GST: Government Extends Annual Return Deadline For 2018-19 Till Sept. 30

The government has extended the timeline for filing annual electronic returns under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act for the financial year 2018-19 till Sept. 30.

The government has introduced electronic verification code and SMS-based authentication for GSTR-3B. A company can furnish GSTR-3B for the period between April 21 to June 30 and authenticate it using an electronic verification code. Existing CGST rules allow companies to authenticate an electronic form using a digital signature certificate.

Businesses intending to file a nil return in form GSTR-3B can utilise short messaging service facility to file the notification. As per the notification, businesses must verify the return through a one-time password facility through registered mobile numbers. A nil return, as per the notification, mustn’t have any entry in all the tabular fields in the electronic return.

Similarly, companies undergoing insolvency must seek new registration in every state where they have existing registrations after appointment of a resolution professional. Such notifications, the government said, must be obtained within 30 days of appointment of a resolution professional or June 30, whichever is later.

The amendment is in line with the recent amendments in the GST framework to help provide relief to businesses impacted by the national lockdown amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

E-Way Bill Validity Extended

The government has also extended validity of e-way bills which were generated before March 20 and are set to expire between March 20 to April 15. Now, the validity of all such e-way bills has been extended till May 31.

Businesses in the Union territories of Jammu & Kashmir can file GSTR-3B for Nov. 2019 to Feb. 2020 by March 24, the government said.