Stories
GST Council May Streamline Tax Officers Panels Into Leaner Structure
- •The GST Council is considering a major rejig of its tax officers committees to create a leaner structure as the indirect tax regime matures.
- •The current setup of multiple committees and sectoral groups is proposed to be consolidated into three bodies: the Secretariat, the implementation committee, and a single standing committee.
- •The new standing committee will handle technical work, examine legal amendments, and simplify procedures based on trade representations.
- •State membership in the new standing committee will rotate every two years to ensure fair representation without permanent seats.
- •The reform is built on principles of early political ownership and increased transparency in handling tax proposals.
Key Questions Answered
The current structure, consisting of numerous committees and groups, is proposed to be recast into three consolidated bodies: the Secretariat, the implementation committee, and a single standing committee of officers. This leaner arrangement aims to replace the original setup as the indirect tax regime matures.
The new standing committee will handle technical work, including examining proposals to amend laws, rules, notifications, and forms. It will also simplify procedures and consider representations received from trade and industry.
The membership of the standing committee will be drawn based on each state's relative size in the system and will rotate every two years. No state will hold a permanent seat, and the agenda will be shared with all states to gather their views.
