By Ranjan K Baruah
We are aware of the professions or career options like Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, etc. There are different roles and responsibilities of these people who are related to financial matters or other planning matters. Goods and Services Tax or GST in simple is a popular word for anyone in India. We pay GST and let us see what it is and what profession may be directly associated with GST.
The genesis of the introduction of GST in the country was laid down in the historic Budget Speech of 28th February 2006, wherein the then Finance Minister laid down 1st April, 2010 as the date for the introduction of GST in the country. Thereafter, there has been a constant endeavor for the introduction of the GST in the country whose culmination has been the introduction of the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill in December, 2014.
GST is a dual levy where the Central Government will levy and collect Central GST (CGST) and the State will levy and collect State GST (SGST) on intra-state supply of goods or services. The Centre will also levy and collect Integrated GST (IGST) on inter-state supply of goods or services. Thus GST is a unifier that is going to integrate various taxes being levied by the Centre and the State at present and provide a platform for forging an economic union of the country.
Individuals may become GST practitioners or consultants who can assist and provide services to others. A registered person may authorise an approved GST practitioner to furnish information, on his or her behalf, to the government. The manner of approval of goods and services tax practitioners, their eligibility conditions, duties and obligations, manner of removal and other conditions relevant for their functioning have been prescribed in rule 24 and 25 of the Return Rules. Standardised formats from GST PCT-1 to GST PCT-5 have been prescribed for making application for enrolment as GST practitioner, certificate of enrolment, show cause notice for disqualification, order of rejection of application of enrolment, list of approved GST practitioners, authorisation letter and withdrawal of authorisation. A goods and services tax practitioner enrolled in any other State or Union Territory shall be treated as enrolled in the State/ Union territory
Aspirants should satisfy any of the following conditions: – (a) s/he is a retired officer of the Commercial Tax Department of any State Government or of the CBEC and had worked in a post not lower in rank than that of a Group-B gazetted officer for minimum period of two years; or (b) s/he has been enrolled as a sales tax practitioner or tax return preparer under the existing law for a period of not less than five years; (c) s/he has passed: (i) A graduate or postgraduate degree or its equivalent examination having a degree in Commerce, Law, Banking including Higher Auditing, or Business Administration or Business Management from any Indian University established by any law for the time being in force; or (ii) A degree examination of any Foreign University recognized by any Indian University as equivalent to the degree examination mentioned in sub clause (i); or (iii) Any other examination notified by the Government, on the recommendation of the Council, for this purpose; or (iv)Any degree examination of an Indian University or of any Foreign University recognized by any Indian University as equivalent of the degree examination or (v) Has passed any of the following examinations, namely – (a) Final examination of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India; or (b) Final examination of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India; or (c) Final examination of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
A person desirous of becoming GST Practitioner has to submit an application in the form GST PCT-1. The application shall be scrutinised and GST practitioner certificate shall be granted in the form GST PCT-2. In case, the application is rejected, proper reasons shall have to be mentioned in the form GST PCT-4.The enrolment once done remains valid till it is cancelled. But no person enrolled as a goods and services tax practitioner shall be eligible to remain enrolled unless he passes such examination conducted at such periods and by such authority as may be notified by the Commissioner on the recommendations of the Council. Further details may be collected from the official website.
(The author is a career mentor and skill trainer and can be reached at [email protected] or 8473943734)