Excise, service taxpayers to migrate to GST portal by January 31

Keen to ensure roll out of goods and services tax from April 1, 2017, the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has begun migration of its existing excise duty and service tax assesses to the new regime. 

"All existing central excise/service tax assesses are requested to migrate as early as possible, latest by 31st January, 2017," a CBEC statement said on Monday. 

Once the existing registered taxpayers (both Central Excise as well as Service Tax) login to CBEC’s Web Portal www.aces.gov.in, a facility will be given in a secure manner to access the provisional login ID and password given by Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), it said. 

Thereafter, using the same, they can log in to GST Portal (www.gst.gov.in) to fill the required fields and submit scanned documents. 

However, if they have already initiated the process of migration to GST as a Value Added Tax assesse under state commercial tax department, they will not need to re-register. 

Permanent Account Number is mandatory for migration to GST and if an existing excise duty or service tax registration does not have one then it has to be obtained from the income tax department. Registration details will have to updated on the ACES portal, it said. 

CBEC has started 24X7 help desk to help assesses. The board is also sending Emails/recorded telephonic messages to all registered assesses. #casansaar (PTI - Economic Times)