700 boutiques across Punjab under scanner for tax evasion

Tribune News Service

Parvesh Sharma

Sangrur, October 24

Around 700 boutiques across Punjab are under scanner of the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department (PETD) as neither these units pay GST, nor issue mandatory bills to customers. There are 40 big boutiques in Patiala, Ludhiana and other districts, which have their annual turnover in lakhs, but are not following the mandatory guidelines of the state government.

SUSPECTED OF NOT PAYING GST

During a preliminary survey, it has come to light that there are around 700 boutiques across the state that are allegedly involved in GST evasion. We have started the process of initiating action against all such tax evaders. Harpal Singh Cheema, Finance Minister

Talking to The Tribune, some senior officers of the department said after getting instructions from Punjab government, they undertook a primary survey of boutiques, located in various districts of Punjab. During this exercise, it came to light that majority were violating instructions of the Punjab Government as despite selling the attires worth lakhs every month, these were not paying the mandatory tax to the Excise and Taxation Department.

“Recently, we visited a boutique, which sells ‘lehangas’ and other women attires worth lakhs of rupees every year. But when we checked with some women customers as they came out of the showroom, not one of them had the mandatory bill. It was really surprising,” said a senior officer of the Excise and Taxation Department.

During a visit to various boutiques of the city, owners of some confirmed that they even they do not have bill books as they run these from residential areas.

“A majority of customers are unwilling to pay taxes and they ask us not to issue the bill. Where is our fault in that?” said an owner of a boutique on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Excise and Taxation Harpal Singh Cheema said to plug tax evasion in the state, they had been taking various steps like ‘Bill Liyao, Inaam Pao’ Scheme, under which 227 winners won prizes worth Rs 13.39 lakh for uploading bills on Mera Bill App in September.

“During a preliminary survey, it has come to light that there are around 700 boutiques across the state, which are allegedly involved in GST evasion. We have started the process to take action against all such tax evaders,” Cheema added.

The Finance Minister said various teams of officers are analysing the sales at these boutiques as these neither pay the mandatory taxes for the purchase of clothes, nor for embroidery work.

“We will not spare anyone breaking the law,” the minister said.

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