No Excise and ST payment without Assessee Code from 1st September - RBI

By Vijay Kumar

IT is mandatory for all assesses to quote their assessee code in the GAR- 7 challan at the time of payment of excise duty or service tax in the authorized bank branches.But not everybody follows this. Now RBI has stipulated that after September 1, 2010, payments will be accepted only with a valid assessee code. The banks can check if the assessee code is available in the directory of NSDL EASIEST web site and use the code if available. If it is not available there, the banks should ask the assessee to take up the issue with CBEC for necessary action.

And CBEC advises:-

The assessees can themselves verify the existence of their Assessee Codes in the NSDL website (www.cbec.nsdl.com) and if it does not exist, they can approach the jurisdictional officers. In case the registration number has not been generated by the system (erstwhile SACER /SAPS or the current ACES application), assesses have to apply afresh for a new Registration Certificate through ACES as a new assessee. Assessees may note that the assessee code is transferred to Assessee Code Directory only after the registration certificate is issued by the jurisdictional Officer.

RBI Circular in DGBA.GAD.No.H-850/41.07.003/2010-11 Dated: July 29, 2010