India - Panel to suggest model for settling disputes in GST regime

The Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on value added tax may suggest an appropriate model on how disputes should be adjudicated in the proposed common goods and service tax (GST) regime, its Chairman, Dr Asim Dasgupta, has said.

“We will look into this issue (adjudication of disputes) also and recommend a suitable solution,” Dr Dasgupta told Business Line here, when asked whether the VAT Panel would suggest a mechanism for adjudicating disputes in a common GST regime.

The Finance Minister, Mr P Chidambaram, had recently stressed the need for a re-think on how disputes should be adjudicated in a common goods and services tax (GST) regime. He had also asked the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) to suggest a model.

The Union Government has already announced its intent to introduce GST by April 2010.

The VAT panel had toured several federal countries where GST has been implemented to gain better understanding of the various GST systems.

A joint working group, comprising the Union and State Government officials, has also been set up to recommend an appropriate GST model for the consideration of the Empowered Committee.