THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Preliminary findings from a statewide inspection conducted by the Intelligence and Enforcement wings of the State GST Department under the code name “Operation Aurum” have detected suppression of turnover worth Rs 70 crore. The operation has so far enabled the government to recover Rs 2.87 crore towards tax and penalties.
The inspections began at 3 pm. on July 30 and continued till the morning of July 31. They targeted establishments engaged in purchasing old gold, refining it, converting it into gold bars and jewellery, and selling them through jewellery outlets.
Simultaneous inspections were conducted at 79 locations, including jewellery shops, branch outlets and residences of 37 taxpayers.
Officials said that scrutiny of records relating to transactions from previous years collected during the raids is expected to reveal additional instances of tax evasion.
The State GST Intelligence wing had been making extensive preparations for the statewide operation over the past several months, including detailed planning and collection of confidential intelligence inputs.
The department pointed out that when consumers purchase gold from registered dealers, the amount paid includes GST in addition to the price of the gold. It is the responsibility of every citizen to insist on a proper bill from traders to ensure that the GST collected from consumers is remitted to the government.
The Commissioner of State Goods and Services Tax said tax revenue is a major source of funds for the government’s development projects and various public welfare programmes. Therefore, consumers should always demand a proper bill while purchasing goods or availing services to ensure that tax collected from them reaches the government without leakage.
The Commissioner also stated that investigations and stringent action by the State GST Department against establishments involved in tax evasion will continue.
