State Check Posts Will Go Under GST; Excise Point May Stay: Hasmukh Adhia

New Delhi: State level check posts which collect taxes on movement of goods will not be required under the GST regime that will take effect from July 1, although excise collection points may remain as they relate to taxation on alcohol, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said today.

The rates will be common under the Goods and Services Tax and for the movement of goods in or outside a state, there is no need to check whether goods have moved physically out of the state or not, he said.

"So, as far as taxation is concerned, the check posts will go. There are couple of other check posts like the state excise check posts. State excise is the state duty on liquor/alcohol, now these things may remain," he said at the concluding day of 'India Integrated Transport & Logistics Summit 2017' here.

Petroleum and alcohol products are not to be covered under the new indirect tax regime until the GST Council decides to impose a rate on them.

Mr Adhia said the government is also in talks with various states to remove the check posts falling under road transport.

On the issue of service tax rate, he said it is yet to be decided by the GST Council but it may differ for the transportation sector.

"Initial expectation of the market is that it should go to about 18 per cent for service tax. As far as transportation sector is concerned, because we are not able to give you the input tax credit that is given on petrol and diesel, the rate will be different," he said.

"What that rate will be, I cannot say, but it will be different for transportation sector," he added.

The next meeting of the GST Council is scheduled for May 18-19.

In this round of the meeting to be headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the Council is scheduled to finalise the rates of different commodities and services.

It is also expected to approve rates of remaining items.

The Council has already approved half of the rules that are required for rolling out of GST from the scheduled date.

Rules on registration of entities under GST, filing of returns, payment of tax and refund, invoicing and debit and credit notes have already been amended by the Council.

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