The Union government on Tuesday extended the deadline by one month till July 31 for filing appeals before the GST appellate tribunal.
The Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) was launched in September last year, and the government had then notified June 30, 2026, as the last date for filing of appeals before GSTAT.
"The government has extended the due date for filing of appeals before the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) to July 31, 2026," the finance ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said it has decided to extend the due date after it received representation from various stakeholders highlighting technical difficulties in filing appeals due to rush on the GSTAT portal.
In the last 15 days alone, 30,000 appeals were filed, with daily volumes peaking at 5,500.
Taxpayers are advised to plan their appeal filings well in advance and not wait until the deadline, the ministry said.
The government has already notified 31 state benches of GSTAT, and one Principal Bench located at Delhi.
Over 4.80 lakh cases are pending before the appellate authority and all these cases are expected to be filed before GSTAT.
The government had in May 2024 appointed Justice (Retired) Sanjaya Kumar Mishra as the President of the Principal Bench of GSTAT.
Since the rollout of GST on July 1, 2017, all disputes between a taxpayer and GST department used to go to High Courts or Supreme Court, thus delaying dispute resolution. With the operationalisation of GSTAT in September 2025, the disputes resolution is expected to be faster.
AMRG Global Managing Partner Rajat Mohan said the government's decision is a pragmatic move that protects taxpayers' right to appeal while providing certainty during the transition to a fully operational GSTAT.
"While the additional time offers much-needed relief, taxpayers should avoid waiting until the last date and instead complete their filings well in advance to minimise the risk of portal congestion and technical disruptions," Mohan added.
Abhishek Jain, Indirect Tax Head & Partner, KPMG said: “The extension will provide taxpayers and professionals adequate time to adapt to the newly operational Tribunal, ensure that genuine appeals are not lost on limitation, and support a smooth transition to the GSTAT framework”.
(With inputs from PTI)