‘Sabka Vishwas Scheme provides opportunity of voluntary disclosures’
   Date :07-Oct-2019

 
A K Goswamy, S M Patwardhan, Vybhav Dhar, Joint Commissioner, Audit, Sachin Jain and C P S Sudhakar Unni at the programme.
 
AN AWARENESS programme on Sabka Vishwas (Legacy Dispute Resolution) Scheme, 2019 floated by the CGST Department to settle any old outstanding/ litigation/ payment issues regarding Excise / Service Tax during pre - Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime was organised recently with the Joint Commissioner, CGST (Audit Commissionerate) at MIA House.
 
 
Vybhav Dhar, Joint Commissioner-Audit, C P S Sudhakar Unni, Assistant Commissioner, A K Goswamy, Assistant Commissioner, S M Patwardhan, Vice President of MIA, and Sachin Jain, Secretary of MIA were present. Dhar, enlightened the audience about the objective of the Sabka Vishwas Scheme. “It is a one time scheme for liquidation of past disputes of Central Excise and Service Tax and to provide an opportunity of voluntary disclosures to non complaint tax payers,” he said.
 
 
He also cited the benefits of Sabka Vishwas Scheme and cleared the doubts about the pending cases. “In the scheme, cases pending in adjudication or appeal, an assesse can get a relief of 70% from the duty demand if it is Rs 50 lakh or less and 50 per cent if it is more than Rs 50 lakh. This is applicable for the cases under investigation and audit where the duty involved is quantified on or before June 30, 2019. The biggest advantage of the scheme is total waiver from interest, penalty and immunity from prosecution. In case of an amount in arrears, the relief offered is 60 per cent of the confirmed duty amount, if the same is Rs 50 lakh or less and it is 40 per cent in other cases,” he said. Furthermore, in cases of voluntary disclosure, the declarant will have to pay full amount of disclosed duty, Dhar pointed out.
 
 
He further explained the members regarding the cases which are not covered under the scheme are cases in respect of excisable goods set forth in the Fourth Schedule of the Central Excise Act, 1944 (this includes tobacco and specified petroleum products) or cases for which the taxpayer has been convicted under the Central Excise Act, 1944 or the Finance Act, 1944 and cases involving erroneous refunds and cases pending before the Settlement Commission.
 
 
Dhar highlighted the other features of the scheme like facility for adjustment of any deposits of duty already made. Settlement dues to be paid in cash electronically only and cannot be availed as input tax credit later. Full and final closure of the proceedings in question, with a Discharge certificate from the Government. Proceedings under the scheme shall not treated as a precedent for past and future liabilities and proceedings under the scheme will be fully automated.
 
 
The taxpayer can apply for the scheme from https://cbic-gst.gov.in. Sachin Jain, Secretary (MIA) urged the members to take the advantage of the scheme and requested the members to raise queries regarding their own cases. The members cleared their doubts in the interactive session with their cases. They also appreciated the programme’s objective and the clarification they got for their respective cases. S M Patwardhan, Vice President of MIA proposed the vote of thanks. The programme concluded with the National Anthem.