GST - Blind Men Describing an Elephant
GST is perhaps the most confusing tax in history to be unleashed with undue haste by an unprepared administration on an unsuspecting public. There are too many analysts incising every aspect of the new tax like the six blind men describing the elephant - only there are about six hundred doing the description. Unfortunately, the general media has developed a fascination for GST that all kinds of reports and comments are published daily leaving the common taxpayer and the tax collector totally confused. The Government seems to be selectively leaking vital information to some instead of issuing a Press Release. Yesterday a journal came out with what the GST administration is going to be and what is going to happen to CBEC once GST comes into force. This was claimed to be exclusive.
Already we have a Constitution Amendment, a Draft Act and several Draft Rules and Formats, with absolutely no idea about how many are on the way. Is a taxpayer expected to read and understand all these voluminous literature? Is he expected to spend his entire life in compliance of complicated procedures? Shouldn't he be allowed to do some business so that he can earn some money to pay for the babus who draft laws to make his life miserable.
Is it ever possible to make laws simple and easy to comply with?