PANAJI
In a bid to improve the efficiency of its VAT assessment and collection processes, the Finance department has restructured the machinery, clearly demarcating jurisdictions and dividing Goa into eight wards.
Also, the department has created an additional unit to deal exclusively with large taxpayers whose VAT liability exceeds Rs 1.5 crore annually.
Issuing an order which was notified via an Extraordinary Official Gazette, the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, S S Gill, IAS, has outlined the jurisdictions of the eight ‘Ward Offices’, four in each district.
Gill’s order also establishes a Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU) under the Goa Value Added Tax Act, 2005, which will handle all high-value taxpayers, including dealers with over Rs 1.5 crore VAT liability and licensed casinos.
New VAT registrations will be managed by the respective ward offices.
Dealers who grow into the ‘large taxpayer’ bracket will by default transition to the LTU within 90 days of the financial year-end. In order to ensure continuity during the transition, Gill’s order said.
The four wards in North Goa are Panaji, which will extend its jurisdiction to the whole of Tiswadi taluka; Mapusa, which will cover Bardez; Pernem, which will cover the whole taluka; and Bicholim, whose jurisdiction will also extend over Sattari.
In South Goa, Margao will also look after Canacona taluka in addition to Salcete; Curchorem, which will have jurisdiction over Quepem, Sanguem and Dharbandora; Vasco-da-Gama ward, which will cover the whole of Mormugao; and Ponda ward for Ponda taluka.
