Revenue authorities plan to initiate targeted action against those not paying taxes as collections from goods and services tax were below estimate.

GST collections during the month were little over Rs 97,000 crore. However, the Government has set a target of Rs 1 to Rs 1.10 lakh crore GST collections during the current fiscal. Now, sub one lakh crore collections during most of the months make things difficult for the Government especially when it is facing a challenge to contain the fiscal deficit within the budgeted level of 3.3 per cent.

"As far as plugging leakages are concerned, we already have GSTR 3B and 1. And we are receiving certain info. We are contacting those tax payers and having them reconciled. Our whole idea is we only do a targeted action and only those who are not paying taxes," Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey told reporters on the sideline of DRI Foundation Day Celebration here on Tuesday.

The Revenue Secretary admitted that there was a shortfall of Rs 4,000 crore GST collections during November. However, he was non-committal on the overall shortfall. "To arrive at any conclusion, we have to have some more months' data. But we are confident that we will be able to achieve our target," he said, while adding that the monthly target is around Rs one lakh crore which the Government wants to increase to Rs 1.10 lakh crore.

He also informed that the plan is to introduce a new and simplified GST return form from April 1. "GST has to be taxpayer friendly. With the current environment of IT, tax payer will soon have simple returns, with the refund process being streamlined. We are going to make it completely online," Pandey said, while informing that the GST Council will meet this month and it is likely to discuss the new system.

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