With the looming July 1 deadline for new indirect tax regime, GST Network has asked the GST Suvidha Providers to get their systems audited as per ISO standards before they start feeding data into the network.
This assumes significance as the country is gearing up for an overhaul of its indirect tax regime and thousands of businesses will upload their purchase-sale invoices on the GST Network (GSTN) on a daily basis.
GST Network—the company building the IT backbone for the new tax structure—has also asked the 34 GST Suvidha Providers (GSPs) to ensure security of their systems. The GSPs will assist taxpayers in interacting with GST systems, from registration of entity to uploading of invoice details to filing of returns under the new regime.
“GSPs were told that they must have their systems audited as per the prevailing ISO standard on security from one of the auditors on the panel of CERT-IN before they connect with and start pushing data into the GST System,” a Finance Ministry statement said.
At a meeting with GSPs, GSTN Chairman Navin Kumar assessed their preparedness. Besides, GSTN presented the timelines of the release of updated specifications for the new GST Return forms. “GSTN also published and explained the method and manner in which the GSPs would be able to integrate with the GST system to be able to submit all the return forms on behalf of their clients and tax payers,” it said.