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Small and micro traders across Karnataka had objected to receiving GST notices linked to their UPI transactions. The BJP and JDS slammed the Congress government over the move.
Politics heats up in Karnataka over GST notices to vendors (FIle Image)
A political slugfest has erupted over GST notices issued to small traders and vendors on their UPI transactions in Karnataka, with the Opposition BJP and JDS accusing the Congress government of trying to pass on the blame to the Centre.
A section of small and micro traders across the state had objected to receiving GST notices linked to their UPI transactions, and traders’ associations asked the businesses to boycott UPI transactions. They had also called for a statewide strike on July 25. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah later announced that the government won’t recover tax from them.
Siddaramaiah said he held a meeting with small traders and discussed the notices.
“I called a meeting with small traders and others to discuss the issue of notices being issued to small traders, as notices were being issued to those with a turnover of more than Rs 40 lakh,” he said.
“Around 9000 notices were issued. The central government has decided to impose a one per cent tax on these individuals… There was confusion among small traders about this…Traders dealing in exempt goods shall not be registered compulsarily…Old tax arrears would not be pursued…The delegation has agreed to withdraw the agitation called on July 25,” the Chief Minister added.
Opposition Slams Govt Over GST Notices
The BJP lashed out at Siddaramaiah over the notices and said that his announcement that tax won’t be collected from street vendors proves Karnataka government was imposing taxes on them.
“All these days, #TaxCM @siddaramaiah loudly claimed that the state government was not responsible for imposing taxes on small traders — blaming the central government instead, and saying taxation wasn’t the state’s domain. But now, he has announced that taxes will not be collected from small traders. This clearly proves that the @INCKarnataka government was the one imposing heavy taxes — running a loot in the name of GST, with traders receiving tax notices worth lakhs,” BJP Karnataka tweeted.
JDS, a BJP ally, also slammed the Congress government over the issue, however, welcomed the government’s step to withdraw the notices.
“@Siddaramaiah, who had been dismissing claims and saying that the state government had not issued notices to small traders, has finally admitted the truth. The Congress government, which had started collecting what people are calling the #GuaranteeSiddaramaiahTax in the name of GST to fill the empty treasury, has been forced to wake up after facing backlash from small traders and the public. In connection with the GST notices sent to small traders by the Commercial Taxes Department, the Chief Minister held a meeting to avoid further embarrassment,” JDS tweeted.
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes…Read More
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes… Read More
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