<p>Three Bills, including one on the Goods and Services Tax (GST), were passed in the Assembly on Friday. Piloting the Karnataka GST (Amendment) Bill, Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the government would increase audit and inspection of e-commerce players.</p>.<p>The Bill aims to overcome difficulties in the levy and collection of tax on intra-state supply of goods or services or both by the state government. </p>.<p>The Bill also intends to include penal provisions applicable to e-commerce players in case of contravention of provisions relating to supply of goods and services made through them by unregistered persons or composition of tax payers. Further, the Bill aims to decriminalise offenses by increasing the monetary threshold from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore except for offenses related to issuance of invoices without supply of goods or services or both.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/storm-in-karnataka-assembly-bjp-mla-claims-corruption-in-transfers-1236062.html" target="_blank">Storm in Karnataka Assembly: BJP MLA claims corruption in transfers</a></strong></p>.<p>Patil said that taxpayers in the state during the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime were 5,80,000, and now in the GST period it has crossed 10 lakh. “With about 4.2 lakh taxpayers coming under the tax net the state has displayed an increasing trend in GST collection from Rs 44,816 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 81,848 crore in 2022-23. GST has immensely contributed towards an increase in our budget size and revenues,” he claimed.</p>.<p>BJP’s Basavaraj Bommai, Congress’ K M Shivalinge Gowda and H D Revanna of the JD(S) highlighted instances of tax evasion. </p>.<p>Patil assured them that the state government will take all necessary measures to plug GST leakages. “Rs 1,320 crore was collected in the form of tax penalty after the department detected and investigated about 11,733 cases last year (2022-23). Though this is not a small number, more measures will be taken to curb tax evasion,” he said.</p>.<p>Pointing out that a drive had been conducted in the state against ‘bogus dealers’, Patil claimed that nearly 1,600 cases were detected and about Rs 90 crore ITC (input tax credit) was blocked. </p>.<p><strong>Other Bills</strong></p>.<p>The Assembly passed the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to enhance the amount of construction works undertaken by SC/ST persons from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore.</p>.<p>Also, the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention Of Disqualification) (Amendment) bill, 2023 was passed to exempt the CM’s Legal Advisor (A S Ponnanna) and Special Representative of Karnataka State at New Delhi (T B Jayachandra) from incurring disqualification for holding an office of profit.</p>
<p>Three Bills, including one on the Goods and Services Tax (GST), were passed in the Assembly on Friday. Piloting the Karnataka GST (Amendment) Bill, Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the government would increase audit and inspection of e-commerce players.</p>.<p>The Bill aims to overcome difficulties in the levy and collection of tax on intra-state supply of goods or services or both by the state government. </p>.<p>The Bill also intends to include penal provisions applicable to e-commerce players in case of contravention of provisions relating to supply of goods and services made through them by unregistered persons or composition of tax payers. Further, the Bill aims to decriminalise offenses by increasing the monetary threshold from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore except for offenses related to issuance of invoices without supply of goods or services or both.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/storm-in-karnataka-assembly-bjp-mla-claims-corruption-in-transfers-1236062.html" target="_blank">Storm in Karnataka Assembly: BJP MLA claims corruption in transfers</a></strong></p>.<p>Patil said that taxpayers in the state during the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime were 5,80,000, and now in the GST period it has crossed 10 lakh. “With about 4.2 lakh taxpayers coming under the tax net the state has displayed an increasing trend in GST collection from Rs 44,816 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 81,848 crore in 2022-23. GST has immensely contributed towards an increase in our budget size and revenues,” he claimed.</p>.<p>BJP’s Basavaraj Bommai, Congress’ K M Shivalinge Gowda and H D Revanna of the JD(S) highlighted instances of tax evasion. </p>.<p>Patil assured them that the state government will take all necessary measures to plug GST leakages. “Rs 1,320 crore was collected in the form of tax penalty after the department detected and investigated about 11,733 cases last year (2022-23). Though this is not a small number, more measures will be taken to curb tax evasion,” he said.</p>.<p>Pointing out that a drive had been conducted in the state against ‘bogus dealers’, Patil claimed that nearly 1,600 cases were detected and about Rs 90 crore ITC (input tax credit) was blocked. </p>.<p><strong>Other Bills</strong></p>.<p>The Assembly passed the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to enhance the amount of construction works undertaken by SC/ST persons from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore.</p>.<p>Also, the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention Of Disqualification) (Amendment) bill, 2023 was passed to exempt the CM’s Legal Advisor (A S Ponnanna) and Special Representative of Karnataka State at New Delhi (T B Jayachandra) from incurring disqualification for holding an office of profit.</p>