Further time to file an annual report for FY19 GST part of new business relief

The due date for filing the annual return and the GST audit report for FY19 was extended to 30 September 2020 A second extension was granted to all e-way bills from or before 24 March, the validity of which ended between 20 March and 15 April

NEW DELHI: More time to file a return on goods and services tax (GST) for the financial year 2019 and the option for certain assessees to file tax returns using a short message service (SMS) are among the fresh aid measures granted by the government to companies.

The due date for filing the annual return and GST audit report for FY19 was extended to 30 September 2020, the CBIC said in a notification.

An amendment to the 2017 Central GST rules added the option to file returns via SMS, which will allow an assessee to file 'nil return' for a tax period.

The date this will take effect will be stated later, the CBIC said in a separate notification released late Tuesday evening. Such 'zero return' must be filed using the tax payer's registered mobile phone, and it will be checked by a one-time password, the notification said.

According to Abhishek Jain, tax partner at EY, with most of the country under lockdown or partial lockdown, it would have been difficult for the industry to follow the earlier June end deadline for filing the annual returns for the FY19. "The extension provides the industry with the much needed relief and shows the government's welcoming stance," Jain said.

In another relief, the government has granted a second extension to all e-way bills that were created on or before March 24, when the validity period expires between March 20 and April 15. This time, the extension is until May 31, clarified Rajat Mohan, AMRG & Associates' senior partner, a chartered accountants firm.

Last week, the government provided relief on some compliance-related disclosures in income tax audit reports, which also includes GST-related enforcement reporting, as the direct and indirect administrations have been working closely together over the past few years and exchanging data to enhance overall tax enforcement.