NEW DELHI: No tax officer can brage into the premises of traders and shopkeepers without any prior permission, warned the finance ministry on Saturday, following compliants of unofficial visits from people posing to be taxmen. The ministry clarified in a notification that any such deviation by authorities should be reported to a complaint helpline.
According to sources, the finance ministry came out with a clarification after reports suggested that some unscrupulous elements posing as GST officers have tried to fleece shopkeepers.
“No officer of the department is authorised to visit the premises of traders and shopkeepers without authorisation,” the ministry made it clear in a statement. The chief commissioner of GST (Delhi zone) had clarified that the tax department only wants to facilitate the process for shopkeepers and traders during the transition.
It also asked anyone facing any such problem to lodge a complaint on tax department’s phone line, 011-23370115. Separately, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also launched a mobile app ‘GST Rates Finder’.