Tighten noose around tax evaders: Punjab minister Cheema

Punjab's Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has directed the state intelligence and tax intelligence units to crack down on tax evaders in the service sector. The department has already done well in checking tax evasion in the trade of goods.

Chandigarh : Finance, planning, excise and taxation minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday directed the department to further tighten the noose around tax evaders from service sector.

Finance, planning, excise and taxation minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday directed the department to further tighten the noose around tax evaders from service sector.

Chairing the maiden review meeting, Cheema asked the state intelligence & preventive unit (SIPU) and tax intelligence unit (TIU) to work in tandem to trace, track and nab the tax evaders from service sector.

He said the department has performed remarkably in checking tax evasion in the trade of goods and the need of the hour now is to put a strong check over the tax evaders in field of service sector. He asked the department to formulate a strong strategy against those registered and non-registered service providers who were not paying GST for the paid services being rendered by them.

Earlier, the department officials apprised the minister about the goals and achievements of the SIPU through a PowerPoint presentation.

The newly formed SIPU, which was earlier known as mobile wing of the taxation department, has seen 38% increase in total penalty from goods in transit by charging ₹190.94 crore and ₹43.54 crore from inspections during the financial year 2022-23 as against the total of ₹169.13 core during the FY 2021-22.