States » SouthPosted at: Jun 18 2025 12:26AM


Kerala: FM Balagopal to interact with business community on June 18

Thiruvananthapuram, June 17 (UNI) Kerala Goods and Services Tax Department, in association with the Traders Welfare Board, will be conducting a seminar on June 18 here on the Amnesty Scheme for one-time settlement of Tax arrears announced in the state budget for 2025-26 and the welfare schemes for traders.
The budget, presented by K N Balagopal in the State Assembly in February 2025, had announced four categories of Amnesty - General Amnesty, Flood Cess Amnesty, Bar Hotel Amnesty and Distillery Arrears Settlement scheme.
The General Amnesty scheme was envisaged as a comprehensive measure for enabling businesses to settle the arrears relating to various tax laws that existed before the implementation of the SGST Act.
The SGST Department will also be setting up help desks to clear the queries regarding Amnesty Scheme 2025 and various welfare schemes being implemented for the trade sector as part of the seminar.
K R Jyothilal, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Taxes; Ajit Patil, IAS, Commissioner, State GST Department; Raju Apsara, Vice Chairman, Traders Welfare Board and state president of Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti (KVVES) and E S Biju, Vice Chairman, Traders Welfare Board and state general secretary Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Samiti (KVVS), will address the seminar.
Abraham Renn S, IRS, Special Commissioner, State GST Department, will brief the participants on the salient features of the schemes and reply to their queries.
Vineeth Krishna U, CEO, Traders Welfare Board, and Ms R Sreelakshmi, IAS, Additional Commissioner, SGST Department, will also address the seminar.
The Amnesty schemes that came into effect on April one, 2025, has imparted an impetus to the trade sector in the state. The deadline for the schemes, which offers attractive concessions, will expire on June 30.
The General Amnesty scheme provides an opportunity for settling arrears dating back to the period of previous tax laws like Kerala Value Added Tax Act, Kerala General Sales Tax Act, the Kerala Surcharge on Taxes Act, Kerala Agricultural Income Tax Act, Kerala Tax on Luxuries Tax Act and Central Sales tax Act.
The beneficiaries availing the General Amnesty schemes are entitled to certain percentage of deduction on tax arrears, besides getting complete waiver of the penal charges and interest. The scheme operates under three slabs based on the quantum of arrears.
The arrears can be paid through the e-Treasury portal www.treasury.kerala.gov.in and the details of the payment, including the challan, along with online application, shall be submitted through The SGST department’s website www.keralataxes.gov.in on or before June 30.
Arrears of Flood Cess for the period from August 2019 to July 2021 are also eligible for waiver of interest and penalty if settled under the Amnesty Scheme.
Bar hotels are also eligible for a waiver of penalty and 50 percent of the interest on turnover tax arrears for the period from 2005-06 to 2020-21, provided they pay the full amount of turnover tax, cess, and 50 percent of the interest through the e-Treasury portal and submit the payment details to the assessing authority.
Distilleries can settle turnover tax arrears for the period from June 2022 to November 2022 and avail waiver of interest and penalty charges by remitting the tax dues and submitting the payment details to the assessing authority.
UNI DS SS
Tags: #Kerala: FM Balagopal to interact with business community on June 18
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