Jammu and Kashmir Taxes Department has unblocked e-way bills which were blocked due to traders not filing Goods and Services Tax returns since August 5 due to absence of the Internet services in Kashmir.
J&K administration snapped the Internet on all platforms across the Valley on August 5, hours before the Government of India (GoI) announced its decision to scrap J&K’s special status and bifurcate the State into two union territories.
After four months of uncertainty the J&K TaxesDepartment recently issued an order asking its officers to considerapplications for generation of e-way bills of those traders who have filedreturns till July but failed to file returns for August, September and Octobermonths.
“Taking the request and hassle free movement of goods fromoutside States to Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir into consideration, itis impressed upon all jurisdiction officers to consider applications of theconcessionaire/concessionee that have filed GST returns till July and unblocktheir e-way bills,” reads the orderissued by the J&K Taxes Department.
Commissioner Taxes Department P K Bhat while talking toGreater Kashmir said, “We have issued an order to facilitate unblocking ofe-way bills for traders who were not able to file GST returns from Julyonwards.”
According to GST guidelines, if the tax-payer has not filedreturns for two successive months in JKGST portal, their GST number will beblocked for generation of e-way bill. The e-way bills are must for procuringgoods from other States.
“Internet blockadehampered GST return filing in Kashmir. In Jammu region broadband service isoperational, but in Kashmir there is hardly any internet connectivity fromwhere traders can file returns,” said a senior official of the TaxesDepartment.
According to the officials since August 5 tax payers havenot been able to file the GST returns, particularly GSTR 3B on time. “Date offiling of returns was extended till October 20 in view of the representationsreceived from the tax payers, but the percentage of the returns filed duringthis period has been abysmally low. Only around 40% returns due for this periodhave been filed so far,” said an official. “