The Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue has increased from ₹60,000 crore to ₹1,80,000 crore in less than eight years after GST came into effect. Unscrupulous traders, who submit fake input tax credits will not be spared, Commissioner, Guntur CGST Audit Commissionerate, P. Anand Kumar said.
Addressing a media conference at the GST Bhavan here on Friday (April 11), Mr. Anand Kumar said that the audit officers have several ways to detect fake invoices using GST Returns data and Artificial Intelligence. So far, the audit wing has detected around ₹500 crore worth of fake invoices and recovered about ₹40 crore.
The GST Council was holding talks on ‘rate rationalisation’ and expressed optimism that the GST rates would decrease. The revenue from 25 groups, under five CGST circles, in A.P., has doubled to ₹150 crore during 2024-25 compared to the previous year. He appealed to the public to insist on their service provider to issue GST invoice. GST evasion to the tune of ₹1,500 crore was detected during 2024-25 and ₹150 crore was recovered, so far.
The Commissioner said that GST was a major contributor to the government for funding of infra projects. The government of India has allocated ₹11 lakh crore for National Highways, Railways, Airports and social infra during 2025-26 and a major chunk of the funds were from GST. While the auditing of SSI was reduced from 414 units in 2023-24 to 118 in 2024-25, the auditing of medium industries increased from 101 to 196 and large-scale industries increased from 221 to 226 during the corresponding period.
Mr. Anand Kumar explained that GST was beneficial to the common man as it prevents multiple taxation, unlike the old tax regime. Replying to a query, he said that the State governments were not to ready to lose the revenue on petrol, diesel and ATF, which was delaying the demand for bringing these products under GST. A committee was formed by the government to discuss the issue. He was optimistic that the demand would materialise soon. To another query, he said that a committee was formed to study the demand for the removal of GST on insurance.
CGST Audit Bhavan
Mr. Anand Kumar said that CGST Audit Bhavan of A.P. would soon be shifted from Visakhapatnam to Guntur. A 3-acre land is being acquired in Guntur, and the plan was to complete the construction in a year. The complex would also house residential quarters for the staff and a State-of-the-art gymnasium.
