NEW DELHI: The GST Council in its meeting on Saturday (February 18) will discuss the matter of setting up of tribunals across the country for faster resolution of cases. “Several GST related cases are stuck in high courts in the absence of Goods and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTATs). Finance ministry has been pushing for the faster decision on GSTATs formation in the GST Council’s next meeting. We need them at the earliest,” a top official told this newspaper.
According to him, it has been more than five years since the GST regime was implemented in 2015 and several cases are pending in the litigation. However, the official declined to reveal the number of such cases stuck with the top courts.
Meanwhile, taxation for tobacco and gutkha businesses and the tax treatment of online gaming, horse racing and casinos will also be on the Council’s agenda list. In the previous meeting, Group of Ministers’ reports on these issues were put on hold until the next Council meeting.
In addition, the GST law committee has recommended the Council to extend the time limit for adjudicating cases where GST has been not paid, short-paid or input tax wrongly availed for the year 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.
According to the sources, for FY18, the time limit under section 73(10) may be extended from the present September 30, 2023, to December 31, 2023. For FY19, the time limit may be extended from the present December 31, 2023, to March 31, 2024. Also, for FY 20, the time limit may be extended from the present March 31, 2024, to June 30, 2024.
The Council will also discuss the request by the National Tiger Conservation Authority for ad-hoc exemption for import of cheetahs.