Impact of GST on Small and Medium Enterprises

At present, the total tax collection in India is around 14.5 Lakh Crore, of which 34% is indirect tax.  Indirect taxes include service tax, stump duty, customs duty, VAT, etc. It refers to the collection of tax indirectly by the Government of India. In most of the developing countries, the share of indirect tax is higher than the direct tax. However, in the developed countries the share of indirect tax is much lower. Therefore, the new GST implementation will allow the government to have a better grip on the taxpayers. This should be capable of evolving the entire tax system.

How will GST help small to medium enterprises?

GST is meant to bring every indirect form of tax under one roof. For small and medium sized businesses, owners or manufacturers have to take care of different taxes and have to run to various departments to fulfil all the tax-related documentations. Some file different taxes biannually, annually, half-yearly, etc. The more the departments, the more is the harassment. Currently, the total tax levied by the central and the state governments add up to 32%, but with the implementation of GST, the business owners have to pay a much lower tax of around 18-22 percent. Moreover, they do not have to pay different taxes to various departments. It makes the job very much easier for every business owner.

Direct impact of GST on small and medium enterprises

• GST will help and ease the process of starting a business in India. Earlier, every business in India was required to obtain VAT registration, which differs in every state, and the rules and regulations are different. Thus it was a very confusing procedure. However, under GST, the businesses have to only register for GST which will have a centralized process, similar to service tax.
• Currently, for any business, it is mandatory to make a VAT payment if the annual turnover is more than 5 lakh in few states and 10 lakhs in few other states. This difference in various states creates confusion. Under GST a business does not have to register or collect GST if the annual turnover is 10 lakh. This is applicable to every state. This will allow many small businesses which have a turnover between 5 lakh – 10 lakh to avoid applying for the GST return.
• GST allows small and medium business to do business with ease in India, due to the less complexity. The distinction between the services and goods will be gone, and this will make compliance easier.
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