GST portal goes live, GSTN software now almost ready

A new and simpler portal for the incoming Goods and Services Tax regime went live on Tuesday that will enable easy filing of returns and tax payments through credit/debit cards and other modes. 

As much as 60 per cent of the software needed to run GST is ready and GSTN - the company building the gigantic infrastructure and IT backbone for it, made the www.gst.gov.in portal live for migrating existing tax payers.

It will test the software for integrating a welter of state and central levies before the ‘one market, one rate’ tax model comes into being from April next year. 

GSTN Chairman Navin Kumar said migrating more than 65 lakh VAT payers, about 20 lakh service tax payers and about 3-4 lakh central excise duty payers to a new portal has started.

A provisional identification number, called GSTIN for the assesses who have moved to the new portal is being generated, Kumar told.

On the new portal, businessmen and traders who currently have to file separate returns for array of indirect taxes like excise duty, service tax and VAT, will file a single monthly return and pay tax online through various payment cards, including credit and debit, he said. 

GSTN is building a network that will not just integrate the assessees paying service tax, excise 

and other local levies, but will also help in building the IT backbone for online registration, refund, return filing and tax payment.