PANAJI: Taking a loud view of tax evasion in the state, Chairman of the Minister of Pramod Sawant on Friday said that those who avoided indirect taxes would be handled by severe and will be arrested.
The intelligence unit and wing of Goa GST’s enforcement have been asked to track taxpayers who have been waiting for contributions, Sawant said at the first commissioner of the new GST building in Altinho.
“Those who do not pay taxes will be arrested,” Sawant said.
“People who owe State Rs 20 Crore or similar quantities do not have to wait for us to act.” On Thursday officials and goods and services (GST) made their first arrest to avoid GST and VAT since 2017.
Mukhtar Shaikh and Maheed XEC were arrested for failing to pay at RS 20.9 Crore in taxes.
Two Director of Verium-Based Car Retailers Ethning Commercial State Tax Rs 20.9 Crore to GST and VAT of Rs 11.5 Crore include taxes, interests and penalties.
The defendant, who has been charged with committing a violation based on Section 132 (1) (C) and Section 132 (1) (d) Cave Tax and Services Tax Act, 2017, released on guarantee.
Commissioner Sawant and State of GST Hemant Kumar said that the GST economic intelligence unit and enforcement wing have begun to take proactive steps to ensure tax recovery.
The minister’s chairman said that many commercial taxpayers continued to avoid tax payments, which in turn affected the function of the state government.
“For the first time someone was arrested for not paying taxes.
Those who did not pay taxes would be arrested.
They could not hide from the government again because the wing of his assembly now worked very well,” he said.
Sawant said that there were companies in Goa who owed state governments each RS 20 Crore.
“If they pay taxes on time, it will be beneficial for the government.
They have the responsibility to become a citizen who is responsible because they enjoy state facilities.
I ask them not to bring political pressure on staff after the penalty applied or actions taken,” he said.
Under the previous VAT regime, there were 28,000 commercial taxpayers in Goa, but since the introduction of GST, the government has been able to identify additional commercial entities with the total number of non-direct taxpayers in Goa touching 43,000.
Kumar said that the economic intelligence unit had been able to install leakage and curb avoidance.
“We have been able to recover around RS 15 Crore through law enforcement activities.
The department also monitors large taxpayers who contribute to large taxes and conduct sectoral analysis by retrieving data from income tax and other government departments,” he said.