GST officials have detected GST frauds worth Rs 55,575 crore in the last two years. Over 700 people have been arrested for causing damage to the state exchequer. An official gave this information on Thursday.
In addition, over 22,300 fake GST Identification Numbers (GSTINs) have been detected by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) officials. The government on November 9, 2020, had launched a nationwide special drive against unscrupulous entities for fraudulently availing Input Tax Credit (ITC) by issuing fake/fake challans.
The official said GST/ITC frauds worth Rs 55,575 crore have been detected in the two years of the special drive. 719 people have been arrested, including 20 CA/CS professionals. A voluntary deposit of Goods and Services Tax (GST) worth Rs 3,050 crore has been made during this period.
The recovery amount in these cases was not disclosed, but said it would be a "large amount". The official said that credible intelligence sources and coordination between intelligence agencies like DGGI, DRI, Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate, and CBI have helped us crack down on tax evaders.
The GST department is taking steps to prevent evasion including verification of registration, the requirement of e-way bills, and verification for filing GST returns. Apart from this, restrictions have also been placed on the amount of ITC that can be used by businesses for GST payments.
The official said that in recent years, the department has intensified action against bogus ITC claims. The steps taken by the GST authorities have improved the situation and this is reflected in the monthly GST collections.
About Rs 1.52 lakh crore was collected in GST revenue in October. This was the second-highest figure after April when the GST collection was around Rs 1.68 lakh crore.
GST revenue is around Rs 1.68 lakh crore in April, Rs 1.41 lakh crore in May, Rs 1.45 lakh crore in June, Rs 1.49 lakh crore in July, Rs 1.44 lakh crore in August, Rs 1.48 lakh crore in September and 1.52 lakh crore in October.
