Tamil Nadu adopts new GST checks
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu has transitioned from mobile teams to airborne teams for taxing checks on goods moving through the state. The shift comes after the 57th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting on October 8, which endorsed reforms to e-way bill-based interception and verification of goods in transit. Aimed at reducing arbitrary checks and streamlining cross-state goods movement, Tamil Nadu became the first state to issue instructions on the matter before receiving detailed guidelines from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) or other states.
On October 14, the state's commercial taxes department released an internal communication outlining the new procedure. This directive mandates that squads be stationed at the offices of joint commissioners (intelligence) and that vehicles can only be intercepted based on specific intelligence recorded in a time-stamped electronic format and authorized by the joint commissioner.
The requirement for intelligence inputs and written approval from senior officials before an interception could enhance accountability, according to a government official. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, following the council meeting, stated that goods can only be inspected, detained, or seized by officers from the supplier state or the destination state, prohibiting any intermediate stops.
The necessary amendments to the GST law and rules are anticipated soon, with other states working on their implementation instructions, while the CBIC prepares a separate circular.
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