Service Tax VCES 2013 drawing to a close
COUNTING from today, there are ONLY NINE WORKING DAYS for the ST VCES, 2013 to come to an end. As per the latest reports, ONLY 14000 declarations have been received and only 2300 Crores have come into the Government kitty. Pitiable show, one may say. Where are those lakhs of non-filers/stop-filers et al ? One may argue that this "number play" was a mirage in the first place - there is no such figure as 10 lakhs of delinquent registered assessees!
But, one thing is certain - that the entire government machinery was in action. Right from launching the advertisement blitzkrieg, which made many stand up and take notice of the existence of the Department, and those seminar caravans of the FM which moved from one metro to another no stone was left unturned to reach out to the masses.
Whereas the Hyderabad-II Commissionerate had come out with manned kiosks placed in parks, the Vadodara Central Excise Commissionerate employed the ubiquitous auto rickshaw draped with the ST VCES banner and loud speakers blaring the VCES commercials to maximum advantage as the photographs below would show -
Only when the dust settles, presuming there is no extension, and the final figures of revenue mop up land on the FM's table, will the critics and the votaries of the scheme head for a showdown.
Perhaps, an enthusiast may even file an RTI application seeking to know the amount of money spent by the department for advertising the scheme.
But, one thing is sure - gauging from the mood of the department, it is clear that those tax evaders who are obstinate and not interested in filing the Form VCES-1 would be hounded the moment they welcome the New Year, 2014.