Taxpayers in Gujarat are facing uncertainty as the GST Appellate Tribunal system is yet to become fully operational, while the deadline for filing GST appeals remains fixed at June 30, 2026.
The central government had announced the formation of 45 GST Tribunal benches across the country and appointed technical and judicial members. However, several tribunals are still not working at full capacity due to a lack of permanent offices, staff and required infrastructure.
Gujarat’s situation
GST Tribunal benches were announced in Ahmedabad and Surat but have not started full-scale operations. Officials are currently working from other government offices due to the shortage of facilities. Online appeals can now be monitored, but uncertainty remains over the quick disposal of pending cases.
Taxpayers are currently filing appeals through the National Informatics Centre portal.
Across the country, around 4.5 lakh GST appeals have remained pending for the last eight years, while only around 17,000 appeals have been transferred to the GST portal so far. Tax experts said the transfer process is taking time as many cases involve hundreds of pages of documents.
The financial burden
At the first appeal stage, taxpayers have to deposit 10 per cent of the disputed tax amount, and another 10 per cent has to be deposited while approaching the GST Tribunal.
This means 20 per cent of the disputed amount can remain blocked for several years until the case is resolved.
Tax experts and traders in Gujarat believe taxpayers may continue to face difficulties until the Ahmedabad and Surat benches become fully functional.
They have demanded that the June 30 deadline be extended by at least three to four months to allow the tribunal system to start properly.
Source from: https://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/gst-tribunal-not-ready-in-gujarat-as-june-30-deadline-looms/81916219.html
