The state govt is expecting to unlock Rs 20,000-25,000 crore pending as outstanding taxes from public sector units, financial institutions, and infrastructure holding companies of state and central govts since before the introduction of GST in 2017 by offering an amnesty. On Thursday, the state finance department proposed an amendment to its Maharashtra Settlement of Arrears of Tax, Interest, Penalty for Late Fee Act 2025 to make the amnesty scheme more comprehensive by including tax-paying PSUs, banks, and infrastructure companies from whom thousands of crores are due. The amendment, tabled in the state legislative assembly, will be discussed prior to approval.
“Earlier in March, when the Act was passed, public sector units registered under the Companies Act were mentioned. However, we missed including those which are registered as state or central govt enterprises, authorities, or entities,” said a senior SGST official. Such an amendment, tax experts say, will help the state recover at least Rs 10,000 crore in taxes pending with banks, municipal bodies, and infrastructure companies such as Mhada, MSRDC, MMRDA, besides PSUs like HPCL, BPCL, IOC, Mazagon Dock Ltd, etc.
In March this year, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd paid pending dues worth Rs 2,471 crore soon after the Maharashtra Settlement of Arrears of Tax, Interest, Penalty for Late Fee Act 2025 was passed.
“There is a large amount of levy of tax being litigated by the corporations, public sector banks, departments, rural or urban local bodies or authorities, enterprises or entities which are registered under the Central Acts other than the Companies Act 2013 or State Acts or are constituted by the govt resolutions. To unlock the amount involved in the outstanding dues of taxes and reduce the old pending litigations, the govt considers it expedient to provide for a lump sum payment option for settlement of arrears of tax, interest, penalty, or late fees and closure of old pending litigation. It is therefore proposed to amend the Act suitably,” the copy of the bill said.
Source #TOI
