Simplified GST registration leaves MSMEs trapped if turnover rises
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : What was meant to be a quick and compliance-friendly boost for small businesses under the September goods and services (GST) recast has turned out to be a damp squib for some early adopters. Starting 1 November, the Centre introduced a special-category GST registration to simplify compliance for small businesses, allowing eligible taxpayers with monthly business-to-business (B2B) output GST below ₹2.5 lakh to opt for a fully electronic process through Rules 9A and 14A.
Small businesses can now register within three days, compared with the longer, document-heavy process they faced earlier. However, businesses that registered using the simplified process now face a new operational challenge—the GST portal blocks them whenever their output tax exceeds the ₹2.5 lakh threshold. “In such cases, the GST portal is blocking GSTR-1 summary generation, which means that such taxpayers will not be able to file their GST return," said Vijaykumar Puri, partner at chartered accountant firm VPRP & Co.
Llp. This is further complicated by the exit conditions specified in Rule 14A. When the threshold is breached, the law allows the business in the optional category to withdraw and apply for registration as a regular taxpayer, provided at least three GST returns have been filed.
After 1 April, this condition relaxes to one GST filing before one can withdraw. “If the portal blocks GSTR-1 due to the breach of the ₹2.5 lakh limit, the taxpayer is unable to complete the very return filing that is required to become eligible for withdrawal. The result is a circular and unworkable situation, where the system does not allow the business to file, yet the rules require filing before exit," said Puri.
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