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India Today
23-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
GST notices aimed to ensure compliance, not harass small traders: Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday assured small traders that the state government will support them in addressing concerns over GST notices, after an unprecedented protest by bakeries and condiment stores disrupted tea and milk sales across the a meeting at his residence with representatives of trade unions and the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), Siddaramaiah addressed grievances about tax notices issued to small vendors for non-payment of Chief Minister clarified that the notices were sent only to those whose UPI transactions exceeded Rs 40 lakh, primarily to prompt GST registration, and that traders dealing exclusively in exempt goods like milk, vegetables, meat, and fruits would not be taxed. The meeting followed a symbolic protest earlier in the day, where bakeries and condiment shops stopped serving tea, coffee, and milk. Vendors wore black badges and only served black tea or coffee to signal dissent, accusing the Commercial Tax Department of unfairly targeting them based on digital payment activist Ravi Shetty, who joined protesters at a bakery, said, 'No bakery is selling milk today. We are wearing black bands to express our anger.'Traders complained that GST notices often wrongly included personal transactions and loan amounts, causing panic among vendors, many of whom have now switched to 'cash-only' sales or put up 'No UPI' bodies urged the government to let vendors resolve issues directly with the Commercial Tax Department, provide a one-time waiver on old tax arrears, launch a helpline, and run awareness campaigns to explain GST rules promised that old arrears would not be pursued if traders register under GST and begin paying due taxes going forward. He also announced an enhanced helpline for better Chief Minister said that the state, which ranks second nationally in GST collection and shares half the revenue with the Centre, remains committed to lawful yet supportive operations. After his assurance of transparent and fair treatment, trade bodies agreed to withdraw their call for a bandh on July 25.'We are here to help traders comply with the law and sustain their businesses. No undue harassment will be tolerated,' Siddaramaiah said, emphasising that the government would empower small vendors and boost purchasing power through various programs.- EndsTune InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
Hans India
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
GST row: Small traders launch 3-day agitation in Karnataka
Amid the political face-off between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP over the issue of GST notices to small traders and shop owners demanding exorbitant tax payments, traders across the state have launched a three-day agitation starting Wednesday. As part of the protest, traders have stopped serving milk, coffee, and tea to customers at their shops, and many wore black badges. A decision has been made to boycott the sale of cigarettes, beedis, and all tobacco-related products on Thursday (July 24). On Friday (July 25), the traders plan to shut down their shops and establishments and stage a massive protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. The traders are also considering launching an indefinite strike unless the GST notices are withdrawn. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called a meeting with aggrieved parties and trade bodies at his official residence in Bengaluru. However, Karnataka State Karmika Parishat President Ravi Shetty, reacting to CM Siddaramaiah's move to address the issue, stated that his organisation would not attend the meeting. 'We initiated the agitation against the GST notices to traders. But the state government has invited only those trade bodies that are already paying taxes. The meeting should have involved small traders who have been issued GST notices demanding payments of up to Rs 50 lakh. Our organisation received the invitation merely for formality. We will not be attending the meeting,' Ravi Shetty stated. Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi has clarified that the GST notices issued to small-scale traders in Karnataka are the doing of the state government, and not the Central government. The Karnataka BJP has slammed the Congress-led government in Karnataka over the alleged issuance of GST tax notices to small traders, accusing it of obstructing the Centre's digital revolution. The party has also announced the launch of a helpline to safeguard the interests of small traders in the state in the backdrop of a row over GST. Hitting back at the BJP, the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said that the BJP is trying to fix the Congress government in the state over the GST row. 'BJP is trying to eat the banana and wipe it on our nose by issuing GST notices to small traders,' the Deputy Chief Minister said, while targeting opposition BJP in the state.
India Today
23-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
Karnataka bakeries suspend tea, coffee, milk sales in protest against GST notices
Bakeries and condiment stores across Karnataka stopped serving tea, coffee, and milk on Wednesday in a symbolic protest against tax notices issued to small-scale vendors by the Commercial Tax Department. Small traders wore black badges and suspended beverage sales for the day, accusing the department of unfairly targeting activist Ravi Shetty, speaking from one of the protest sites, said, 'Today we are wearing black bands on our arms. No bakery is selling milk. Only black tea will be available as a mark of protest.'advertisementThe protest largely affected beverage counters in bakeries and condiment shops, while all other commercial activity continued as usual. In some outlets, only black tea and black coffee were served to customers, signalling the traders' dissent. The agitation comes amid growing resentment from small vendors over the department's recent GST notices. Traders have warned of intensified protests if the notices are not response to the unrest, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called a meeting at his residence at 3 pm today to discuss the issue with representatives of the small sweeping enforcement drive has triggered panic among small vendors across the state, many of whom have now switched to 'cash-only' crackdown, based on data from UPI and other digital payment platforms between FY 2021–22 and FY 2024–25, has led to notices being issued to traders whose digital receipts alone crossed Rs 20 lakh (for services) or Rs 40 lakh (for goods).Officials clarified that the mode of payment, UPI or cash, doesn't matter, and total turnover, including cash sales, is what off guard, many vendors in Bengaluru and beyond, including tea stalls, bakeries, and market shops, have put up 'No UPI' signs, fearing tax liabilities running into lakhs or crores. Trader associations have called for a statewide bandh on July 25, 2025, protesting what they allege are excessive and arbitrary tax such trader, Shankargouda Hadimani, a vegetable seller from Haveri, said he was shocked to receive a notice demanding Rs 29 lakh in GST after officials calculated his UPI transactions over four years at Rs 1.63 crore. Shankargouda, who only sells fresh vegetables, which are exempt from GST, said he files his taxes regularly and now doesn't know how he can arrange such a huge sum.- EndsTune InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
