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FM
said the collections under Commercial Taxes during current
year show a buoyancy of around 35 per cent and are likely
to reach Rs 1,480 crore. If the same momentum continues,
about which we are optimistic, collections next year will
touch an all time high level of Rs 1,778 crore. As a
result of robust growth in VAT collections, overall taxes
revenue has been estimated at a level of Rs. 2,299 crore
for the current year. “I have adopted the level of tax
collection at Rs. 2,666 crore for the next financial
year,” FM added.
Considering
that the overall tax collection was Rs 804 crore for the
year 2001-02, over a period of five years, overall tax
collections have more than doubled and would go up next
year by three times than in 2001-02. Organizational
changes in the Commercial Taxes Department have become
extremely necessary according to FM he said, “The
increase in volume of trade with 100 per cent increase in
the number of registered dealers after the introduction of
VAT regime in the state.”
Switch
over to the mechanism of self assessment demands quality
audits.
FM
proposes to have an intermediate rung of officers between
the Commercial Tax Officer (CTO) and the Deputy
Commissioner. “Officers of the rank of Assistant
Commissioners will be assigned audit assessments of
dealers above a particular turnover limit,” FM said. The
arrangement will be in line with the one in other states
of the India as also in the Income Tax Department.
In
the new framework of audit assessments, the number of
appeals is expected to increase. Commissioner of
commercial tax at present authorizes audits and address
appeals against such audits. “It leaves him with little
time for larger administrative and management issues. I
accordingly propose to have a Special Commissioner of
Appeals who shall hear appeals against the orders passed
by Assistant Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners,” FM
said. This sort of a mechanism is in place in other states
in India as well. This would lead to speedy disposal of
cases coming up for appeal.
Source
:
GreaterKashmir.com
(press release) - Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India,
dated 16/01/2008
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