Govt launches facility to file GST via SMS for 2.2 million firms

Taxpayers can track the status of the returns so filed on the GST portal by logging in to the account and navigating to track return status.

The government on Monday launched an easy Goods and Services Tax (GST) return filing facility through short message service (SMS) for about 2.2 million registered businesses provided the value of return is nil.

The new facility will substantially improve ease of GST compliance for over 22 lakh registered taxpayers.(PTI File Photo)

“In a major move towards taxpayer facilitation, the government has today onwards allowed filing of NIL GST monthly return in FORM GSTR-3B through SMS,” a finance ministry spokesperson said.

Now taxpayers with nil liability will not be required to log on to the GST portal and file their returns as a simple SMS to 14409 will do, he said.

The facility will substantially improve ease of GST compliance for over 22 lakh registered taxpayers who had to otherwise log into their account on the common portal and then file their returns every month, he added.

The format of SMS is “NIL 3B GSTIN Tax period”, he said. GSTIN is the Goods and Service Tax Identification Number of the registered taxpayer.

The status of the returns so filed can be tracked on the GST portal by logging in to the account and navigating to track return status.

MS Mani, partner at consultancy firm Deloitte India said, “Filing nil returns through an SMS would significantly help smaller businesses as they now focus on businesses revival.”

Rajat Bose, partner at law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Co said the facility will definitely help assesses who do not have anything to report in GST returns. “Such assessees need not log in to the GST portal and go through the rather lengthy process of filling the return forms. It’s a good initiative by the government which should further enhance the ease of doing business in India,” he said.