This is to bring to your notice various difficulties faced while filing of service tax return for the period October12 to March 13. Following is the brief description of various discrepancies and we request you to kindly consider the same and rectify it.

1. One major problem is that when we are uploading the XML utility, the next day it shows as been rejected. You shall be amused to know that if we choose to view the ST3 return for the same period for which the XML is rejected, it shows as filed. But the assessee on viewing the rejection message of XML, keeps on trying to upload a return which is already FILED.

2. Another problem which has been persistent is that the challans are being rejected by the ACES vide which the payment was made online. The site shows that 'Following Challans does not exist in our database” !!!

3. When we go on to take out the print of the return filed, many a times one or two services don't show up in the return whereas the total of the particulars filled match at the end.

4. On adjusting the prior period advances, the system wants us to enter the total amount of that challan through which the current period liability was adjusted. Now what if only a part of that challan was deposited as advance and the rest was adjusted against that period's liability. The system denies such filling of information.

5. On adjustment of a prior period arrear through CENVAT of that period, the system is asking for the challan details of such CENVAT utilized !!! Now from where do we get a challan for CENVAT utilization?

6. The response of the ACES helpdesk is as usual slow as anything. We got a response from them after 5 calls and 15 days wait. Amusingly the day we got a reply was the last date of return and the solution they gave was to refill the return and file it again (we had already done that a number of times)!!!!