Bakeries, condiments and small enterprises protest in opposition to GST notices on July 24

The Karnataka State Association of Bakeries, Condiments and Small Enterprises has organised a protest rally at Freedom Park on Thursday, to protest the “unscientific” Goods and Services Tax (GST) notices issued by the Commercial Taxes Department to small-scale merchants. 

D.B. Pratap Shetty, president of the affiliation, expressed concern over the GST notices to small-scale companies like condiments shops, bakeries, milk sellers, vegetable distributors, and others, and stated these notices had created a way of worry amongst merchants.

These notices have been issued based mostly on transactions of their UPI fee gateway linked accounts.

“Most of our transactions — over 95% — are via digital funds,” Mr. Shetty stated, and warned that if their points usually are not sorted out, they may launch a State-wide protest in opposition to the UPI fee system. “We will start a marketing campaign to interrupt UPI scanners as a mark of protest,” he warned.

He alleged that merchants with annual transactions between ₹20 lakh and ₹40 lakh are being served notices, which works in opposition to the usual GST norms.

While demanding the withdrawal of such notices, the affiliation has demanded that the federal government enable merchants with turnover exceeding ₹40 lakh per 12 months to settle their dues below the presumptive tax scheme by paying a flat 1% tax based mostly on obtainable data.