In first 5 months, Goa’s GST collections see 23% YoY rise
Department officials said that data analytics and technology-driven scrutiny have helped recover additional revenue.
According to the department’s data, Rs 2,168.6 crore was collected up to August in 2022-23, and this increased to Rs 2,660.4 crore during the same period this year.
“Goa has seen strong GST collection and this is mainly due to strict enforcement,” said commissioner of state taxes, Sarpreet Singh Gill.
One step that the department has taken is cross-checking with other state government departments to detect mismatches or evidence of tax evasion.
“The data with the tourism department relating to beach shacks, homestays, or other hotels was cross-checked, and those that were liable for GST and VAT, depending on the turnover, were directed to obtain registration and pay taxes,” said an official.
The amount recovered from the tourism sector through the enforcement activity was Rs 32.3 crore, with 186 establishments being registered.
The department has a dedicated data analytics cell that monitors transactions to identify revenue leakages.
The data analytics and intelligence cell of the department also looked at the work orders and payments made by government departments like PWD, WRD, Goa Industrial Development Corporation, and Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation. The tax officials found that Rs 3.13 crore had not been declared by a defaulter in their GST returns.
“The department also conducted a special drive to detect fake GST registrations. The data of suspected tax payers was cross-verified and their business place was visited,” said an official.
The department found 26 cases in which GST registrations were obtained using fake addresses. These registrations have been cancelled, 26 FIRs have been lodged, and investigation is in progress, said the official.
The department has also managed to recover Rs 13.2 lakh and input tax credit amounting to Rs 5.65 crore was blocked, the official said.
