Is your GST bill fake?
Don't be fooled by fake GST invoices, if you know these things, you will be able to spot them quickly.
Without supplying goods or services or paying GST, fraudsters create fake GST bills to defraud traders and consumers.
GST officials have been trying to stop GST cheating for quite some time now. According to the GST Council, most GST fraud in the country is done through fake currency bills. Goods and Services Tax (GST) implemented in 2017 to simplify the taxation system in the country by removing many indirect taxes like VAT, Service Tax etc. was done Under GST, every registered business is required to issue an invoice with a valid GSTIN, which will show the breakdown of integrated GST, state GST and state GST. However, like every other new system, many Bhamtas have started taking advantage of the GST system.
Fake GST invoices have become a major issue of tax evasion for the authorities. Notably, such high-volume cases of fraud in the form of fake GST invoices can be a major nuisance for small businesses and consumers as these fraudsters help consumers siphon off money paid in the guise of tax.
As stated by the Union Finance Ministry, fraudsters create fake GST bills to defraud traders and consumers without supplying goods or services or paying GST. This is basically done for reasons like tax evasion, conversion of input tax credit into cash, booking fake purchases or money laundering.
A fake GST invoice or bill can be identified in several ways.
GSTIN Verification
1. You can verify the GST invoice by visiting the official GST portal https://www.gst.gov.in/ and verifying the GSTIN (Goods and Services Tax Identification Number).
2. On the home page, select 'Find Taxpayer' to check the GSTIN number given in the invoice.
3. If GSTIN is genuine then you will get its details on the website.
GSTIN format
If you know the meaning of 15 digit GSTIN number then you can identify fake GST bill. The first two digits of GSTIN indicate the state code, the next 10 digits are the PAN number of the seller or supplier. The 13th digit is the unit number of the same PAN holder, the 14th digit is the letter 'Z' and the 15th digit is the 'checksum digit'.
How to report a fake GST invoice? (How to Report a Fake GST Invoice)
There are several ways to report cases of fake GST invoices.
1. You can visit official GST portal and register your complaint on 'CBEC Mitra Helpdesk' and 'Rage Web Ticket'.
2. You can also send email to cbecmitra.heldesk@icegate.gov.in.
3. You can also contact the concerned authority through the official Twitter handle of GST.
