Punjab tax officers told to clear pending VAT, GST cases by June end
Punjab taxation commissioner KK Yadav on Friday said that refunds in all pending cases of value-added tax (VAT) and goods and services tax (GST) should be cleared by June end.
Chairing a meeting of taxation officers of the state at the Circuit House here, Yadav said clearing the cases was the need of the hour to give reprieve to traders. “Any laxity in this work is unwarranted and undesirable,” he said, adding that he would be monitoring the work every week.
The taxation commissioner also directed the officers to meticulously complete assessment cases by September end, and not to wait till the end of the fiscal. He said that the department would soon fix monthly targets for every officer to complete their assessments.
Weed out bogus firms
Yadav also announced that the department would soon launch a major drive to weed out bogus firms in the state. He said that any firm that tries to evade tax through illegal means will be dealt with sternly, adding that each officer will be held accountable if such firms are found operating under their jurisdiction.
The taxation commissioner also told the officers to conduct more field visits. He said this would help the department in acquainting itself with ground realities and streamlining taxation.
Reiterating the department’s commitment to zero tolerance towards corruption, Yadav warned of strict action against erring officials. He said officers should ensure that no tax evader goes off the government’s radar, and called for early recovery of pending arrears, while appealing to all traders to submit their dues promptly.
