Goods and Services Tax (GST): A Revolutionary Step towards Economic Unification

Abstract

GST is a comprehensive tax system that subsumed all indirect taxes of states and central governments and unified economy into a seamless national market .Under the erstwhile indirect tax regime, there were a number of taxes. Prof. Kelkar Committee has proposed a uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST) to do away with the issues and problems of VAT. Based on Kelkar Committee recommendations, the Govt of India has brought a Bill in 2011 through the Constitution (115th Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2011. However the bill was not passed due to dissolution of 15th Lok Sabha. Again, Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014 was presented in the Lok Sabha and this Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha as well as Rajyasabha. Goods and service tax is a new story of VAT which gives a widespread setoff for input tax credit and subsuming many indirect taxes from state and national level. The Government’s GST regime seeks to replace excise duty, import duties, VAT and service tax regulations, along with other Cess and surcharges, with three separate legislations namely CGST, SGST and IGST. GST would be applicable to all transactions of goods and service, and it to be paid to the accounts of the Centre and the States separately. The biggest advantage of GST is economic unification of India. It has potential to end the longstanding distortions arising out of the differential treatment of the manufacturing and service sectors. It is an issue if people are still unaware or confuse with the tax system of GST and become worst when people ignore and boycott not to pay the tax.