HYDERABAD: The cat and mouse game between tax evaders and tax men continues even after implementation of Goods and Services Tax regime. The systems wing of Hyderabad Commisionerate of Central Goods and Services Tax found 30,000 tax evaders in Hyderabad from last financial year, since the time GST was implemented, and sent notices to all defaulters.
As per information from department, till now only 3,800 of 30,000 tax evaders have filed GST returns and paid Rs 100 crore as tax to the department.
The department also filed cases against four companies including a leading film producer of Sri Venkateswara Creations, for charging GST under the head of ‘assigning of film rights for exhibition’ but not paying the tax to the department. The department informed that after booking the case, the company till now paid `8 crore, and added that after booking this case, many tax evaders from film industry have come forward to file their taxes.
“It is a cognisable and non-bailable offence if GST is collected by someone and not paid to the department,” said an official. The department till now has identified 804 tax evaders who have evaded payment of Service Tax in April-June, 2017. Further, hundred tax evaders were identified who evaded payment of tax arrears of Rs 1 crore and above following which anti-evasion wing recovered more than Rs 110 crore from 75 such defaulters.