The GST Council, in its 37th meeting held at Goa provided relief to MSMEs by allowing them waiver to file GSTR 9 and GSTR-9A.

Announcing the relaxation in filing of annual returns for MSMEs for FY 2017-18 and FY 2018-19, a statement said waiver of the requirement of filing FORM GSTR-9A for Composition Taxpayers for the said tax periods will be provided.

Additionally, filing of FORM GSTR-9 for those taxpayers who (are required to file the said return but) have aggregate turnover up to Rs. 2 crore made optional for the said tax periods.

A Committee of Officers to be constituted to examine the simplification of Forms for Annual Return and reconciliation statement.

There is also an extension of last date for filing of appeals against orders of Appellate Authority before the GST Appellate Tribunal as the Appellate Tribunals are yet not functional.

In order to nudge taxpayers to timely file their statement of outward supplies, imposition of restrictions on availment of input tax credit by the recipients in cases where details of outward supplies are not furnished by the suppliers in the statement under section 37 of the CGST Act, 2017.

In another significant announcement, the new return system which was to be introduced from October 2019, will now be introduced from April, 2020. The statement said this is in order to give ample opportunity to taxpayers as well as the system to adapt and accordingly specifying the due date for furnishing of return in FORM GSTR-3B and details of outward supplies in FORM GSTR-1 for the period October, 2019 - March, 2020. #casansaar (Source - PTI, Economic Times)