Guwahati : In a Statewide crackdown that began last month, State GST officials have detected 352 fake registrations in Assam linked to ITC (input tax credit) claims of around Rs 1,400 crore.

Under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, ITC refers to the taxes paid by businesses on purchases from suppliers. This tax can be claimed as a credit or deduction at the time of paying the final output tax. Dealing with fake ITC has been a major challenge for the GST administration as unscrupulous elements were creating fake firms just to claim ITC and defraud the exchequer.

Of the total Rs 1400 crore fake ITC detected in Assam, Rs 1200 crore were shown transferred to other States. The value of taxable goods was being estimated and the tax involved being realised.

As part of the Statewide crackdown, 43 searches and seizures were also conducted, which revealed tax evasion of around Rs 33.34 crore, of which Rs 5.34 crore has been realised. Eighty-three vehicles, which loaded goods arriving in trains without required documents, were also detained at various railway stations and Rs 41 lakh payable tax realised from them.

A total of nine persons involved in such tax evasion racket have been arrested.

Officials said to enhance enforcement, the government had directed the SGST officials to set up vigilance points at the Sreerampur and Boxirhat inter-state border points. During the last one month, Rs 90 lakh has been realised from defaulters at these points.

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