goods and service tax

Tamil Nadu's SOP for Welcome Letters to New GST Taxpayers

Introduction

Circular No. 4/2024 issued by the Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes Department establishes a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) designed to facilitate the integration of newly registered taxpayers into the GST system. This initiative underscores the importance of fostering a constructive relationship with taxpayers while ensuring compliance and preventing any misuse of the GST framework.

SOP Overview

Transition to Welcome Letters

  1. Historical Context: Previously, registration certificates were dispatched using Registered Post with Acknowledgement Due (RPAD). The shift to online registration has phased out hard copy communications.

  2. Introduction of Welcome Letters: The SOP now mandates that 'Welcome letters' be dispatched by Territorial Joint Commissioners to newly registered taxpayers. This letter acts as an introduction and aids in authenticating the existence of businesses.

Purpose and Procedure

  • The 'Welcome letter' functions as a goodwill gesture and is essential for verifying businesses. The SOP delineates the roles of Joint Commissioners and Registering authorities to guarantee smooth execution.

Key Actions

Responsibilities of Joint Commissioners

  • Letter Drafting and Dispatch: Joint Commissioners are to draft and send bilingual 'Welcome letters' via RPAD. They must also update the delivery status in the TSP Portal and take follow-up actions for any undelivered letters.

Actions for Registering Authorities

  • Issuance of Show Cause Notices: For undelivered letters, the Registering Authorities will issue Show Cause Notices (SCN), conduct physical verifications, and take necessary registration actions based on the responses received.

Implementation and Monitoring

Workflow and Reporting

  • Infrastructure Support: The Additional Commissioner (System) is responsible for providing the necessary infrastructure for the SOP and generating Management Information System (MIS) reports.

Ensuring Compliance

  • Joint Commissioners are accountable for the effective implementation of these procedures and for closely monitoring the follow-up actions taken by Registering authorities to mitigate the risks associated with non-existent taxpayers.

Conclusion

The enactment of Circular No. 4/2024 reflects the Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes Department’s dedication to improving taxpayer engagement and compliance within the GST framework. Transitioning from traditional communication to personalized 'Welcome letters' and introducing comprehensive verification measures fosters transparency and accountability in tax administration.

Emphasis on Verification

The eradication of non-existent taxpayers and bill traders has been highlighted in various forums. Utilizing RPAD services for verification at the initial stage can be effective. The following SOP is prescribed to welcome newly registered taxpayers while combating fraudulent practices.

Actions by Joint Commissioners

i. Upon the approval of registration tasks by Registering authorities, a task will be generated in the jurisdictional Territorial Joint Commissioner’s TSP 2.0 Portal. They can download the draft bilingual 'Welcome letter' from the Portal, as detailed in the Annexure.

ii. Joint Commissioners must send signed bilingual 'Welcome letters' to all newly registered taxpayers via RPAD and record the Reference number (RFN) and dispatch date in the TSP Portal.

iii. Upon delivery, the date must be recorded in the Portal, marking the task as complete. For undelivered letters, the return date must also be documented, and the task forwarded to the Registering authority for further intervention.

Follow-Up Actions by Registering Authorities

i. A task will be logged in the Registering authority's system for cases where 'Welcome letters' were not delivered or were returned.

ii. Following preliminary verification, Registering authorities shall issue a Show Cause Notice (SCN) to the taxpayer in the GSTN back office system. The ARN, date, and SCN will be recorded in the TSP 2.0 Portal. Immediate physical verification of the business location will be conducted, and results will be uploaded on FORM GST REG-30.

iii. Based on replies to the SCN and physical verification reports, Registering authorities may either cancel or uphold the taxpayer's registration in the GST Portal.

System Workflow

System workflows and MIS reporting regarding actions on cancellation-initiated cases will be developed by the Additional Commissioner (System) for all Joint Commissioners.

Conclusion

Joint Commissioners are instructed to seamlessly implement the 'Welcome letter' procedure, thereby nurturing a constructive relationship with taxpayers and actively monitoring actions taken by Registering authorities to prevent misuse of the GST system.