The Goods and Services Tax (GST) department has made significant strides in tackling evasion, employing robust data analytics and artificial intelligence to identify and track risky taxpayers. According to recent data, a staggering amount of GST evasion, exceeding Rs 2.68 lakh crore, was detected in 43,516 cases between 2020-21 and 2023-24 (April-May).
Massive Evasion Unearthed in April-May
In just the first two months of the current fiscal year, authorities uncovered as many as 2,784 cases of GST evasion involving a total of Rs 14,302 crore. During the same period, the department recovered Rs 5,716 crore, leading to the arrest of 28 individuals in connection with the evasion.
ParallelEfforts in Income Tax and Customs Departments
In addition to GST evasion, the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, provided details on income tax evasion and outright smuggling detected by the Customs department. The Income Tax Department conducted searches on 3,946 groups in the last five years, seizing assets worth Rs 6,662 crore. Meanwhile, the Customs Department detected 42,754 cases of outright smuggling, amounting to about Rs 46,000 crore in the last four years.
Government’s Vigorous Response
The government is leaving no stone unturned to combat tax evasion and fraudulent practices. The Income Tax Department is utilizing non-intrusive methods, aided by electronic data, to detect tax evasion. Simultaneously, the GST department is employing advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to track risky taxpayers. Moreover, sharing data with partner law enforcement agencies and implementing a reduced threshold limit for e-invoice issuance are among the strategies being undertaken to curb evasion.
Continuing the Battle Against Evasion
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is actively involved in identifying and curbing import-export-related commercial frauds. Through data analysis-based risk management and intelligence development, along with human intelligence, substantial progress has been made in detecting tax evasion in recent years.
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