FinMin, states in talks for simpler GST norms for qcom dark stores
The finance ministry is in discussions with state governments to ease the requirement for update of goods and services tax (GST) registrations to include each dark store and warehouse operated by ecommerce (ecom) and quick-commerce (qcom) companies, amid rapid expansion of such facilities across smaller cities.
Industry players have told the government that mushrooming qcom operations across cities has led to the setting up of thousands of dark stores and warehouses, making the process of updating GST registrations for every location time-consuming and cumbersome, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Under the GST law, any location where goods are stored or from where they are supplied, including warehouses and dark stores, qualifies as a “place of business”. These must be declared under appropriate state-wise GST identification number (GSTIN). A business needs only one GSTIN per state/Union territory (UT). Multiple dark stores or warehouses within the same state are added as “additional places of business” to the existing GSTIN via a simple amendment. However, the frequent addition or deletion of locations requires repeated amendments on the portal, which is cumbersome, especially for platform sellers who must update details individually.
