Service Tax Returns Filing
If you have a Service Tax Registration, you need to file returns twice a year, regardless of whether your turnover exceeds Rs. 10 lakh. In fact, even if you don’t have any revenues, you still need to file returns as nil by October 25 (for April to September) and by April 25 (for October to March). Before this filing, however, all your service tax dues need to be cleared. Failure to pay service tax or file service tax returns by the due date would result in penalties. The fine is Rs. 500 if the delay is up to 15 days, Rs. 1000 if the delay is up to 30 days and an additional Rs. 100 per day thereon, subject to a maximum of Rs. 20,000.
Service Tax Returns Process
Returns Preparation
Once you send in a request, our representatives will inform you of the documents and details you need to submit, such as the collection of tax invoices raised. In case we find that service tax payments had not been made by the due date, we will inform you of the additional interest to be paid.
Returns Filing
We will give you the opportunity to review the filing. One you approve it, we will file the returns with the government. Upon successful completion of the process, we will mail the acknowledgment form to your registered email address.
6 Essential Facts on Service Tax
Service tax, applicable at 15%, is to be paid by the recepient of the service. Therefore, it’s the consumer who pays this indirect tax. The tax is collected by the service provider and then pays the amount to the government. Only those service providers offering any of the services on the negative list or with a turnover of less than Rs. 10 lakh are exempt from collecting service tax.
A service tax registration can be obtained within 10 to 20 days. At first, ST-1 is granted, within seven working days. If it is not granted within this time period, it is deemed to have been granted. The ST-2 will take another 10 to 15 working days, depending on whether you have all the relevant documents.
Service tax payments can be made online or offline. In case you are making payment online, you would need to do so via the NSDL website. For offline payments, a simple payment can be made via the GAR-7 challan, which is available at designated branches of most public sector banks. The due date for online payment is the 6th of every month (for previous month), except March, when the due date is March 31st. In case of offline payment, due date is 5th of every month.
No, you don’t. Even a freelancer operating out of his residence can have a service tax registration and file returns with government. When filling out the form, remember to put the registration in the name of the entity operating the business. In the absence of an entity (proprietorship or company or LLP), it can be your own name.
Even though registration is needed on reaching Rs. 9 lakh in turnover, service tax need only be collected when your revenues are Rs. 10 lakh or over. But once this you cross this mark, you must always collect the tax even if your turnover is less than this in subsequent years.
Service tax returns are filed twice a year. By October 25, you must file returns on payments made between April and September. By April 25, you must file returns on payments made between October and March. Proprietors, partnerships and individuals must make payment quarterly, while companies and LLPs must make payment monthly.