GST Portal Live, GSTN software 60% ready: Chairman Navin Kumar

A new and simpler portal for the approaching Goods and Services Tax regime went live today that will empower simple documenting of returns and tax payments through credit/debit cards and different modes.

As much as 60 percent of the software expected to run GST is prepared and GSTN - the organization building the tremendous infrastructure and IT spine for it, made the www.gst.gov.in portal live to migrate existing tax payers.

It will test the software for integrating a welter of state and focal requires before the 'one market, one rate' tax display appears from April one year from now.

GSTN Chairman Navin Kumar said moving more than 65 lakh VAT payers, around 20 lakh service tax payers and around 3-4 lakh focal excise duty payers to a new portal has begun.

A temporary distinguishing proof number, called GSTIN for the surveys who have moved to the new portal is being created, Kumar.

New registrations under GST will begin from April 2017. On the new portal, representatives and traders who as of now need to file isolate returns for cluster of indirect taxes like excise duty, service tax and VAT, will file a single monthly return and pay tax online through different installment cards, including credit and debit, he said.

GSTN is building a system that won't simply incorporate the assessees paying service tax, excise and other neighborhood demands, yet will likewise help in building the IT spine for online enlistment, discount, return recording and tax installment.

"Because we started work in November 2015, today we are in a happy position that 60 per cent of the software development has been completed; 40 per cent is balance and that work is going on," Kumar said.

The GSTN is building four data focuses spread crosswise over Delhi and Bengaluru to guarantee that the data is protected, secure and to guarantee data recovery, at whatever point required.

Kumar said GSTN has begun bringing in equipment and by December all gear would be prepared and testing would begin.

"About 80 lakh tax payers will be migrated from the existing to GST regime. That migration we are starting now. We will generate a PAN-based provisional ID for each tax payer. By December, all the hardware equipment will be ready. Then, the software will be put on the data centre and then the testing will start," he said.

Under the GST regime, taxes can be paid utilizing debit, credit cards and also through NEFT/RTGS exchanges.