in volumes.
India's total automobile retail sales recorded a significant 9.55 per cent year-on-year growth in May, reaching an all-time high of 25,31,067 units, driven by strong performances in three-wheelers, passenger vehicles, and tractors, despite prevailing heatwave conditions and fuel price pressures.
