Only 30pc of 90,000 persons registered in TN pay service tax

C Shivakumar
Chennai:
There are 90,000 persons registered under service tax of which only 30 per cent file returns approximately, according to a senior income tax official.
Speaking to Express on the sidelines of the two-day All India Workshop on Indirect Tax Laws organised by Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Saturday, R Perisami, commissioner of income tax, said that in order to motivate more persons to file returns and pay the tax dues Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme (VCES) has been introduced.
He said this year the service tax target is Rs 8,700 crore, which is 36 per cent more than the last year. Last year it was Rs 6,000 crore.
He said that under the scheme persons who have not paid taxes from October 2007 to December 2012 and not paid as on March 1, 2013 can avail VCES subject to certain conditions. These include registeration of the person before making declaration under VCES besides those who have not filed return or stopped filing returns.
He said assessees who have filed return but not disclosed true liability can avail VCES in respect of such undisclosed amount.
He said that in Chennai till now 65 people have filed returns under the scheme. He said that an assessee who have filed return and disclosed true liability is not eligible to avail VCES.
He said that tax dues declared but not paid on or before December 31, 2014 shall be recoverd under the provisions of section 87 of the Finance Act, 1994
Perisami said that a dedicated help desk is functioning in the Integrated Facilitation Centre (IFC) in the office of Service Tax Commissionerat in Anna Nagar. Further clarifications can be obtained over phone -- 044-26142701, 26142702, 26142704.