GST filing gets tougher: No room for error in GSTR-3B from July

Time of India

a day ago

Ahmedabad: From July onwards, taxpayers will no longer be able to edit auto-populated tax liability in their GSTR-3B returns — a major change in the Goods and Services Tax (
GST
) framework.
The GST Network (GSTN) has rolled out this update, aiming to curb misuse and plug revenue leakages. However, tax experts warn that this will warrant higher accuracy from suppliers and could trigger cash flow challenges for buyers.
Taxation experts say that to address discrepancies in GSTR-1 filings, a new form—GSTR-1A—has been introduced but it isn't real-time. This means any corrections made through GSTR-1A could delay Input Tax Credit (ITC) for buyers, potentially leading to working capital issues.
"This is a major structural shift," said Deep Thakkar, chartered accountant and co-chairman of the Indirect Tax Committee at the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).
"Currently, suppliers file GSTR-1, which auto-populates their GSTR-3B and also feeds into the buyers' GSTR-2B. If suppliers make an error or want to adjust their tax liability, they currently edit GSTR-3B directly. That option will no longer be available,," says Deep Thakkar, chartered accountant and co-chairman of the Indirect Tax Committee at the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).
From July, if a supplier makes a mistake in GSTR-1, the only way to correct it is by filing GSTR-1A—before the GSTR-3B deadline, which is the 20th of every month. However, since GSTR-2B (used by buyers to file GSTR-3B) is generated on the 14th, late corrections may only reflect in the next month's ITC cycle, delaying credit and tying up funds.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision being taken, a senior GST official said on condition of anonymity, "The decision to restrict editing in GSTR-3B has been in the pipeline for nearly 18 months.
When a supplier files GSTR-1, the output tax liability gets auto-populated into the system and becomes part of the buyer's Input Tax Credit (ITC). This happens by the 10th of every month, with GSTR-3B due by the 20th.
If a supplier defaults on tax payment, the entire recovery chain is impacted. Allowing edits in GSTR-3B was leading to misuse—essentially allowing ITC to be passed on without corresponding tax being paid.
At some point, the system needs to be secured to protect government revenue."
Chartered accountants claim that the decision while making way to curb fraudulent claims will certainly increase the compliance burden of taxpayers.
"This change will certainly reduce fraudulent ITC claims and plug revenue loss. But it also increases the compliance burden. Even genuine mistakes in GSTR-1 can be rectified only through GSTR-1A which needs to be streamlined as it is essential to avoiding penalising honest taxpayers," said Thakkar.
Another Chartered accountant Karim Lakhani echoed the concerns, stating, "The margin for error has shrunk dramatically. Every supplier will now need to file GSTR-1 with utmost accuracy. Any lapse can impact their clients' ability to claim timely ITC. This is one of the most significant changes to the GST regime since its inception."
Ahmedabad: From July onwards, taxpayers will no longer be able to edit auto-populated tax liability in their GSTR-3B returns — a major change in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework.
The GST Network (GSTN) has rolled out this update, aiming to curb misuse and plug revenue leakages. However, tax experts warn that this will warrant higher accuracy from suppliers and could trigger cash flow challenges for buyers.
Taxation experts say that to address discrepancies in GSTR-1 filings, a new form—GSTR-1A—has been introduced but it isn't real-time. This means any corrections made through GSTR-1A could delay Input Tax Credit (ITC) for buyers, potentially leading to working capital issues.
"This is a major structural shift," said Deep Thakkar, chartered accountant and co-chairman of the Indirect Tax Committee at the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).
"Currently, suppliers file GSTR-1, which auto-populates their GSTR-3B and also feeds into the buyers' GSTR-2B. If suppliers make an error or want to adjust their tax liability, they currently edit GSTR-3B directly. That option will no longer be available,," says Deep Thakkar, chartered accountant and co-chairman of the Indirect Tax Committee at the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).
From July, if a supplier makes a mistake in GSTR-1, the only way to correct it is by filing GSTR-1A—before the GSTR-3B deadline, which is the 20th of every month. However, since GSTR-2B (used by buyers to file GSTR-3B) is generated on the 14th, late corrections may only reflect in the next month's ITC cycle, delaying credit and tying up funds.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision being taken, a senior GST official said on condition of anonymity, "The decision to restrict editing in GSTR-3B has been in the pipeline for nearly 18 months.
When a supplier files GSTR-1, the output tax liability gets auto-populated into the system and becomes part of the buyer's Input Tax Credit (ITC). This happens by the 10th of every month, with GSTR-3B due by the 20th.
If a supplier defaults on tax payment, the entire recovery chain is impacted. Allowing edits in GSTR-3B was leading to misuse—essentially allowing ITC to be passed on without corresponding tax being paid.
At some point, the system needs to be secured to protect government revenue."
Chartered accountants claim that the decision while making way to curb fraudulent claims will certainly increase the compliance burden of taxpayers.
"This change will certainly reduce fraudulent ITC claims and plug revenue loss. But it also increases the compliance burden. Even genuine mistakes in GSTR-1 can be rectified only through GSTR-1A which needs to be streamlined as it is essential to avoiding penalising honest taxpayers," said Thakkar.
Another Chartered accountant Karim Lakhani echoed the concerns, stating, "The margin for error has shrunk dramatically. Every supplier will now need to file GSTR-1 with utmost accuracy. Any lapse can impact their clients' ability to claim timely ITC. This is one of the most significant changes to the GST regime since its inception."