53rd GST Council Meeting Highlights:
- Waiver of Interest and Penalties: Taxpayers can avail waivers on interest and penalties for demand notices under Section 73 of the CGST Act for fiscal years 2017–18 to 2019–20, provided the full tax amount is paid by March 31, 2025. India Briefing
- Reduced Pre-deposit for Appeals: The pre-deposit required for filing appeals has been reduced from 20% to 10%, with a maximum cap of ₹2 million each for CGST and SGST. The Economic Times+2India Briefing+2Saral Pro+2
- Sunset Clause for Anti-profiteering Applications: No new anti-profiteering applications will be accepted after April 1, 2025. PHD Chamber+3India Briefing+3Saral Pro+3
🧾 GSTN Portal Enhancements
GSTR-1/1A Updates:
- Mandatory HSN Code Reporting: Taxpayers must report HSN codes in Table 12 using a dropdown menu, eliminating manual entry. TaxGuru+1SAG Infotech Official Blog+1
- Mandatory Document Details: Table 13, covering document details, is now compulsory for all taxpayers. TaxGuru
Biometric Aadhaar Verification:
- Nationwide implementation of Aadhaar-based biometric verification for new GST registrations has been launched to curb fraud. TaxGuru
💸 Refund Process Revisions
CBIC Amendments Effective May 2025:
- Invoice-based Refund Claims: Taxpayers can now file refund claims based on individual invoices without linking them to specific tax periods, applicable to categories like deemed exports and SEZ supplies. TaxGuru
⚖️ Legal and Enforcement Developments
- Supreme Court Ruling on ITC for Appeals: The Supreme Court has upheld the use of Input Tax Credit (ITC) for making pre-deposit payments required for filing GST appeals, easing the financial burden on taxpayers. Saral Pro+2The Economic Times+2India Briefing+2
- GST Fraud Crackdown: The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) uncovered a ₹30.21 crore fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) scam in Ludhiana, involving multiple bogus firms issuing fraudulent invoices without actual supply of goods. The Times of India+1The Economic Times+1
📈 GST Collections
- May 2025 Collections: The government reported a continued upward trend in GST collections across most states for May 2025. ClearTax+1SAG Infotech Official Blog+1