New Delhi: The Goods and Services Council (GST) Council, led by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Friday extended the deadline to file annual returns by two months to August 31 and allowed use of Aadhaar as proof for obtaining GST registration. The council approved a two-year extension of the National Anti-profiteering Authority and electronic invoicing system and e-ticketing in multiplex.

Besides, the council approved a penalty of 10 per cent on firms not paying the profiteered sum within 30 days of the order.

Sitharaman, who took over as Finance Minister last month, presided over the 35th meeting of the GST Council. All state representatives were present in the meeting expect for Karnataka, Mizoram and Telangana.

The GST Council was expected to consider slashing the rate on electric vehicles to 5 per cent from 12 per cent, but deferred a decision on it till a Fitment Committee took view on this.

After chairing the council meeting, Sitharaman told reporters that the meeting had a conducive environment. “Owing to prior commitments chief ministers of Mizoram, Telangana and Karnataka could not be present at the meeting and instead sent representatives,” she said.

Revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, who briefed the media about the council decisions, said the new GST return filing system will be applicable from January 1, 2020.

On the GST registration, Pandey said, “One of the major changes that we have made is for the ease of GST registration. In the earlier system, people had to give various documents. Now we have decided to use Aadhaar.”

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