PANAJI
No casino operating in Goa can be conclusively termed a GST defaulter at present, as tax demand notices issued to casinos are still under response and appeal, with no final orders passed, CGST Principal Additional Director General Sumit Kumar said on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference, Kumar declined to disclose the number of notices issued to casinos or the GST amount involved, saying the proceedings were yet to conclude. He said issuance of a notice does not by itself establish a tax default until adjudication is completed.
Clarifying GST applicability to UPI transactions, Kumar said GST-related charges apply to merchant transactions and not to person-to-person transfers or small personal payments. Merchants receiving UPI payments may either absorb the applicable transaction cost or pass it on to customers, subject to rules.
Transactions up to Rs 2,000 are not covered by the merchant discount rate (MDR). From October 15, a 0.4 per cent MDR will apply to certain merchant transactions above Rs 2,000, capped at Rs 300 per transaction.
Meanwhile, the Goa CGST Commissionerate has 20,960 registered taxpayers and contributed Rs 1,143.87 crore to Central Government revenue up to August 2026. The accommodation, food and beverage sectors account for a significant share of collections.
The figures were shared during a four-day taxpayer awareness programme conducted in Goa from September 28 to October 1 by the Mumbai Zonal Unit of the Directorate General of Taxpayer Services under the CBIC.
Officials said more than two lakh citizens have availed themselves of services at the GST Seva Kendra at CGST Bhavan. Taxpayer registrations are being processed online within three to seven days, while the refund process has been streamlined through the Back Office Portal. Eligible taxpayers can receive provisional refunds of up to 90 per cent of the claimed amount, subject to applicable risk parameters.
The Goa CGST Commissionerate has also conducted seven awareness programmes over the past one-and-a-half years and constituted a Grievance Redressal Committee.
